Do you remember a couple of years ago when we talked here about peanut butter sandwiches for grown-ups? We explored non-sweet savory combinations like garlic jelly or chutney and peanut butter. All that conversation prompted Ruth Thurston to send along a recipe for cheddar bread that she reported made terrific peanut butter sandwiches.
Recently I pulled the recipe out and mixed up a batch. It was met here with great approbation. Which means that I will have to make another batch, probably all too soon. That is a problem anyway with making home-made bread; you need one whole loaf for immediate devouring greedily with butter melting into the still hot slices.
And it is good with peanut butter, of course, or not. I tried it with grilled cheese sandwiches and it was wonderful. In this recipe, I used the sharpest cheddar I can find.
I found this recipe incredibly easy to use. I employed my mixer with the dough hook which meant minimal hand kneading. One rising in the bowl and another after I shaped it into a loaf. Easy peasey. It bakes quickly—thirty-five minutes at 375 degrees. Good grief. I can’t think of any excuse not to make it.
P.S. Thanks to all of you who have sent along mustard pickle recipes. It looks like a great assortment with some very promising possibilities.
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 packages dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 to 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups grated cheddar or parmesan cheese
- Mix together water, yeast, sugar and salt and let rest for five minutes.
- Beat in 2 cups of flour until the batter is smooth, then add more another cup of flour until it is well incorporated.
- Fold in the shredded cheese.
- Add about another cup of flour then knead by hand or with a dough hook in a mixer until the dough is stiff, smooth, and springs back when you poke it with your finger.
- Let rise in a greased bowl until doubled.
- Punch down and re-knead briefly, adding as little flour as possible, and shaping into a loaf for a standard loaf pan. Let rise.
- When doubled, heat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Bake for 35 minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow when you tap the surface.
- Remove from pan and let cool.