Pepper Cheese Loaf

Cooking Instructions

BAKING PANS OR CANS

Two 1-pound coffee cans or, if desired, 2 small (7"-x-3") loaf pans, greased

BY HAND OR MIXER

15 mins.

In a mixing or mixer bowl blend 1 cup flour, the yeast, sugar, salt, and ground pepper. (The cheese comes later, after the first rising.) Add the hot water and shortening. Beat with a spoon 100 strong strokes, or for 30 seconds with the mixer. Then, at mixer high speed, beat for 3 minutes more. Scrape the bowl once or twice.

Stir in additional flour, 1/2 cup at a time to form a soft but elastic dough.

KNEADING

10 mins.

If by hand, turn out on a floured work surface and knead with a strong push-turn-pull motion. With the mixer, attach the dough hook. Knead for 10 minutes. Add more flour to control stickiness, if necessary.

BY PROCESSOR

5 mins.

Attach the steel blade.

Measure 2 cups flour into the processor work bowl and add the yeast, sugar, salt, and pepper. Pulse to blend. With the machine on, pour the hot water through the feed tube. Stop the processor, remove the cover, and drop in the shortening. Replace the cover, turn the machine on, and add the balance of the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, through the feed tube. The dough will form a rough mass that cleans the sides of the bowl and spins with the blade. Remove the cover and feel the dough with your fingers. It should be slightly sticky, but if it is wet, add small portions of flour.

With the processor running, knead the dough for 50 seconds.

FIRST RISING

45

Place the ball of dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and leave at room temperature until the dough has doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. You can test if it has risen sufficiently by poking a finger in it; the dent will remain.

(If prepared with a new fast-rising yeast and at the recommended higher temperatures, reduce the rising times by half.)

SHAPING

10 mins.

Punch down the dough and work it briefly under your hands to press out the bubbles.

Spread half of the cheese over the dough and fold in. Knead for 1 minute and sprinkle on the balance of the cheese. This is not an easy job because the dough doesn't want to accept the cheese. After a few minutes of tucking in loose pieces, however, it will, and all will be well.

Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a ball and let them rest for 3 minutes. One ball should fill the prepared coffee can about halfway, no more. Press each dough ball into a container, and push down with your fingers all around the sides to force the dough to the bottom-and to press out any air.

For loaf pans, form by pressing each ball of dough into a flat oval, roughly the length of the baking pan. Fold the oval in half, pinch the seam tightly to seal, and tuck under the ends.

SECOND RISING

1 hour

Cover the containers with wax paper and leave until the center of the dough has risen to the edge of the can or above the loaf pan, about 1 hour.

PREHEAT

Preheat the oven to 400 15 minutes before baking.

BAKING 400

35 mins.

Bake until the crust is a deep brown, 35 minutes, and the loaves test done. Turn out one loaf from its can or pan and tap the bottom crust with a forefinger. A hard, hollow sound means the bread is baked. If not, return to the oven (without the pan, if you wish a browner crust) for an additional 5 or 10 minutes. If the loaves appear to be browning too quickly, cover with a piece of foil or brown sack paper.

(If using a convection oven, reduce heat 50)

FINAL STEP

Remove the bread from the oven. Turn from the containers and place on wire racks to cool. Serve either warm (not hot) from the oven or reheated later.

This bread freezes especially well, and will keep frozen 6 months or longer at 0. A fine bread with a soup dinner, great for unusual sandwich slices on a buffet, and superb toasted, always.

Wine Pairing(s)

Red Guitar 'Old Vine' Tempranillo-Garnacha

Almaden White Zinfandel

Chateau Beaucastel Cotes du Rhone

Three Rings Shiraz

Shirvington Shiraz

Franzia White Grenache

Castillejo de Robledo 'Silentium' Red

Delicato White Zinfandel

Beringer White Zinfandel

Malartic Lagraviere Grand Cru Graves