BASIC WHITE DOUGH-CHEESE BREAD

I started off with the intention to show how simple it is to make a basic white dough, but ended with cheddar cheese bread! However, the basic white dough is just what it means, it’s basic. You can then develop this to whatever fancies you using this basic dough.
Below in pictures, are the simple steps.

The Basic White dough comprises the 4 ingredients, simply 500 gm bread dough;10 gm yeast; 10 gm salt and 350 gm warm water. Mix thouroughly. I use the Kitchen Aid for the first 10 minutes, and follow up with hand kneading, finally shaping dough into a ball and placing this in a lightly oiled bowl to proof. Depending on the room temperature, doubling it’s size takes 45 to 60 minutes. The dough is then flattened using fingers, to recieve the grated cheese.

The pictures below show the spread of the dough and the cheese on it and the folding of the dough. After scattering the grated cheese on the flattened dough, press the cheese firmly into the dough. I baked at 200˚C for 25 minutes, leaving the oven door ajar about 1 inch at the last 5 minutes to harden the crust.

Scottish Matured Red Cheddar is one of my favourite cheeses I use in my bread because of it’s strong flavour, it’s colour and texture. It tends to have a high oil content, so bake it on a baking sheet not directly on the baking stone to avoid staining the stone with oil which invariably oozes out.

Below are the two loaves hot out from the oven. The loaves look different as the left one has more cheese near the dough surface. The right loaf is shown partially sliced, in the Header above.