Cracked Black Pepper Cheese...Bread!

Cracked Black Pepper Cheese Bread

I love cracked black pepper cheese bread!  Actually, I used to get it at a fresh bread store years ago and decided to make some since I have never found any in Utah!

While looking for something in the freezer, I discovered a chunk of parmesan that I had bought for a different recipe several weeks ago.  I also love spinach parmesan bread, but realized I didn't have any spinach so decided to find a recipe for cracked black pepper cheese bread instead!  I had some leftover asiago cheese leftover from making asiago bread and added that to the bread with the parmesan.  Now that I know I can make yeast bread without killing the yeast, I am fearless!

The recipe below is a combination of two recipes I found, and honestly, the more cheese the better!

So I thought today's song should take a detour from jazz to...Bread.  That's right, here's "Down on My Knees" by Bread.



Cracked Black Pepper Cheese Bread

•   3 cups flour

•   1/2 tsp active dry yeast

•   1 tsp Kosher salt

•   1 ½ cups warm water

•   2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

•   2 tbsp. freshly cracked black pepper

•   4 oz Asiago cheese, cut into quarter-inch cubes

•   4 oz Parmesan cheese, cut into quarter-inch cubes

Add yeast to warm water.  Stir and let sit for five minutes.  Put 2 cups flour, salt, and pepper in a bowl.  Stir together.  Put olive oil in center of flour mixture.  Add yeast mixture.  Stir with a fork until combined.

Stir into dough.  Add one-half cup of flour.  Stir then knead. 

Add cheeses and mixture together.

Add last one-half cup of flour.  Knead.  The dough should be slightly gooey.

Let rise for an hour or until double. 

Spray large cookie sheet with Pam.

Divide dough in half.  Shape each half into a 16-inch long log with a diameter less than 2 inches.

Cover with waxed paper and let rise for another hour.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-28 minutes.   

Let bread cool on rack.