Quick Cheese Bread with sharp cheddar and parmesan
Servings 1 loaf
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Parmesan or Romano cheese grated on a large whole grater.
- 2 1/2 cups 12 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon diamond kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper or about 4-5 grinds
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 6 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup yogurt or sour cream
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 F. Spray or lightly butter an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan, then sprinkle 1/2 of the grated Parmesan evenly across the bottom of pan.
- In large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and spices to combine. Using a large silicone or rubber spatula or your hands, toss in the cheddar until cheese cubes are not clumped together and are coated with flour. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, yogurt, melted butter, and the egg.
- Using a spatula, gently fold the wet ingredients into dry until just combined and no dry floury bits remain. Scrape batter into buttered or oiled loaf pan; spread to sides of pan and level surface.Top with an even layer of remaining Parmesan.
- Bake until loaf is deep golden brown and internal temperature reaches 195-200 degrees about 45 to 50 minutes. Rotate pan halfway through baking.
- Let cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes, then invert loaf onto wire rack. Turn right side up and let cool for about 30-45 minutes. Serve when sliceable (go too soon and the bread will smush not slice).
- I know you already know this but a gentle reminder to not toast this in the toaster. Chunks of melty cheese and toasters do not go well together. I used a cast iron skillet.
- Can be frozen, double wrapped, for up to 3 months.
Notes
According to America’s test kitchen you should not substitute skim instead of whole milk for this recipe. Also baking time will vary if you use a larger (9x5) loaf pan so start checking sooner. They use the toothpick method to determine doneness but I prefer a thermometer as I’ve found breads with fillings can be problematic with cooking time. IF you do use a toothpick make sure to test in more than one spot as a pocket of cheese can throw everything off.