Our Daily Bread...

A few days ago, I was flipping through a cook book I've owned for more than a dozen years. For many of those years, it was my 'staple' cook book but the other day, I found a recipe I don't ever recall seeing in it before. It was for Italian Cheese Bread. Now, I love homemade bread but generally, it's time consuming and tedious.

Yes, I have my dream Kitchen Aid Mixed (I love you Mixer - that's the rule of the Mixer - one must always say "I love you Mixer" whenever one speaks of the Mixer) with a dough hook but I don't like using it for 'hard tasks' because, well, I'm weird that way... But my lovely Mixer is another post... Back to the bread.

The day I found the bread recipe, I was too short on time to make it but today, having had a late afternoon meeting cancelled, I decided to sneak home and try this recipe! TroubleMaker drug his chair to the counter and we assembled the ingredients!

"Where was I?" I asked myself about a dozen times this afternoon while measuring the ingredients as I kept losing my place!

Forty five minutes later, we were almost ready to put the bread in the oven to rise. Now, had I been working alone, I would have had it together in about fifteen but I`ve learned that these extra minutes spent working with my son are the best (even if they are frustrating) so he has had a regular place in my kitchen whenever I cook.

Half an hour more and we preheated the oven and prepared to cook our bread!

Another 40 minutes and BOOM! Bread (and spaghetti with meat sauce - YUM!)... And I decide that the bread looked so good, it must be photographed... And thankfully, I married a photographer so with dinner on the back burner and the counter emptied of the usual household stuff, we had mini-shoot! And then, once we'd reassembled the kitchen and I sliced the bread, I called back to my husband and asked him to do it again so up came the cameras, reflectors and lights and we were re-shooting the bread...

The finished product was definitely worth it - but take a look for yourself...

Now, it was good but it could be better... Here is the recipe and below is what I'd do differently (and will do) next time...

Italian Cheese Bread

2-1/2 cups flour
2 pkgs yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt

1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/2 cup margarine

2 eggs

2-3/4 cups flour

FILLING:
1/4 cup margarine, softened
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 pkg of dry salad dressing mix, like Salad n Dips Italian or Country Herb
1/4 tsp garlic powder.

METHOD:
Combine first 4 ingredients, mix well in large mixing bowl.

Heat milk, water and margarine well (until hot and margarine is melted). Stir to combine and add to dry ingredients. Add in two eggs and beat on low until well combined. Turn mixer to medium and continue to beat for 3 minutes. Add second amount of flour, one cup at a time until blended and dough is sticky.

Turn onto lightly floured surface and kneed gently. Cut into two pieces and shape into a two balls.

Grease a 12" bundt pan well. Sprinkle lightly with Sesame Seeds. Poke hole in one of the balls and fit into bundt pan.

Combine filling ingredients and put on top of dough in pan.

Poke hole in second ball and place on top of filling and first lot of dough.

Cover with greased wax paper and clean tea towel. Place in COLD oven with only the oven light on. Wait 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and preheat to 350 F. Put uncovered pan of bread in oven and bake 30minutes (or until done - bread should sound hollow when knocked). Turn onto wire rack to cool.

What I'll do differently...
The bread was good but a little 'heavy' and 'cakey' so I may try just putting it i bowl first, letting it rise and punching it down before forming. Also, it was a little short on flavour. Next time, I'd add the seasoning packet to the dry ingredients (first 4). I'd likely omit the butter in the filling too and just either add the cheese into the dry ingredients or put it in the middle as suggested.

The good news is it is quick and makes a nice addition to a pasta dinner. It also would be very good with a supper salad (like Chicken Caesar Salad). I hope you try it - original or modified!