Spicy Cheese Bread

Cheesy snack bread is legendary in Wisconsin and when I came across this recipe by Cook's Country, I knew I had to try it.  First, Cook's Country is reliable because they go to great lengths to make sure a recipe works and this bread was no different.  Even testing what cheese would work best and not bog down this eggy dough with grease.  The choice--Monterey Jack and Provolone.  Secondly, they pay special attention to the temperature of the ingredients to ensure an efficient and effective fermentation time; which is very important to me.  By incorporating red pepper flakes into both the dough and the topping gives this bread its signature kick, which is something we enjoyed a lot with our chili last night.

Spicy Cheese Bread
 3 1/4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 T instant or rapid rise yeast
1 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup warm water (about 110F-degrees)
2 large eggs plus 1 large yolk
4 T unsalted butter, melted
6 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, at room temperature
6 oz. Provolone cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, at room temperature

Topping:
1 large egg, lightly beater
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 T unsalted butter, melted

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar yeast, pepper flakes, and salt together.  Whisk by hand, then place it on the stand with the dough hook.  Whisk water, eggs, yolk, and melted butter together in a liquid measuring cup and add to the dry ingredients.  Knead on medium speed until dough clears bottom and sides of bowl, about 8 minutes.  Transfer dough to unfloured counter and shape into a ball.  Place in a large bowl, brushed with melted butter.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with melted butter.  I also placed a piece of 9-inch round parchment on the bottom of the pan and brushed melted butter on it.

Deflate the dough and roll it into a 12-inch x 18-inch rectangle with long side parallel to counter's edge.

Distribute the two cheeses over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges.  Starting with the edge closest to you, roll dough into a log.  Pinch seam and ends to seal, then roll log so seam side is down.  roll log bak and forth on counter, applying gently, even pressure until log reaches 30 inches in length.  If any tears occur, pinch to seal.

Starting at one end, wind log into coil; tuck end underneath coil.  Place loaf in prepared cake pan and cover loosely with a clean dish towel.  Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size--1 to 1 1/2 hours.

When doubled, preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Brush top of loaf with beaten egg, then sprinkle with pepper flakes.  Place cake pan on rimmed baking sheet.  Bake until loaf is golden brown, about 25 minutes, then rotate loaf and tent it with aluminum foil.  Continue baking until loaf's internal temperature reaches 190F-degrees--about 25 to 30 minutes longer. (I use an instant read thermometer that you can find at a Williams-Sonoma or Sur La Table.)

Transfer pan to a wire rack and brush with the melted butter. After about 10 minutes, use a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and slide it onto a rack to cool for 30 minutes before slicing.  Serve warm

My hubby said this is one of the best breads I've ever made and wanted a slice this morning with his scrambled eggs.  I can see this is a good one for those Fall days that are coming.  Enjoy!