Pepper Jack and Cheddar Cheese Bread

I love home made bread and make it often, this is so easy it's unbelievable. It is a little time consuming waiting on it to rise twice, patience.... patience. You can serve this with pretty much any meal or even eat it alone with a knob, good size of butter. I do have a home made butter recipe listed here if you'd like to also try that?

What You Will Need:
Stand Mixer With A Dough Hook *Or use a regular Mixer and your hands*
Pastry Cutter or Sharp Knife
Measuring Cup
Measuring Spoons
2-Loaf Pans 5"x9" *I use glass*
Box Grater or Hand Grater
Candy Thermometer
Large Bowl *If not using your stand mixer*
Cutting Board or Clean Flat Surface
Kitchen Towel
Pastry Brush *If you have one, if not, use your hands*
Small Bowl For Egg White
Whisk or Fork To Beat The Egg White
Oven Mitts
Wire Rack
Large Bowl

Ingredients:
2-Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil *Plus extra to grease the 2-Loaf Pans*
7-Ounce Package Cheddar Cheese Grated *I like Dubliner*  *Save 2-Tablespoons aside for the top of the breads*
8-Ounce Pepper Jack Cheese Grated *Save 2-Tablespoons aside for the top of the breads*
4 1/2 - 5 1/2-Cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour *Divided*
2 1/4-Ounce Packages Of Active Dry Rapid Rise Yeast *I like Fleischmann's*
1 1/2-Teaspoons Salt *I like fine grain Sea Salt*
2-Tablespoons Sugar
1-Large Egg White Beaten Lightly
2-Cups Water Warm *105 - 115-Degrees, no warmer or you'll kill your yeast.*

Helpful hints:  I freeze my cheeses for several hours, it makes grating so much easier, it doesn't crumble and fall apart on you.  Also, spray your box grater with a cooking spray or with olive oil.  I have a Misto Olive Oil Sprayer and it's a handy little thing to have around. By spraying, it coats the grater so the frozen cheese glides easily.

Instructions:
In the large bowl or the mixing bowl of your stand mixer, put in the yeast, sugar and the warm water. Let stand and dissolve for about 5-minutes. Add in the olive oil and salt.   The yeast mixture should bubble up - fizz, if not, throw it out and start over. This bubbling - fizzing is called "Feeding the Yeast."  This means the yeast cultures are alive, which you want and need to help the dough rise.

Now, little by little add in 3-Cups of flour, mixing until smooth. Add in the cheeses, mix until well combined.  Now, add in enough of the remaining flour to make the dough soft.





















Sprinkle a small amount of flour on to the cutting board or flat surface, remove the dough from the bowl and hand kneed on to the floured surface.  You want the dough to be smooth and have elasticity, not sticky,  do this for about 5-minutes, then gently roll the dough in to a ball. Grease the sides and bottom of the large bowl with olive oil. Place dough ball in to the greased bowl, rub the ball gently around the bowl to cover the bottom of the dough ball, then flip over and do the same for the top. You want both top and bottom of the dough ball lightly coated with the olive oil.  Cover the bowl with the towel and let rise in a warm area free from drafts and air conditioning, approximately 45-minutes or until the dough proofs - rises.





















Lightly grease the sides and bottoms of the 2-loaf pans while the dough is proofing.  Once the dough has proofed - risen, remove from the bowl and place on to the cutting board or flat clean surface. Using your pastry cutter or sharp knife, divide the dough in to 2-equal portions.  Shape each piece in to loaf shapes, place in to each of the loaf pans. Cover both of the loaf pans with the towel, again, let proof - rise in a warm draft-free area.  Let the dough do a second rise for the same amount of time, 45-minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350-Degrees Fahrenheit

Once each of the dough loafs doubles in size, dip your pastry brush in to the beaten egg white and gently brush the tops of the loafs, you don't want the loafs to drop in size deflate. Top each of the loafs with 1-Tablespoon each of the Pepper Jack and Cheddar Cheeses. 2-Tablespoons each in total.

Place the loafs in to the oven and bake for about 30-minutes or until a golden brown color.  Once both are a golden brown, remove both loafs from the oven with your oven mitts, be careful both will be extremely hot!  Place on a heat resistant surface and let cool for at least 15-minutes.  When you are able to handle the loafs, remove and place each loaf on to the wire rack to finish cooling.  Let each of them rest and cool for 30-minutes before you slice them.





















I used one of the loafs a few days later for garlic bread, it was delicious. I served it with a plate of Pasta Puttanesca, the recipe is located here on my blog.  Please leave a comment if  you have tried any of my recipes, I'd love to hear from you. Keep coming back because I will be adding more recipes as time allows. Enjoy!