Quick Cheese Bread
Not much to say here other than this bread is delicious and the recipe couldn’t be easier! The possibilities are endless with this recipe. Swap out the cheeses for your favorites and also add in some bacon or chives, or maybe even some pepperoni. Here I make it as written from The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook. The recipe is easily doubled and freezes beautifully.
Ingredients
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded on the large holes of a box grater
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
4 oz. extra-sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 1 cup)
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Method
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350 degrees. Spray an average sized loaf pan with non-stick vegetable spray. Sprinkle 1/2 of the Parmesan evenly in the bottom of the pan.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne and pepper until combined. Using a rubber spatula, mix in the cheddar, breaking up clumps until the cheese is coated with flour. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, sour cream, butter and egg. Using the rubber spatula, gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined (batter will be heavy and thick; do not overmix). Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it to the sides creating a level surface. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan evenly over the surface.
Bake until the loaf is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Invert the loaf out of the pan and returning it right side up on the rack. Let sit for 30-45 minutes before slicing. Should still be warm. Enjoy!
