Cheddar And Black Pepper Bread

Why this recipe works We loved the idea of a yeasted cheese bread. We imagined something decadent, featuring bold cheddar flavor and a lingering finish of complementary black pepper. We wanted a rustic loaf that we could cut into generous chunks to dunk into a bowl of homey tomato soup. Big cheese flavor was a must, but to load our loaf with the most cheese, we had to hurdle a few obstacles. We started by kneading a generous amount of shredded cheddar into the dough, but this produced a crumb that was very delicate. That’s because the fatty cheese coated the gluten strands, preventing them from linking up. Next, we tried spiraling the shredded cheese into the dough by rolling the dough into a square, sprinkling it with shredded cheese, forming the dough into a jelly roll, and then coiling the roll. This created pockets of melted cheese throughout, which we loved, but the crumb itself no longer had flavor. More problematic, excess melting cheese busted out of the loaf and oozed grease from the bread, smoking up the oven. To get the best of both worlds—a flavorful crumb and pockets of melted cheese—we kneaded just half of the cheese into the bread and then spiraled in the remaining cheese for gooey goodness that didn’t escape. Look for a cheddar aged for about one year. (Avoid cheddar aged for longer; it won’t melt well.) Use the large holes of a box grater to shred the cheddar. You can substitute a round banneton, or proofing basket, for the towel-lined colander.

MAKES: 1 loaf

RESTING TIME: 6 hours 20 minutes

RISING TIME: 3½ to 4½ hours

BAKING TIME: 35 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 11½ to 12½ hours, plus 3 hours cooling time

KEY EQUIPMENT: water-filled spray bottle, large linen towel, 5-quart colander, baking stone, 2 (9-inch) disposable aluminum pie plates, 2 quarts lava rocks, pizza peel, lame, instant-read thermometer

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE SPONGE

• ⅔ cup (3⅔ ounces) bread flour
• ½ cup (4 ounces) water, room temperature
• ⅛ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast

FOR THE DOUGH

• 2⅓ cups (12¾ ounces) bread flour
• 1¼ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1¼ teaspoons coarsely ground pepper
• 1 cup (8 ounces) water, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded, room temperature (2 cups)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Stir all the ingredients in a 4-cup liquid measuring cup with a wooden spoon until well combined. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature until the sponge has risen and begins to collapse, which takes about 6 hours (the sponge can sit at room temperature for up to 24 hours).
2. Whisk flour, yeast, and ¾ teaspoon pepper together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir water into the sponge with a wooden spoon until well combined. Using the dough hook on low speed, slowly add the sponge mixture to the flour mixture and mix until a cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains, which takes about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
3. Add salt to the dough and knead on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic and clears the sides of the bowl, which takes about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, slowly add 1 cup cheddar, ¼ cup at a time, and mix until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased large bowl or container, cover it tightly with plastic, and let it rise for 30 minutes.
4. Using a greased bowl scraper or your fingertips, fold the dough over itself by gently lifting and folding the edge of the dough toward the middle. Turn the bowl 45 degrees and fold the dough again; repeat turning the bowl and folding the dough 6 more times (for a total of 8 folds). Cover it tightly with plastic and let it rise for 30 minutes. Repeat the folding and rising process every 30 minutes, 3 more times. After the fourth set of folds, cover the bowl tightly with plastic and let the dough rise until nearly doubled in size, which takes 1 to 1½ hours.
5. Mist the underside of a large linen or cotton tea towel with water. Line a 5-quart colander with the towel and dust it evenly with flour. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter (the side of the dough that was against the bowl should now be against the counter). Press and stretch the dough into a 10-inch square, deflating any gas pockets larger than 1 inch.
6. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup cheddar evenly over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges. Roll the dough away from you into a snug cylinder and pinch the seam closed.
7. Turn the cylinder seam side up and roll it away from you into a snug spiral, ending with the tail end on the bottom. Pinch the side seams together to seal.
8. Using your cupped hands, drag the dough in small circles on the counter until the dough feels taut and round, and all the seams are secured on the underside of the loaf. Some cheese may become exposed.
9. Place the loaf seam side up in the prepared colander and pinch any remaining seams closed. Loosely fold the edges of the towel over the loaf to enclose it, then place the colander in a large plastic garbage bag. Tie or fold under the open end of the bag to fully enclose it. Let it rise until the loaf increases in size by about half and the dough springs back minimally when poked gently with your knuckle, which takes 30 minutes to 1 hour (remove the loaf from the bag to test).
10. One hour before baking, adjust the oven racks to the lower-middle and lowest positions. Place a baking stone on the upper rack and place 2 disposable aluminum pie plates filled with 1 quart of lava rocks each on the lower rack. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Remove the colander from the garbage bag, unfold the edges of the towel, and dust the top of the loaf with flour. If any seams have reopened, pinch them closed before dusting with flour. Lay a 16 by 12-inch sheet of parchment paper on top of the loaf. Using one hand to support the parchment and loaf, invert the loaf onto the parchment and place it on the counter. Gently remove the colander and towel. Transfer the parchment with the loaf to a pizza peel.
11. Carefully pour ½ cup of boiling water into one disposable pie plate of preheated rocks and close the oven door for 1 minute to create steam. Meanwhile, hold the lame (scoring tool) concave side up at a 30-degree angle to the loaf and make two 7-inch-long, ½-inch-deep slashes with a swift, fluid motion along the top of the loaf to form a cross. Sprinkle the top of the loaf with the remaining ½ teaspoon of pepper.
12. Working quickly, slide the parchment with the loaf onto the baking stone and pour the remaining ½ cup of boiling water into the second disposable pie plate of preheated rocks. Bake until the crust is dark brown and the loaf registers 205 to 210 degrees Fahrenheit, which takes 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the loaf halfway through baking. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack, discard the parchment, and let it cool completely, about 3 hours, before serving.