Braided Cheese Bread Recipe

Every year at Christmas (and some times through out the year), I love to make a braided Cheese Loaf or two.  They really aren't hard to make at all, and are really yummy.  You could use your own bread recipe or this one here.  This one makes about 4 regular loaves of white bread.  I usually divide the dough in half, and make 2 cheese breads and 2 regular loaves of bread.  Or sometimes I will make pepperoni bread sticks, if I have pepperoni.   

Bread Recipe

2 Cups Lukewarm Water

2 Tsp Sugar

2 Tbsp Yeast

2 Cups water

1 Cup Milk

6 Tbsp Butter ( = 1/2 cup minus 1 1/2 tbsp)

6 Tbsp Sugar

4 Tsp Salt

12 Cups Flour

Measure 2 cups warm water into bowl.  Stir in Sugar to dissolve and sprinkle yeast over.  Let stand 10 min, then stir well.  

Heat water, milk, and butter until warm.  Stir in sugar and salt until dissolved.  Add to yeast mixture and stir.  ~ (I like to put the butter in a large 4 cup measuring cup.  Boil water, add the 2 cups boiling water over butter, and stir to melt the butter, add the 1 cup cold milk, sugar and salt, and stir to dissolve.  Test with finger to make sure it's not too hot, then add to yeast mixture)~

Beat in 4 cups flour.  Stir in 4 more cups of flour and then mix in and knead the last 4 cups.  Turn onto flour surface and knead until smooth and elastic.  If dough is too soft, you can add more flour.

Place dough into a lightly greased bowl and turn it over to grease the top of the dough.  Cover and let rise until double in size about 1 1/2 hours.  

Punch down and let rise 20 minutes.  

Divide and shape into loaves.  Let rise 1 hour. 

Bake 350* for 30 - 40 minutes until golden.

To Make Cheese Bread

2 Large Onions

Butter

Oregano, Basil

Grated Cheddar Cheese

While the bread dough is rising the first time, I chop and Saute about 2 Onions in butter with a sprinkle of oregano, and basil in it, then set it aside.  I also grate a bunch of cheddar cheese.  Today I used Old and Medium and mixed them.  I also get out the poppy seeds and have them in sight so I don't forget.

The Makings of Cheese Bread. Bread dough, grated cheddar, sauteed onions with oregano, basil and poppy seeds for sprinkling.

Roll out a section of bread dough into a rectangle and cut into three strips.

 Spread sauteed onions, poppy seed, and grated cheese down the center of each strip.

Pinch dough into a seam to close it around the onion and cheese.

Turn each section of cheese filled dough over so that the seam is facing down, hidden, and begin to braid the bread. I find that you don't have to start at one end, but just down from the end, and then you can to back and finish braiding the top.

Tuck the ends under a bit when you are done braiding.

Gently transfer it onto a greased cookie sheet, and spread more sauteed onions, poppy seed, and cheese on top.

Bake at 30 - 40 ish minutes at 350*, Take out of oven, transfer to cooling racks, and brush lightly with butter while still hot.

Cheesy pockets of goodness!  Mmmmm!  So good!

This cheese bread is totally awesome reheated or toasted.  It's awesome!

I think that I probably could have added a little more flour to my bread dough today, as they were pretty soft, and seemed to spread out quite a bit.