Fluffy Cheddar Cheese Bread

When I was younger my Grandma always had fresh bread at her home waiting for us when we came to visit.  It was the best thing to have for breakfast; we would toast it and then slather it with butter and peanut butter and just chow down!

Sadly back then I had no interest in baking other than the occasional batch of cookies.  Now that I can appreciate how delicious homemade baking really is, I regret that I never took the chance to learn how to bake from my Grandmother.  Luckily my husband's grandmother lives right down the street from us (how lucky are we?) and she indulges me with my random questions when it comes to the baking basics.


So for quite a while now I have been on the hunt for that perfect fluffy homemade bread recipe.  In the past I have made a few different types of loaves that have turned out delicious like Focaccia Bread, Cinnamon Bread, and Honey Oat Bread, but they were more 'fun' types of loaves.  More suited to satisfying a craving or an urge to try a new technique or flavour in the kitchen. They definitely were not the kind of bread I remember waking up to and popping in the toaster to perfectly start my day.

All of the other white bread recipes I had tried up until recently fell flat.  They always seemed to be on the heavy and dense side.  Then I finally found this basic white bread recipe from Robin Hood Flour. 

Oh. My. God.  It is amazing!  It is almost embarrassing how fast my husband and I finished the two loaves.  I have already made it a regular part of our lives.  And now I think that I am officially addicted to making our own bread! 

This cheesy bread is a variation on the original recipe and is also from Robin Hood Flour.  While it seems like it isn't the classic white bread I was originally looking for, my husband absolutely loves it so I know it will be made just as often as the regular stuff in our house.  The basic white bread is satisfies the past memories, and this cheesy variation is going to be a part of our own family's memories to come!  

This bread is a fun treat and is great both with supper and toasted up for breakfast.  It also makes a tasty cheesy garlic bread when cut thick and some fabulous grilled paninis :)

This recipe is from Robin Hood Flour and makes 2 loaves (or 2 dozen buns).

Fluffy Cheddar Cheese Bread

• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp tabasco or other hot sauce
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1. In a large bowl dissolve the sugar in the warm water and sprinkle in the yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes
2. After yeast has proofed, mix well.  
3. Add the oil, salt, hot sauce and egg and mix well.  Then add the parmesan cheese and again stir well
4. Add two cups of bread flour and mix until a wet dough forms. Continue to add more flour gradually until dough becomes to stiff to stir
5. Turn onto a floured surface and knead the dough, kneading in more flour until the dough is smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky (this takes about 10 minutes)
6. Put the dough in a greased bowl and cover with greased wax paper and a tea towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled (this took just over an hour for me)
7. After the dough has risen, punch it down and place in on a floured surface
8. Knead in the shredded cheddar cheese and then split into two portions
9. Grease two loaf pans (grease really well, the cheese tends to stick. They recommend shortening and I wish I had listened!)
10. Shape the dough into two loaves and place seam-side down in each pan
11. Again cover with the greased wax paper and a paper towel and let rise until doubled again (this took just over an hour at my house)
12. Preheat the oven to 375 F.  Once the bread has finished it's second rise, bake for 30 - 35 minutes
13. When the bread is done baking, immediately remove from the pans and let cool on wire racks
14. ENJOY!!!