No-knead Cheddar Bread

Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Dough rising 2 hours hours
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Total 3 hours

Ingredients

• 3 cups bread flour, or all-purpose flour

• 1 package yeast

• 1/4 cup very warm water

• 1-1/2 tsp salt

• 1-1/4 cups very warm water

• Vegetable oil to grease the pot

• 12 oz chopped or coarsely grated sharp cheddar, like Heber Valley Artisan Cheese “Snake Creek Sharp,” or Gossner Foods “Aged White Cheddar.

Instructions

1 Put flour and salt in a large bowl

2 Rehydrate yeast in 1/4 cup warm water

3 After about 15 minutes, when the yeast is foamy, add it to the dry ingredients

4 Add remaining water, then mix using the handle of the spatula until you can no longer see flour. The dough should not be too sticky to knead by hand

5 Cover with a towel or cling wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for 2 to 3 hours until the dough doubles in volume

6 Preheat oven to 450 degrees

7 Sprinkle work surface with 1 tbsp flour. Scrape dough out, sprinkle both sides with flour, pat into a 10” x 8” rectangle

8 Cover flattened dough with 2/3 of the cheese

9 Fold the sides in about 1/3 of the way left and right, then the top of bottom until you have a ball

10 Place the round side up in an oiled dutch oven-shaped oven-proof pot

11 Cover the dough ball with the remaining cheese. Flatten the ball with your hand to fit it all on

12 Cover and Bake 35 minutes. If there is not enough room for the dough to rise, leave the cover off or it will stick

13 Uncover the loaf and bake 15 minutes longer

14 Remove pot from oven. Cool at least 10 minutes before slicing

We think this quick bread is a perfect Utah creation and an excellent choice for our first recipe. It’s very quick and virtually foolproof. The bread is dense, moist, and buttery with streaks of melted cheese. The crust becomes brown and crunchy. Eat warm, or it rewarms well. The cheese on the outside caramelizes, becoming nutty, giving a contrast in flavor and texture. Try this recipe with other firm cheeses.