No-Knead Cheese Bread
Yields: 1 loaf (approximately 10 slices)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Rise time: 2-3 hours
Cook time: 45 minutes
Rest time: 10 minutes
Oven Temperature: 240°C/450°F (220°C fan-forced)
Ingredients:
3 cups bread flour (all-purpose flour can be substituted, but the texture will be slightly different)
2 teaspoons instant yeast (rapid rise)
1 ½ teaspoons cooking/kosher salt
1 ½ cups very warm tap water (around 35°C/95°F)
2 ½ cups (tightly packed) Colby cheese, freshly shredded (or other cheese of choice, avoiding mozzarella)
Instructions:
Magic No-Knead Dough:
Shaggy Dough: In a large bowl, using a rubber spatula, mix the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the warm water and mix until you can no longer see any dry flour. The dough will be very sticky.
Rise: Cover the bowl with cling wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for 2-3 hours, or until it doubles in volume. The surface should be bubbly and the mixture should jiggle when you shake the bowl.
Preheat Pot:
Half an hour before the dough is ready, preheat a 24-28cm/4.5-8 quart heavy-based pot with a lid in the oven to 240°C/450°F (220°C fan-forced).
Shape Loaf:
Pat into Disc: Sprinkle your work surface with 1 tablespoon of flour. Scrape the dough out of the bowl and onto the floured surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough with a little more flour and pat it into an approximately 20cm/8-inch disc.
Cheese It: Set aside ⅓ of the cheese for topping. Cover the surface of the dough with half of the remaining cheese.
Fold Inwards Stuffed with Cheese: Using a dough scraper, fold the sides of the dough inwards four times, creating layers, and top each layer with some of the remaining cheese (but keep the final layer cheese-free). This should roughly form a round shape.
Paper Transfer: Flip the dough onto a sheet of parchment/baking paper so the seam side is mostly down. Tidy the shape if desired.
Cheese Crown: Pile the reserved cheese on top of the dough.
Bake:
Hot Pot Transfer: Carefully remove the hot pot from the oven. Use the parchment paper to transfer the dough into the pot, keeping the dough on the paper. Put the lid on.
Bake: Bake for 35 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 10 minutes to color the surface.
Cool: Remove the pot from the oven. Use the parchment paper to transfer the bread onto a cooling rack. Remove the paper. Let the bread cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
No Dutch Oven Method:
If you don't have a Dutch oven, you can use a 20cm/8” square metal pan (not glass). Place the pan in the oven on the middle shelf (or the shelf below if needed) and preheat the oven. Boil a kettle of water. Place the parchment paper with the shaped dough on a baking tray. When you put the bread in the oven, work quickly: place the bread in the oven, then place the hot pan on the shelf above or next to the bread, and fill the pan with about 2cm/1" of boiling water. 1 Shut the oven door to create a makeshift steamer. Bake for 40 minutes, until deep golden brown. If the cheese causes it to brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
Notes:
Bread Flour: Bread flour gives a chewier result. All-purpose flour works fine but the texture won't be quite the same.
Yeast: Use instant yeast. If using active dry yeast, dissolve it in ¼ cup of the warm water first before adding the remaining water and other ingredients.
Water Temperature: The water should be warm, not hot enough to kill the yeast, and not lukewarm.
Cheese: Freshly grated cheese melts better. Avoid mozzarella as it doesn't have as much flavor.
Rising: A warm place around 25°C/77°F is ideal for rising.
Folding: Don't worry about being too precise with the folding. It's just to deflate the dough and incorporate the cheese.
Shaping: The pot defines the shape of the bread, so you don't need to shape it too much.
Resting: Resting the bread before slicing is important for it to finish cooking and allows the crumb to dry out slightly.
Make-Ahead: Refrigerating the dough overnight can develop more flavor, but this has not been specifically tested with the cheese bread version.
Storage: The bread is best fresh but will still be good for 24-36 hours. After that, toasting is recommended.
Nutrition (Approximate, per slice):
Calories: 273 kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 552mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.3g
Note: Nutritional information is an estimate and may vary based on specific ingredients and brands used. It is always best to divide the total nutrition by the actual number of slices you get from the recipe for a more accurate count. Also, the size of your "cup" and "tablespoon" measurements can affect the totals. Using measuring cups ensures accuracy.