Cheddar Loaf

Cheddar Loaf ~ Annie's Cooking Lab

Sometimes it can be fun to make bread with yeast when you’re not in a hurry and you can spend the time letting the yeast do its yeasty-business, but it can also be great to whip up a loaf of bread in just a few minutes. This quick bread goes together in no time and tastes delicious. It has a slightly dense texture, but is moist and full of cheddar flavor. I think it would be great with some green onions or other fresh herbs mixed in as well.

This bread goes great with a bowl of soup, I ate it with some baked potato soup, but it would be good along some roasted vegetables or with pasta. I toasted the left-over bread on a skillet to warm it up and it tasted like a grilled cheese!

Cheddar Loaf

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tbl. butter, softened and divided
4 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 3/4 cups buttermilk (I used low-fat)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease two 5 x 9 inch loaf pans. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt and baking soda. Use a pastry cutter to mix in 2 tablespoons of butter until the mixture looks like sand. Add the cheese and toss to coat. Stir in the buttermilk and stir until the dough comes together. Divide between the two pans and smooth the tops.
Cut a shallow cross all the way across the top of each loaf of bread. Thinly slice the remaining tablespoon of butter and place the butter in the cuts on the top of the loaf. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until the top is light brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes before removing from the pan. Serve warm.

Makes: 2 loaves