I know, two food posts in one week. I’ve been working on a project which I will put up on Tuesday, so, bear with me! This bread is a two loaf recipe that I have been tinkering with for a while. Basically, it’s a white bread with basil and the cheesey goodness of cheddar all rolled into one. And it’s mixed and kneaded in a Cuisinart! This bread is delicious warm from the oven slathered with butter. It makes great sandwiches, and is lovely toasted the next day for breakfast. Let’s get started, shall we?

Basil Cheddar Bread

1 package dry yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons)

1/3 cup warm water

1 tablespoon sugar

5 cups of white flour

4 tablespoons of butter, cut into pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

1 1/3 cups of ice water

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup minced fresh basil

1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese, shredded

Stir the sugar and yeast into the warm water in a 2 cup measure. Let stand for 5 to 7 minutes, until foamy. Use the plastic blade in the Cuisinart to process the flour, butter, and salt for 25 seconds. Add ice water to yeast mixture.

With the machine running, slowly pour the liquid through the feed tube. Add the Tabasco sauce and olive oil. Run the machine until the dough forms a ball. Then run the machine for an additional minute to knead the dough.

Shape the dough into a ball and place in a plastic bag that’s been lightly floured. Squeeze out the air and tie with a twist tie at the top, allowing room for the dough to rise. Let it rise in a warm place (I set mine on a radiator) for an hour and a half, it should double in size.

Punch down dough in bag. Transfer dough to a large bowl and knead in the basil and cheese. Grease two 4″ x 8″ loaf pans. Divide dough in half, shape dough, and place in pans. Cover with oiled plastic wrap, return to a warm place for another 45 minutes. Dough should rise above the top of the pans.

Bake in a preheated 375º oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is browned. Run a knife along the perimeter of the pans to help loosen any cheese that may be stuck to the pans. Remove from pans and cool on a wire rack.