Volcano Cheese Bread

After seeing this recipe on a friend's blog, I decided I needed to make it as soon as possible. I made her recipe pretty much exactly, except I added 2 cloves of minced garlic to the cheese and I used one cup of whole-wheat flour. I also brushed the freshly baked loaves with melted butter. I couldn't help myself. For the cheeses, I chose sharp cheddar, colby-jack, and "Queijo Ilha Curado"; a type of Sao Jorge cheese.

As we were eating this today, my husband and I were talking about how these would make amazing appetizers at a restaurant, in smaller portions. I'd rather eat these than the meal- which is what we did tonight! We had our fill of Volcano Cheese Bread along with some Yogurt Fruit Salad. Sometimes you just gotta live on the wild side!

Try this recipe- it was easy to make, delicious, and so satisfying.

Volcano Cheese Bread

Starter
1-1/4 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1/2 cup cool water

Dough
All of the Starter
1-1/4 cups lukewarm water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole-wheat flour
2-1/4 cups unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast

Filling
2-1/2 cups grated cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

Starter: In a medium-sized bowl, mix Starter ingredients together till well-combined. Make sure all ingredients are well-mixed; batter will be stiff. Cover and let rest overnight at room temperature. (I had to add about a tablespoon of extra water).

Bread Dough:
1.  Combine risen starter with Dough ingredients. Knead (using your favorite method--I used my KitchenAid dough hook) until smooth dough is formed. Put dough in lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or till nearly doubled.

2.  Gently press on dough with your fist to deflate it, then press it into a 9" x 12" shape. Mist with water; sprinkle with grated cheese. Starting with long side, roll carefully into a log and seal seam by pinching. Place seam-side down on lightly oiled or floured surface. Cover and let rise for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, or until puffed but not necessarily doubled.

3.  Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut dough crosswise into 2 halves or four pieces, depending on the size of loaf you prefer. Place cut side up on lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, using one sheet for two halves or two sheets for four pieces. (I cut mine into 5 small loaves and baked for 18-20 minutes). Gently spread apart to expose cheese.

4.  Mist with warm water and bake immediately, 20 minutes for smaller loaves or 35 minutes for larger loaves, or until the cheese is melted and loaves are deep golden brown. Remove from the oven, cool (only slightly, so you don't burn yourself!) and dig in!

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