Name: Cheese Stuffed Crusty Bread Loaves
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 530 min
Ingredients: 1.5 cups All Purpose Flour; 1/2 tsp Active Instant Dry Yeast; 1/2 tsp Sugar; 1/2 cup Water (at room temperature); 2 cups All Purpose Flour; 1.25 cups Whole Wheat Flour; 1/2 tsp Active Instant Dry Yeast; 1/2 tsp Sugar; 1.5 tsp Salt; 1 cup Warm Water; 1/4 cup Grated Cheddar Cheese; 1/4 cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese; 1 tsp Dried Chilli Flakes; 1 tsp Pizza Seasoning ((Dried Oregano, Thyme, Parsley and Basil)); 1 tsp olive oil; 1 tsp Butter/Olive Oil to brush on top; 1 tsp Milk to brush on top ((optional))

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A perfect recipe for Cheese Stuffed Crusty Bread Loaves with step-wise pictures and a lot of tips & tricks. Bread baking at home made easy with simple yet exotic recipes that are always fail-proof.

So you all know how I am obsessed with making my own bread at home and have been experimenting quite a lot with the kinds of bread I bake at home. I have recipes ranging from the simplest white bread to semolina whole wheat bread to 100% whole wheat bread and then there is stuffed bread that looks like a treat. Today’s recipe of Cheese Stuffed Crusty Bread is one of my wildest experiments from the recent times.

It has been on my to-do list to try out sourdough bread or at least make my own yeast based starter at home. For the uninitiated, starter (also called sponge) is something made with very little amount of yeast along with flour and water, letting the yeast and flour work their magic. This starter is really potent and helps form good air pockets in the baked bread. This recipe of Cheese Stuffed Crusty Bread Loaves, for instance is so spongy that it feels like a pillow – no exaggeration whatsoever.

I am yet to learn the technicalities involved in making a fully fed starter at home and one thing that kept leading to this procrastination is how long it takes to make the starter from scratch. You keep proofing the dough, removing some part of it and feeding the starter fresh flour everyday until it is ready to use. Though I am patient when it comes to cooking, this was a test to my patience and I just couldn’t do it. I had to find a middle ground where I could try my hands at my starter and yet, didn’t have to wait that long. So this Cheese Stuffed Crusty Bread Loaves were made, courtesy this recipe.

While I was making my starter, I decided to incorporate some whole wheat flour and see how that affects the texture of the bread. As the starter usually results in a whole lot of air pockets, addition of whole wheat flour shouldn’t result in a dense bread – at least theoretically. I couldn’t start with 50% whole wheat bread but used 30% of it and the results were just amazing, if I say so myself. I also modified the original recipe by using the cheese I had in my fridge and changed proportions of flours to experiment around. The resulting Cheese Stuffed Crusty Bread Loaves were perfect!

This recipe makes either 2 small sized Cheese Crusted Loaves or 6 mini bread loaves, like I have made. The best part about the dough is that there is NO oil/butter/any kind of fat used. I was seriously doubting how it is going to turn out all the while kneading it and baking it but I shouldn’t have worried at all. It was perfect, a keeper of a recipe – even with whole wheat flour. Kneading was not very difficult at all and where do I start about this starter?! The dough proofed like a dream. The mini loaves are perfect to turn into burger buns or to cut in half and turn them into sandwiches – with cheesy crust and all that! For the cold winter evenings, pair this with a bowl of hot soup. Do give this recipe a try, alter the filling easily as you like.

How to make Cheese Stuffed Crusty Bread Loaves

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Detailed step by step picture recipe of making Cheese Stuffed Crusty Bread Loaves

To make Starter

1. All ingredients under “for starter” and mix it well using a spoon until it is stringy. Set this aside in a warm place overnight or atleast for 8-9hrs.

2. The starter would turn frothy and would have doubled up in size.

For Bread Dough

3. In a bowl, add all purpose flour and whole wheat flour followed by salt, sugar, active instant dry yeast along with all of the prepared starter. Mix it roughly.

4. Add 1 cup of warm water and mix it through.

5. Knead the dough until it comes together.

6. Invert it onto the working surface and knead the dough by pushing and pulling until it is smooth. Takes about 5-7 mins.

7. Place it on a slightly greased bowl and let it rest in a warm place for 1-1.5hrs until it has doubled up in bulk.

8. Meanwhile, mix grated cheddar and mozzarella cheeses along with chilli flakes and pizza seasonings. Set it aside.

9. Gently punch down the proofed dough and knead it again for a minute.

10. Roll it into a rectangle of about ½ an inch thickness.

11. Sprinkle the prepared cheese mixture evenly all over the rolled dough.

12. Starting at the longer side, roll the dough making sure the stuffing remains intact.

13. Pinch the ends and seal them well.

14. Cut this log into 6 equal sized pinwheels and place them with cut side showing on top. Gently open up the layers if required. Let this rest in a warm place for about an hour again, until they are just about double their original size.

15. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 30 mins until it is golden brown all over and cheese is melting. If the tops are not browning, brush a layer of milk and set on toast mode for 1-2 mins.

16. Apply a coat of butter or oil on top and let them cool down a bit. The loaves might have a hard crust when hot, but as they cool down they are soft as pillows with a slightly chewy crust.

17. Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days outside or up to a week in the fridge.

Recipe Notes

Don’t use wheat atta for making bread. Organic Whole Wheat flour from 24 Mantra seems to work well for me, the grainy texture is perfect for bread baking.
The amount of water required might change slightly depending on the climate and type of flour used. Adjust accordingly.
Oven timings differ for different makes, keep a close eye on the loaves after 20 mins.
There is no oil or any kind of fat used while making the dough and yet, it was very easy to knead the dough. I guess it is the magic of starter. If you desire, use 1-2 teaspoon of olive oil as needed while making the dough.

I would be delighted to know if you have tried this recipe, don’t forget to share your feedback and comments below. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me! I am also available on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter 🙂

Cheese Stuffed Crusty Bread Loaves

How to make Cheese Stuffed Crusty Bread Loaves

📖 Recipe