Cheddar and Chilli Loaf

Contrary to what many may believe, making bread doesn’t have to be as difficult as Paul Hollywood might make it seem. This tasty loaf, with a kick of chilli balanced by the cheddar cheese, is the perfect recipe for anyone venturing into bread-making for the first time – or for those who are already familiar with the process. The simplicity of this loaf has already seen me abandon supermarket bread, in favour of the delicious aroma of freshly baked bread . . .

Recipe | Cheddar and Chilli Loaf

Ingredients:

• 500g plain flour (plus extra for dusting)
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 250ml lukewarm water (1 part hot to 2 parts cold)
• 2 chillies (I use medium heat chillies)
• 100g strong cheddar cheese, grated (plus a little extra to sprinkle on top of the loaf)

Method:

1. Begin by chopping the chillies into small pieces; set aside.
2. Add a tablespoon of flour to the cheese, so that it doesn’t form large clumps within the loaf.
3. Measure the flour into a large bowl and add the yeast and salt; stir in.
4. Add the water, a little at a time, until the mixture has all come together; if you use a little less or more water it doesn’t matter. At this point it should be a little sticky.
5. Flour the work surface, and tip the dough out of the bowl onto the work surface.
6. Whilst kneading the dough, work in the pieces of chilli and the grated cheese, a little at a time. Keep kneading the bread until all of the chilli and cheese has been worked in.
7. Lightly oil a large bowl. Put the dough in the bowl, and leave in a warm place to rise for about one hour, or until doubled in size.
8. Line a 1.5lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper.Tip mixture into the tin, taking care not to handle the mixture too much. Sprinkle the top with a little cheddar cheese.
9. Bake for approximately 30 minutes at 200°C, or until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
10. Remove from tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.

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