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Monday, July 4, 2011

4th of July Sun-dried Tomato Cheddar Bread



I bake bread quite frequently, several times a week, to keep us well supplied for breakfast toast, lunch sandwiches, and before-dinner snacks with cheese and hummus. This is one of my current favorite recipes, created in a thoroughly random manner in a quest to create a reddish bread for the 4th of July (a fanciful idea, indeed), resulting in me simply tossing ingredients into the dough as my fancy dictated after perhaps one too many vodka-tonics. After all, that's how art is created, right? Pure inspiration, once the inhibitions have been dismissed? I wouldn't know, really. I don't paint, I don't sculpt. I only bake bread.



4th of July Sun-dried-Tomato Cheddar Bread

1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 T honey
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp Za'atar
1 T parsley
3 T olive oil
2 tsp yeast
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 finely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup dehydrated onion flakes
1 cup grated reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese

~ In the microwave or on the stovetop, heat the water until just barely warm (approx 110 degrees F).
~ In a large bowl, gently stir together the warm water, salt, honey, herbs, and olive oil.
~ Even more gently, stir the yeast into the water mixture.
~ Watch the yeast for a few moments to make sure it foams. When it does, stir in the whole wheat flour, sun-dried tomatoes, onion, and cheddar cheese until you have a sticky dough. Knead by hand or with a dough hook until you have a smooth dough. Turn your dough into an oiled bowl, cover the bowl, and let the dough sit for 2 hours or so, until doubled in size.
~ Punch the dough down, then let it rise once more until doubled in size again, 1 to 2 hours this time.
~ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Turn the dough onto an 8x8" baking pan coated with cooking spray, shape it into a loaf with your hands, and bake for approx 40 min - until a nice, dark golden brown crust has formed.
~ Let it cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing... If you can resist... ;-)


5 comments:

  1. Homemade bread is hard to beat!! :)

    Have a great 4th!

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  2. Looks awesome, as always! Sorry I have been MIA, but with all the travel, my sister's visit and the upcoming move, I have so little time. But I wanted to stop by and say hi. Homemade bread is the best. I just hope my bread machine makes it in the move. Happy 4th to you!

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  3. Only bake bread indeed! This loaf sounds delicious and a lot more adventurous than the bread I bake.

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  4. Sold at sun dried tomatoes, this looks so addicting! Oh, and vodka/gin and tonics are my favorite and have "inspired" some of my recipes too :)

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  5. oh how clever - red bread on a blue and white plate - uncle sam will be proud! love the flavours - glad to hear you had a great 4th of july

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