culinary chronicles: Ham & Cheese Bread

Now after breakfast, ultimately comes lunch... And I am home with just 1 of my plus 4 so we decided to make Ham & Cheese bread. Yeast is a very stubborn, tricky thing to use. I have made bread that has successfully became my kiddies new softball but practice makes perfect, so they say.

So lets get our hands dirty and jump on into it.

Whatcha need:

3 c. of all-purpose flour
1 packet of Fleischmann’s rapid rise yeast
1 c. of lukewarm water- wrist test works wonders (need it to be 105 degrees )
1/2 c. of sugar
1 tsp. of salt
1/4 c. of vegetable oil
additional flour for dusting- like your Tinkerbell
five slices of ham- More is always better
five slices of cheese- again more is always better
about 1/4 c. of softened butter plus more for brushing the top

1) Pour the lukewarm water in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast (resist the urge to stir it). Leave until bubbly, about 10 minutes.

2) Stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Add half of the mixture to the yeast. Pour in the vegetable oil. Stir with a wooden spoon until the texture appears even. The dough will be very sticky at this point. Add the rest of the flour. Stir until the dough just comes together then dump onto a lightly floured work surface.

3) Knead the dough for 10 to 15 minutes or until elastic and no longer sticky. Yes i am aware your arms will hurt and you will cuss this bread wondering why you decided to even start this project....

4) Gather the dough into a ball- thats what she said, BAM. Lightly brush a large bowl with vegetable oil. Put the dough in the bowl, turning it every which way but Sunday so that every part of the surface is coated with oil.

5) Cover the bowl (cling wrap or a damp towel, each to their own fancy) and leave to rise until double in size, about one to three hours depending on the humidity. I know by now you have checked on it 3 times. Sit down turn on some boob tube and drink some coffee. Patience my friend, patience...

6) When the dough has risen sufficiently (very educated huh?), punch down then transfer to a lightly floured surface, all you moms know how important the punching part it! Take out that aggression...... now!

7) Knead for a couple of minutes then roll into a log about three inches in diameter.<insert funny inuendo here>

8) Roll the dough flat to form a rectangle. Spread the entire surface with butter. Arrange the ham and cheese slices on top.

9) Now its the braiding part... Pay attention! Cut the dough in 1 inch segments EQUALLY on each side.

Start with the top and criss cross down the ham, cheese buttery goodness. See photo below. Don't worry i have faith you will mess it up as i did but practice makes perfect!