Ham and Swiss Bread

These stuffed breads are always fun to serve. Friends were coming over to work on a jigsaw puzzle. I wanted a dinner that would be easy to eat.

I have made a number of versions of this bread. Ham and Swiss is one of my favorites. You can add all sorts of fillings. I made a sauce to spread on the dough, before adding the ham and cheese. I used a combination of mayo, mustard, honey and horseradish. My friends loved it. Alos feel free to swap out a different cheese.

Here is the recipe with directions for using quick rising yeast or regular dry yeast.

Ham and Swiss Bread

3 ¼ c. flour

1 T. sugar

1 t. salt

1 package quick-rising yeast

1 c. hot water

1 T. oil

Dressing

2 T. mayonnaise

2 T. Dijon mustard

1 T. honey

1 T. horseradish

Fillings

8-10 oz. thin sliced ham

4-6 oz. sliced Swiss cheese

oil

Set aside 1 cup of the flour. Combine remaining flour with the other dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir in water and oil and gradually stir in enough flour to make a soft dough. Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Roll dough into a rectangle about 16 x 8. Combine dressing ingredients. Spread dressing down center middle of dough. Top with meat slices and  cheese. Cut one-inch wide strips of dough from filling to edge on both sides. It will sort of look like fringe.  Alternating sides, fold strips up and over the filling at an angle. Pinch last strips to seal. Carefully lift loaf onto greased baking sheet and place at an angle. Cover with a towel and place sheet on top of a roasting pan half-filled with simmering water for 15 minutes.  Bake in a preheated 400-degree for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush with oil or melted butter, if you like. Cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm and refrigerate leftovers.

Note: The variations for this bread are almost endless. Some favorite combinations are Reuben, roast beef and cheddar, chicken, broccoli and cheese, Spinach with ricotta or feta and onions, pizza, assorted fillings. You get the idea. Use your imagination and have fun. Just be careful not to overfill, or the bread will be hard to move. Use fillings that aren’t too runny and always use cold fillings.

If you want to use regular yeast  (not quick rising) use warm, rather than hot water. Also, don’t let dough rise over boiling water. After kneading, cover dough and let rise 45 minutes. Punch down and assemble as in original recipe. Cover with a towel and let rise until dough looks puffy, about 40 minutes. Bake as directed above. These breads can also be frozen.