Ham and Cheese Filled Bread
This bread is always a crowd pleaser and looks pretty, too. It’s also easier to make than you might think. The dough is a pretty basic yeast dough that is rolled out, filled with ham, cheese, mustard and honey then the dough is folded up over the fillings and baked. Details directions follow.
I have made this bread with all sorts of fillings. Its a great way to get creative, have some fun and even use up leftovers. I will be starting my kids’ cooking camps soon and we always make some variation of this bread in camp. You can make vegetarian versions, too.
Enjoy.
Ham and Cheese Filled Bread
3 ¼ c. all purpose or bread flour, you can add a little rye flour, too
1 T. sugar
1 t. salt
1 package quick-rising yeast, or a scant tablespoon of yeast in bulk
1 c. hot water
1 T. oil
¼ c. spicy mustard – or any mustard you like
2 T. honey
8-12 oz. sliced ham
4-6 oz. sliced cheese – I like cheddar or Swiss in this recipe but any melty cheese works
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. Spread mustard and honey 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. 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. Cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm and refrigerate leftovers.
Note: The variations for this bread are almost endless. Some favorite combinations are a Reuben or Rachel, 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 fill with cold ingredients so the dough won’t get a soggy bottom.
Note: If you want to use regular yeast use warm, rather than hot water. Also, skip the step of placing the dough over simmering 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.
