Try this Asiago Cheese Bread recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 0.2712 g
- Cholesterol 971.8 mg
- Fat 366.6172 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 3.842 g
- Saturated Fat 232.18336 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (452g)
- Sodium 2603.52 mg
- Sugar 0.2712 g
- Trans Fat 25.66456 g
- Calories 3241 calories
Step-by-step
- Use a stand-up mixer. In a stand-up mixer, using the 'paddle attachment' combine 1-½ cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Put the milk and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat the mixture until the butter begins to melt and is at a temperature between 120 to 130 degrees which will be warm enough to activate the yeast. Do not go over that temperature or the heat will kill the yeast.
- On low-speed of the stand-up mixer, slowly add the warm milk and melted butter until smooth.
- Add the 1-½ cups of shredded Asiago cheese and mix only until combined; don't over mix.
- Slowly add in 2-¼ cups of flour to make a soft dough.
- Switch to the "dough hook" and knead for 5 minutes.
- Spray a large mixing bowl with cooking spray and place the dough in the bowl, Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled for 2 - 3 hours.
- Once the dough is doubled, punch it down with your fingers just a few times, divide the dough in half.
- Spray two baking sheets with cooking spray and place the dough (divided) on the baking sheets. Form into oval or round loaves.
- Loosely cover each bread dough with plastic wrap (you might also want to spray some cooking spray on the plastic wrap).
- Let the dough rise again to double in size, for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- With a serrated knife, make shallow cuts across the top of the dough.
- Brush the beaten egg on top of the bread dough, try to use it all.
- Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle the ¼ cup of shredded Asiago cheese on top.
- Bake again for 5 minutes.
- If your bread has been darkening during baking, switch the bread loaves on different racks so that they bake evenly.
- The bread should be a light, golden brown.
Asiago cheese drives this loaf, providing both sharp flavor and functional structure as the melting fats interact with the developing gluten network. Originating from the alpine meadows of the Vicenza and Trento regions in northeastern Italy, this cow's milk cheese shifts from a smooth, mild profile when fresh to a deeply savory, granular bite as it ages. Incorporating aged Asiago directly into enriched yeast dough requires precision, particularly when managing thermal thresholds for fermentation. Milk and butter must register between 120 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit before meeting dry yeast; exceeding 140 degrees will denature the microorganisms and halt leavening entirely.
Mastering Dough Development
Moving from the paddle attachment to a dedicated dough hook allows the gluten strands to align properly during the required five-minute kneading window. Soft dough yields the best crumb structure, but handling high-fat additions demands careful temperature oversight during both the initial two-to-three-hour rise and the secondary one-hour proof. Scoring the loaves lightly with a serrated blade just before baking controls steam release, preventing irregular ruptures along the crust. Applying a beaten egg wash ensures the final quarter cup of shredded cheese adheres securely during the concluding five minutes in a 375-degree oven.
- Verify liquid temperatures with an instant-read thermometer to protect yeast viability.
- Rotate baking sheets between oven racks if browning occurs unevenly at the 25-minute mark.
- Pair this savory loaf with acidic tomato-based soups or roasted bitter greens to balance the rich dairy content.
