I love baking and bread is high on my list of favorites. Part of what  put bread on top of my list is the fact that I enjoy jazzing up bread with different toppings or stuffings . Trying out different flavors and herbs is something I never get tired of.

Stuffed bread is so versatile, it makes for a great lunch or sliced up it is a wonderful appetizer for a party. It is faster and easier than making individualized appetizers and the best part is: the possibilities for the stuffing are endless.

Triple cheese stuffed bread: combine cheddar, Colby and Monterey Jack.

Mediterranean cheese: Feta, cheddar and Halloumi cheese with mint

Not a fan of cheese try : minced meat with  sautéed onions, tomatoes and pepper

Want a vegetarian version: try spinach and sautéed onions

Feeling like something sweet: some softened butter and cinnamon turn this into a yummy dessert

Not into too much butter but still into something sweet: try stuffing it with date paste with cinnamon and cardamom

 

Cheese stuffed bread flower

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) warm water
• 3/4 cup warm milk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup (57 gram) butter, softened
• 1/4 cup (50 gram) white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams)salt
• 3 1/4 tp 3 1/2 cups ( 416-448 gram) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons (8 grams) dry yeast
• 1/4 teaspoon (1 gram)cardamom optional
• For topping
• 1/4 cup (60ml) of milk
• 1 tablespoon (14 gm)sugar

stuffig

• 1 cup (80 grams) akkawi cheese shredded (you can use any firm salty cheese)
• 5 springs parsley or mint

Instructions

In a bowl whisk the egg with milk, water, sugar, butter and yeast.

Set aside

In another bowl sift the flour with the salt and the cardamom .

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and knead until you get a smooth dough.

Place it in a bowl you have brushed with some oil and cover it with a wet cloth and leave it in a warm place to double

(If you are tight on time you can heat your oven to 200 C then turn it off and place your dough in a glass bowl and place it in the warm oven with the wet cloth covering the bowl)

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface

Roll into a rectangle

Spread cheese stuffing leaving 1 inch (2.5cm) margin all around

Roll the dough from the long side into a tube form

Join both ends of the tube and pinch the dough together

Using a scissor or a knife make cuts that go 2/3 of the way through the dough

Turn the slices 90 degrees so that cut part faces upward

Using a brush, brush the dough with milk

allow to rest for 15 minutes during which you would heat your oven to 270C (500F) (rack in the middle)

Bake for 5 minutes on 270C (500F) then lower the temperature to 200 C (400 F) and cook for 15-20 more minutes (ovens do differ greatly, so the time may differ..what you want is to bake it until the under side is golden brown)

turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes until it is golden brown on top