Bacon, Tomato, and Cheddar Loaf

By TaratheFoodie

All the flavors of a BLT, plus the extra savory touch of some cheddar - what's not to love?

Recipe courtesy of Donna Currie's cookbook, Make Ahead Bread

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups room temperature water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 cups (13 1/2 oz) bread flour, plus more as needed
• 1/2 cup (3 oz) semolina flour
• 3 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 4 ounces cheddar, diced
• 6 strips of bacon, cooked (1 tablespoon fat reserved) and chopped or crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Nonstick baking spray (or butter for buttering the pan)

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from tarathefoodie.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

ON PREP DAY

Combine all of the ingredients and knead by hand (mix first in a large bowl, then turn out and knead) or in a stand mizer fitted with the dough hook, until the dough is elastic. It will be lumpy, of course, but the dough itself should be stretchy.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour in a warm room.

Meanwhile, spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with baking spray.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat it into a rough 8-inch square. Fold the top half to about the middle of the dough and press the edge down to secure it. Fold the top over again, this time to within about an inch or so of the bottom. Press the edge to seal. Now grab the bottom of the dough and pull it up to meet the dough roll you've created and seal the seam. Pinch the ends closed and place the dough, seam side down, in the prepared loaf pan.

Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough overnight or up to 24 hours before baking. The dough should be fully risen after about 6 hours, but a longer rest is good for it.


ON BAKING DAY

Take the pan out of the refrigerator and heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Put a rack in the center of the oven.

Remove the plastic and bake the bread until it is richly browned and the internal temperature reaches 195 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant-read thermometer, about 55 minutes. Transfer the bread from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.