PIMENTO CHEESE BREAD

Pimento Cheese Bread image

Provided by Barbara Eaton

Time 5h50m

Number Of Ingredients 9

2- 4 oz jar(s) chopped pimentos (originally 2 pimento pods, moist canned)
1/2 lb medium cheddar cheese (strong american cheese)
1 1/4 c milk
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp butter
1 pkg active dry yeast (1 cake compressed yeast)
2 1/2 c gold metal flour

Steps:

1. Grate cheese and add drained pimentos. Mix throughly.
2. Scald 1 cup milk in top of double boiler.
3. Make paste of remaining milk and 3 tablespoons flour and add to scalded milk
4. Add sugar and salt and cook until mixture begins to thicken (about 10 minutes)
5. Add butter and 1/2 cup of cheese mixture and stir until melted
6. Remove from heat and cool to 80 degrees
7. Dissolve yeast according to package directions (compressed yeast in 2 tablespoons lukewarm water), add to cooked mixture.
8. Work in all flour with hands and let rise in a greased bowl until double in bulk, 2 hours at 80 degrees. Dough should not feel warm, but rather slightly cool to the touch.
9. Punch down and let rise unti not quite double im bulk, 45 minutes at 80 degrees
10. Punch down again and let rise 15 minutes.
11. Place in well greased bread pan and rise unti 1 1/2 it bulk rather than double, for 30 minutes at 80 degrees, NOT LONGER.
12. Bake for 50 minutes in a 375 Degree oven
13. NOTE: Special care must be taken not to allow bread to rise in pan too long because it falls if it becomes too light. If cheese mixture measures more than 1/2 cup, use extra for something else, i.e. topping on baked potatoes is always in good taste