Gooey Goodness, thou art Mozzarella Bread
Mozzarella Cheese Bread
Cheese is one of those foods that has always mystified me. I mean, what made whomever discovered it decide to taste ’spoiled’ milk? Were they merely curious? Or just really, really hungry? Whenever I think of myself as having an adventurous palate I remember the first cheese taster and realize that, while open to many new things, my experience with food has been pretty tame.
Legend has it that cheese was first discovered by an Arab nomad traveling across the desert. He was carrying milk in a container made from an animal’s stomach and at some point found that contact with the rennet in the stomach lining had separated the milk into curd and whey. Another myth, this one Greek, credits the god Aristaeus not only with inventing cheese but also with developing bee-keeping techniques and cultivating olive trees. In reality no one knows exactly when people started making and enjoying cheese. The earliest archaeological evidence has been found on Egyptian tomb murals dating to about 2300 BCE, which show people making cheese using methods and tools familiar to us today. We do know, however, that by Roman times cheese was an everyday food and that the techniques they used to make cheese aren’t very different from those used in modern times. Indeed, cheese was such an important part of the Roman diet that they introduced it to much of Europe. Rome conquered vast swaths of territory at the height of its power and the portability, long life and nutritional value of cheese made it a popular food among soldiers. Local peoples gave it a try and the rest, as they say, is history.
I would love to talk more about cheese… which sounds cheesy (haha!) but what do you expect from an obsessive foodie? Unfortunately, however, school work calls. Alas! But between now and my next post I leave you with a luscious recipe for mozzarella cheese bread. It’s based on a recipe for “Three Cheese Bread” found in “Beautiful Breads and Fabulous Fillings,” a book I am quickly falling head-over-heels in love with. This is the third loaf I have made from it and without exception the results have been wonderful – I think my favorite so far was a loaf of rosemary-sage bread with goat cheese & coconut milk filling. And no I am not torturing you needlessly by mentioning such an awesome sounding loaf of bread. I plan on posting the recipe within the next several days. :yum:
Slits on the top of the loaf allow the cheese filling to bubble out and toast to perfection
A quick word about the recipe below in case you’re inclined to try it (which you should be, look at the photos!). Every time I’ve made something from this book I’ve had to significantly alter the amount of liquid used to make the dough. I’ve now made the “basic bread dough” used as a base for savory loaves three times, and on every occasion I had to use different amounts of liquid to achieve the desired dough texture. At first I thought this was a flaw with the recipe, but now I think the variation lies in the fact that the flour amounts are given by volume and not by weight. Alton Brown did a “Good Eats” episode that demonstrated what a huge difference there can be between measuring the ’same’ amount of flour by weight and by volume. While I haven’t encountered such a noticeable discrepancy between liquid amounts before, the finished product (amazing loaves of bread) leads me to believe that the weight-vs-volume issue has something to do with it. Such being the case, I haven’t altered the measurements given by the book. My advice is to mix the appropriate amount of liquid for the number of loaves you want to make, and then slowly add it to your flour mixture until you have a ball of dough that has pulled away from the sides of your bowl. It should be smooth and springy post-kneading, and of course, you can lightly dust the dough with extra flour while working it to achieve your desired results. 
Mozzarella Cheese Bread (Or, [cheese name here] bread)
Reproduced with permission from “Beautiful Breads and Fabulous Fillings,” by Margaux Sky.
Step 1: Basic White Bread Dough
Ingredients: Makes 4 loaves
- 2 tablespoons yeast
- 4 cups warm milk
- 4 cups half-and-half (I used whole milk instead)
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 16 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 3 1/2 tablespoons salt
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the milk and half-and-half. Let stand for 5 minutes, until the yeast is foamy. Add the butter and mix with a whisk. Add the powdered sugar and mix well to break up any clumps.
In a large bowl (or stand mixer bowl), combine the flour and salt. Slowly add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and knead well. If you’re using a stand mixer, knead for 3 to 4 minutes. If you’re kneading by hand, knead for 4 to 7 minutes. Keep the dough moist for a soft, tender bread.
Place the kneaded dough in a generously buttered bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise in a warm, dry place for 1 hour.
Punch down the dough with your fist, and divide into 4 portions, one for each loaf.
Step 2: Add the cheese!
What you put inside your bread dough varies by taste. The original recipe called for 3 types of cheese, but since I only had mozzarella on hand (and love mozzarella!) I used that instead. I also only used 1 cup of cheese instead of 3, but if you want a cheesier, more decadently gooey bread then by all means add the full 3 cups!
Ingredients: Enough for 1 loaf
- 1 cup crumbled goat cheese
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded manchego cheese
- Or, instead of the 3 cheeses listed above, you could use 1 – 3 cups of your preferred cheese. I used 1 cup of shredded whole-milk mozzarella.
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons of water
Take one of your four sections of dough and roll it out into a 9 x 11 inch rectangle so that the long side is perpendicular to your body. Spread the cheese over the dough. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Using your hands, gently press the cheese into the dough.
Generously butter a 9-inch loaf pan.
Tightly roll the dough into a loaf, with the rolling action going away from your body. To hold in the filling, fold the outer edges of the dough as you roll. Gently press the seams together on the bottom. Place the dough into the prepared loaf pan seam side down. Place the pan in a warm, dry place and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Beat together the egg and water to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash over the dough. Make three diagonal slits – deep enough to see the filling – across the top of the loaf. Brush again with the egg wash.
Bake for approximately 1 hour (mine baked for 50 minutes). Oven’s vary so test for doneness. Remove the loaf from the pan and tap the bottom. If it sounds hollow, it’s done. If not, continue to bake, checking every few minutes. When the loaf is done, return it to the pan and cool for 30 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack. Cool for another 30 minutes before slicing.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:50 Responses to “Gooey Goodness, thou art Mozzarella Bread”
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oh oh oh – that looks fantastic…..
I could eat goats cheese til it comes out of my ears!
What we need is scratch and sniff here – I bet it smelt wonderful!
xxx
Hi Ari,bread looks so yummy with all the gooey goodness! Thanks for the tips on adding liquid although we are used to making Rotis,still helps to know how not to follow the recipes blindly.
Omg, Ari! What a wonderful bread!
All that mozzarella escaping the top of the bread is paradise!
This bread looks amazing! And what a fabulous sounding book.
Wow! I bet that tastes great with some marinara sauce! (And without it too!)
This bread looks absolutely decadent! I bet it is great toasted!
I’ll be trying this over the weekend. I love making differents breads
Yum! It’s like the goodness of a grilled cheese sandwich without the grilling!
Measuring things by weight rather than volume makes so much more sense. I don’t know why recipes (american at least) always call for cups and tablespoons. It’s so inaccurate. Oh well… Those differences also probably come from day to day differences in the climate. If it’s humid one day then dry the next, your dough will need different amounts of water. This bread looks really delicious. That oozing cheese and the crispy bits on the outside… Amazing!
Ari, this looks wonderful! There is nothing better than hot gooey cheese on (or in) bread! Thanks for the recipe and for your tips about the liquid, too.
Warm cheese and bread — the perfect combination! I think you’ve managed to improve on what that Arab nomad first discovered!
Wow. I think I drooled on my keyboard.
I love cheese, especially Mozzarella. Your loaf looks outstanding, I imagine it makes a magnificent toasted sandwich. I really love the history you always provide with each recipe.
An interesting history lesson and a wonderful meal, what else can you ask for?
Your cheese bread looks terrific, indeed! I enjoyed reading the cheese legends. Thanks for the tips to make the bread.
Paz
Hi Ari! That bread looks amazing. I think I’ll try it for my next bread experiment. Which reminds me, I took your advice for shielding the bottom of the bread pan yesterday, and I also baked the loaves (recipe made two at a time) for about 20 minutes under the specified time at the required temperature and they came out WONDERFULLY! No burned spots, and so light and fluffy.
Thank you so very much for your advice!
Valerie
Cheese on bread is great, so cheese in bread must be out of this world!
Jane – Scratch and sniff food blogs would be so out of this world!
Asha – I have always wanted to learn how to make roti, have you ever written a post on it?
Patricia – Thank you! I think the cheese bubbling out the top was my favorite part of this loaf (right after eating it, that is!)
Naomi – It is a pretty cool book, the recipes are very unique. She also includes sandwiches, jams & desserts, very delish!
Matthew – It’s so funny you say that because that is exactly what my husband said when he saw it.
And you’re right, this bread is especially yummy dipped in your favorite pasta sauce.
Helen – Oh yes! I had a toasted slice for breakfast on two occassions. The combination of melted cheese and hearty bread was super filling.
Joy – Awesome, let me know how it turns out!
Anali – You know, I never thought of that comparison but you’re right! Grilled cheese without the grilling.
Natalia – You’re absolutely correct, in addition to the weight/volume differences climate can also influence how much liquid needs to be added to the dough. Yet another tip I learned from AB, lol. (I’ve seen every episode of “Good Eats” at least twice!)
T.W. – Aw shucks, thanks. But I can’t take credit for Ms Sky’s amazing recipes. Just wait until you see the rosemary sage bread…
Valerie – I am so glad that my advice helped! Maybe next time you bake something you can share a picture? I’d love to see what you’re cooking up in the kitchen.
Thank you for all the kind comments everyone! I’m just waiting for Friday evening to roll around so that I can spend some quality blog reading time with my computer.
I got this book a little bit ago and want to try the rosemary sage bread since those are almost the only two herbs still growing in the backyard.
The Mozzarella looks gorgeous!
That looks phenomenal! I think I would devour the entire thing right out of the oven.
Looks great, I love the cut through view of the bread
Those pictures are making my mouth water. Cheese and bread is almost as good of a combination as chocolate and me. Almost. ;
Hi Ari – WOW, this sounds delicious! I love the idea mozza, but I’m totally intrigued by the recipe calling for Manchego (one of my absolute favourite cheeses). Come to think of it, I bet Gruyère would be a wonderful match too… So many possibilities!
In addition to Natalia’s suggestion of humidity, Ari, there’s also the protein content of the flour that can affect amount of needed (kneaded?) water. That varies according to brand of flour, of course, and I’ve read, I think in McGee, that there are also regional differences in wheat can affect this as well.
Oh my gosh, that looks AMAZING! Cheese and bread… doesn’t get better than that =)
Holy gooey goodness!
This looks wondermous!
Very very seducing bread and mozarella is my favorite cheese
I remember as a kid in Mexico we had to go get in line to the “Lecheria” a store where all they sold was milk. We had to go at 4:00 a.m. in the morning and we could only get two litters, upon arriving home with our milk 50% of the time is was bad. One day I started to throw it away when my aunt stopped me and told me not to throw it away because since it was bad she would now make cheese out of it. And the darn chesse actually tasted good… go figure.
I like you blog a lot but get hungry when I visit.
Okay you have done it. I often (well too often) read food blogs and umm and arh over the photos. But right now I am off to toast some bread and melt some cheese!
I can just imagine the stringy cheese pulling away from the crunchy bread as I write this. I’m just dying for a piece!
And thanks for the totally interesting story!
That is one delicious looking bread!
whoa! awesome!!! esp that bubbling and toasty cheese by the slits… heaven!
Warm freshly-baked bread and melty cheese is a pretty unbeatable combination. The picture alone makes me hungry.
Dang girl that looks too good! I think I’d make a grilled chesse sandwich with that
“Yum” – I think that probably sums it up.
all that gooey goodness! Whoever discovered cheese I am eternally greatful!
Yes!!! I saw that bread in the book and considered makin gti. It looks fabulous. And I also wonder about the people who first “made” cheese! I also wonder about the first people who figured out how to eat an artichoke.
100 cheers for the founder of cheese! What great looking bread.
Does this mozzarella bread have a hard crust – I love a hard crust, and can I use olive oil instead of the butter? Thanks
Nicky
YUM! YUM! YUM! I lvoe bread and cheese.
What an amazing recipe!
Hello Ari, The dishes that you prepare are very different and always with a nice twist. I think this is the best thing about your blog…I really liked the addition of cheese in bread and the way it turned out is even nicer.
Nicky – The crust is crispy and could certainly be harder if you left the bread in a bit longer.
As for using olive oil in loo of butter, I don’t see why you couldn’t do it. I haven’t tried it with this recipe but I have switched butter for olive oil before (and vice versa) and the bread came out just fine. Let me know how it turns out if you do it!
Tanna – The rosemary sage bread is awesome you should definitely try it! One tip though: she doesn’t say to let the sauce cool before your smooth it onto the bread and roll it, but you need to let it cool so that it doesn’t run all over the place when you pour it out.
Brilynn – Yea, it was really hard not to! I made it again this weekend when we had people over and the loaf didn’t last more than an hour, lol.
Bradley – Thanks! I had to show you guys why it’s called mozzarella bread, otherwise you might not have believed me eh?
Abby – Yea it’s hard to beat chocolate. Cheese comes pretty close though.
Gilly – Hehe, thank you. I haven’t tried it with manchego but I bet it tastes great!
Utenzi – I got McGee’s book out of the library, thanks for the tip.
Dianka – It’s a pretty hard combo to beat that’s for sure. Cheese is yummy.
Peabody – Holy moly you’re right!
Crys – Thank you muchly.
Home Cook – I hadn’t thought of this bread as seductive but I guess you’re right, especially if you’re sweetheart likes cheese and baked goods.
Holy cheese lover batman! This looks amazing.
And this is why I haven’t told my trainer about my food blog obsession…as a lover of both bread and cheese, this loaf is a-tuggin’ at my heart strings!
Jose – That is such an interesting story! My Nana is from Mexico city and she has so many interesting recipes and food quirks. I should ask her to teach me some of the more eclectic stuff and post it here!
Tim – I know, reading food blogs is hard sometimes. I have an especially difficult time not baking all the sweets I oogle at on fellow foodblogger sites. I don’t always resist tempation, but I make an effort, lol.
Susan – That’s one of the things I love about this bread, how the cheese hangs on to the crust and you get that stringy bit of melted cheese in your mouth.
Kristen – Thank you!
Gattina – I thought the slits were pretty cool too, I liked being able to glimpse the insides before slicing it open.
Julie – If the picture made you hungry then I succeeded is translating at least some of this bread’s seductiveness to the screen. Yay!
Jeff – Oooh, cheese on cheese, how awesome would that be!
Carolyn – Yup, I think you’re right on.
Veron – Me too! There are lots of food whose discovery I am immensely grateful for. Cheese, chocolate and coffee are probably 3 of my top “thank you so much!” picks.
Sher – You should make it! Totally worth the effort. And yea, who the heck figured out how to eat an artichoke? That is so my deep thought for the day.
Sara – Hip hip horray! x 100 Hehe.
Nancy – Me too, in fact answering all these comments is making me want to go home and bake this bread again
Yoddler – Thank you.
Nidhi – What a nice thing to say, thank you! I enjoy trying new things and I love how this blog keeps me from getting into a food rut. I do make “old stand by” dishes, but I’m always looking in cookbooks too, finding new dishes I want to try and share!
Shandi – Ok so now I have the Batman theme song stuck in my head, lol.
Ellie – You have a trainer? Go you.
Oh my goodness, that looks and I’m sure is, sooo delicious. I’m terrible with cooking. My dad always said me and my other 3 sisters always “cook by number”. lol
Please stop by and say “hello”. Grandpa and I are newbie bloggers and love to hear from anyone. We’ll get the hang of blogging and hopefully people will want to stop by more often.
Thanks for sharing your yummy pics and recipes!