SUNDRIED TOMATO, CHEESE AND HERB BREAD

For this issue of Wider Horizons, we put out a call to Lethbridge College staff members and asked what recipe they’d like to learn how to make. We had a number of people reply asking for delicious bread recipes. It’s easy to understand why. Statistics Canada reports Canadians spent $8.6 billion buying 1.2 million tonnes of bread in 2011. It seems we love our loaves in the True North. Bread in all its diverse forms is the most widely consumed food in the world, and humans have been baking it for at least 30,000 years. By the year 2500 B.C., the ancient Greeks were producing more than 80 types of bread. The food was so important to the Egyptian way of life that it was used as a type of currency, and it was often placed in the tombs of their dead. Bread is an essential source of carbohydrates, it’s portable and compact, and, especially when it’s fresh from the oven, it’s delicious. In this recipe, Chef Kenny Kain (Cook Apprenticeship 2000) added some savoury aspects to a basic bread recipe by including sundried tomatoes, herbs and cheddar cheese.

To sample some of the delicious creations from student chefs at Lethbridge College, including homemade bread, book a table in the Garden Court Dining Room by calling 403-320-3230.

Ingredients

6 c.	bread flour
2 tsp.	table salt
5 tbsp.	sugar
1 c.	lukewarm water
2 tbsp.	dry active yeast OR 1½ tbsp. of instant yeast
1 c. + 2 tbsp.	buttermilk
¼ c.	melted butter
¼ c.	diced sundried tomatoes
2 c.	grated, sharp cheddar cheese
¼ c.	minced parsley
¼ c.	minced chives

NOTE: You are welcome to use any combination of cheese and herbs.

Method

MIXING THE DOUGH
Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Grease two 8” by 4” loaf pans and set them aside. In bowl number one, combine the sugar, water and yeast. Let this stand for five minutes. In bowl number two, combine your flour and salt and whisk them together. Then combine both bowls and add the buttermilk and butter. By hand or with a mixer and dough hook, mix until it is all combined, about two minutes. Let the dough rest for five minutes, and then knead well until the dough becomes soft, smooth and satiny – and a bit tacky. Form the dough into a ball and place it back in the bowl that had the flour in it. Cover well and let sit on the counter well wrapped until it doubles in size.
RISING
While fermenting, place your sundried tomatoes in a small bowl of lukewarm water to reconstitute them slightly. Divide your dough and dust your rolling pin lightly with flour and roll each into a 10 inch by 16 inch rectangle. Drain your tomatoes and sprinkle them, plus the cheese and the herbs, over the dough. Roll each dough section like a jelly roll – but not too tight. Cut each roll in half lengthwise and loosely “braid” the two halves, keeping the cut sides up and pinching each end. Gently lift and place in loaf pan and cover it loosely with a piece of plastic. Let the loaves relax and rise until they are about an inch over the sides of the pan.
BAKING
Bake until the tops are golden brown – for about 45 minutes. If the dough starts to excessively brown (burning cheese), cover loosely with foil. Once baked, remove the bread from the pan immediately or it will stick. Allow the bread to cool for at least an hour before slicing. Makes two loaves.