Rosemary Feta Cheese Bread from Gracehill
Recipe Submitted by the Gracehill Bed and Breakfast
1 ½ cups half and half
¼ cup water
¼ cup melted butter
4 to 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
1 package rapid rise yeast
¼ cup butter softened
6 oz feta cheese grated
2 Tbsp butter melted
Fresh cut up or diced rosemary
Melt ¼ cup butter in saucepan. Add milk and water and bring temp to between 120-130 degrees F. Remove from stove. In a separate mixing bowl combine 2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Add the liquid mixture and beat at low speed with an electric mixer until blended. Beat another 2 minutes at medium speed. Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Turn dough out onto a floured surface; knead lightly 4 or 5 times.
This recipe makes best as 2 long skinny loaves of French bread. It is possible to make it in a bread pan, which I had to do to enter it in our county fair. Won 2nd place, see attached photo. If made as French loaves, divide dough in half and roll out into a 16” by 8” rectangle. Brush each of the rectangles with 2 T of softened butter. Sprinkle 3 oz of feta on each rectangle and sprinkle on fresh rosemary to taste. Roll up jellyroll fashion on the long side pinching ends to seal. Place dough seam side down on a lightly greased French bread pan or on a large baking sheet. Brush each loaf with the last of the melted butter.
Cover and let rise in a warm place 85 to 100 degrees for 45 minutes or until doubled in size. Bake uncovered 375 for 15 minutes, then reduce temp to 350 and bake an additional 20 more minutes or until loaves sound hollow when taped. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.