Swiss Cheese Beer Bread

I got this bread recipe from my fabulous sister ages and ages and ages ago, and it has popped up to make an appearance now and then over the past 8 or 9 years.  This bread is totally amazing, and I pledge right now to make it way more often, because whoa.  Yum.  This cheesy beer bread is studded with chunks of gooey, melty, toasty Swiss cheese, and I just want to eat the whole thing.  Note: You may want to place a pan or something underneath the bread pans in the oven just in case the Swiss cheese chunks drip.

Beer Swiss Bread

12 ounces beer

½ cup hot water

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon salt

2 Tablespoons butter

8 ounces processed Swiss or American cheese

4 ½ teaspoons yeast

5 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour

8 ounces Swiss cheese, cut into ¼ inch cubes

In a large saucepan, combine the beer, hot water, sugar, salt, butter, and processed cheese and heat until steaming (or microwave in a large microwaveable bowl).  Cool until warm (about 110°F).

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and yeast.  Pour in the warm cheese mixture and mix until combined.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough starts to smooth out.  Knead in the Swiss cheese cubes until evenly distributed and the dough is smooth and elastic.  Place the dough in a large, lightly greased bowl, and lightly grease the top of the dough.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rice about 1 hour or until double in size. 

Lightly grease 2 8x4 inch loaf pans (you can use 9x5 loaf pans, but the bread will not rise quite as high).  Punch the dough down and divide in two equal pieces.  Shape each piece of dough into about a 12x6 inch rectangle.  Cut each rectangle lengthwise into three 2-inch strips, leaving them joined at one end.  Braid the strips, then tuck the ends under and place in the prepared pans.  Place the bread in a warm place and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise about 45 minutes, or until the dough has risen over the pan about ½ inch.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Bake the loaves for 30 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown and done in the center.  If the loaves brown too quickly, cover with foil.  Remove the bread from the oven and turn out of the pans onto a cooling rack.  Makes 2 loaves.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy