Cheese Bread

Cook’s Illustrated

1 cup Parmesan cheese

3 cups AP flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 oz. cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 1/4 cup whole milk

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 large egg, beaten lightly

3/4 cup sour cream

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350. Spray a 5×9-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle 1/2 cup of Parmesan evenly in the bottom of the pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Mix in the cheddar cubes, coating the pieces completely with flour.

In a separate bowl, combine milk, butter, egg, and sour cream. Pour the wet ingredients on top of the dry, and fold together with a rubber spatula to combine. The batter will be heavy and thick.

Scrape the batter into the loaf pan, smoothing the surface with the spatula. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan evenly over the top.

Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10-20 minutes, then de-pan and cool for another 30-45 minutes. Cut into slices and serve warm.