While a lot of us host Thanksgiving celebrations, or celebrate a family Thanksgiving at home, it is also not uncommon to attend a Thanksgiving dinner that someone else is hosting. My family is strewn all around the world and the same is true for many of my fellow New Yorkers!
Attending someone else's Thanksgiving dinner can be a lot of fun. You get to dress up, spend time with some awesome people, and not have the stress of hosting the dinner yourself. That said, it's important to be a good guest. Definitely bring with a host gift and/or a contribution to the dinner!
But what if you know nothing about how to pick a good wine (guilty) and dessert has already been claimed, so you can't bring along an award-winning pecan pie or my classic pumpkin pie? Never fear!
A side dish (or appetizer, depending on how off-schedule the turkey roasting itself is running) is always appreciated.
A dinner bread is especially appreciated, because if it doesn't get eaten at the actual dinner, your hosts can use it for their post-Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches!
This irresistible cheesy bread is a real winner. Everyone always loves it, it's pretty easy to make, the strongly flavored asiago cheese makes it a slightly gourmet (or at the very least, grown up) tasting bread, and asiago cheese is the only ingredient that you may not already have in your kitchen!
Read on for the yummy recipe!
Irresistible Cheesy Bread
Makes 1 Loaf
Dough
* ~ 2c. all-purpose flour
* Half of a 1/4oz. packet of instant dry yeast
* 3/4 tsp. salt
* 1/2 tsp. white sugar
* 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
* 5/8 c. whole milk
* 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
* 5/8 c. asiago cheese, grated
Egg Wash
* 1 egg white
* 1 Tbsp water
1) Combine 1c. flour with the yeast, salt, sugar, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl.
2) In a small saucepan, melt the butter in the milk. Stir regularly and don't let the milk boil - you don't want it to be over 120-130 degrees when you add it to the dry ingredients or you might kill the yeast!
3) Add the milk-butter mixture to the flour mixture and mix well, until smooth.
4) Mix in 1/2c. of the asiago cheese. Set aside the remaining 1/8c. grated cheese to top the loaf with.
5) Add the remaining cup of flour and knead ~8 minutes, until it forms a smooth ball of dough. You might need slightly less or slightly more flour.
6) Put the dough ball in an oiled ball, turning to coat the outsides. Cover the bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled (it took about 2.5 hours for me). Alternately, you can let it rise slowly overnight in the refrigerator if you want to bake your loaf in the morning, but not have to get up early. Just take the dough our of the fridge when you wake up, let it warm to room temperature, and then move on to step 7!
7) Punch down the dough and shape into a loaf. Grease a baking sheet and dust with cornmeal. Place the loaf, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Let the dough rise, covered with a damp kitchen towel, in a warm place until doubled (it took about 45 minutes this time for me).
8) Preheat the oven to 375 F.
9) Slash the dough 3-4 times at even intervals with a serrated knife.
10) In a small bowl, whisk the egg white and water together with a fork to create an egg wash.
11) Brush the loaf with the egg wash and sprinkle the remaining grated asiago cheese over the loaf.
12) Bake for 30-35 minutes, until done. Let cool on a wire rack.
Enjoy!
This bread is also great toasted with butter or as bruschetta.
Are you hosting or attending Thanksgiving dinner this year?
Do you prefer hosting or being a guest?
What is your favorite Thanksgiving recipe? Links are welcome!
3) Add the milk-butter mixture to the flour mixture and mix well, until smooth.
4) Mix in 1/2c. of the asiago cheese. Set aside the remaining 1/8c. grated cheese to top the loaf with.
5) Add the remaining cup of flour and knead ~8 minutes, until it forms a smooth ball of dough. You might need slightly less or slightly more flour.
6) Put the dough ball in an oiled ball, turning to coat the outsides. Cover the bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled (it took about 2.5 hours for me). Alternately, you can let it rise slowly overnight in the refrigerator if you want to bake your loaf in the morning, but not have to get up early. Just take the dough our of the fridge when you wake up, let it warm to room temperature, and then move on to step 7!
7) Punch down the dough and shape into a loaf. Grease a baking sheet and dust with cornmeal. Place the loaf, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Let the dough rise, covered with a damp kitchen towel, in a warm place until doubled (it took about 45 minutes this time for me).
8) Preheat the oven to 375 F.
9) Slash the dough 3-4 times at even intervals with a serrated knife.
10) In a small bowl, whisk the egg white and water together with a fork to create an egg wash.
11) Brush the loaf with the egg wash and sprinkle the remaining grated asiago cheese over the loaf.
12) Bake for 30-35 minutes, until done. Let cool on a wire rack.
Enjoy!
This bread is also great toasted with butter or as bruschetta.
Are you hosting or attending Thanksgiving dinner this year?
Do you prefer hosting or being a guest?
What is your favorite Thanksgiving recipe? Links are welcome!
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