German Emmental Bread

Last week I went to a friends house to be her assistant bread chef.  She has amazing recipes but they are all in German so she translates and I do what she says.

She is also one of the most inspiring people I know.  She has MS and has lost the ability to do much of what she likes;hiking, knitting, painting, baking…yet she is always cheerful and fun to be around.

We worked well together, me doing the mixing and initial kneading..and she, throwing the ball of dough against the table to finish the kneading process!

We created this Emmental bread together.  The only problem we had was that she translated the word for caraway seed as cumin seed..

Uh…you might want to go with the caraway.

The aroma in the kitchen as this is baking is intoxicating.  Would be a great accompaniment to a hearty soup and salad meal , with an apple tart for dessert.

• a 1/4-ounce package (2 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups organic unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons gluten
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cup  emmental cheese, on a 1/4 inch dice
• 1 cup crumbled cooked bacon (optional)
• 1/3 cup thick greek yogurt, quark, or plain yogurt, warmed
• 1 1/4 cup warm water

In a large bowl proof the yeast in 1 1/4 cup warm water for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is foamy. Stir in the yogurt,  2 cups of the flour, and the remaining ingredients.  Stir the mixture until it is combined well. Knead the dough on a floured surface, incorporating as much of the remaining  flour as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking.  Knead for about ten minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic.  Transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl, turning it to coat it with the oil, and let it rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it is double in bulk.

Punch down the dough, halve it, and shape each piece into a round loaf. Transfer the loaves to a lightly oiled baking sheet and let them rise, covered with a kitchen towel, for 45 minutes, or until they are almost double in bulk. Bake the loaves in the middle of a preheated 400°F. oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until they are golden, transfer them to a rack, and let them cool.

Image:MaryeAudet