Georgian Cheese Bread

Description

 * Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Ingredients

 * 2 pkg dry yeast
 * 1 tablespoon + ½ teaspoon sugar
 * 1¼ cups lukewarm milk
 * 2 teaspoons salt
 * ½ cup butter, softened
 * 4½ cups flour
 * 1 tablespoon sugar
 * salt

Cheese filling

 * 1 pound muenster cheese, shredded
 * 2 tablespoons butter, softened
 * 1 egg, beaten

Cheese filling

 * 1) Combine cheese, butter and egg in large mixing bowl.
 * 2) Knead vigorously until texture is uniform.
 * 3) Shape into thick round cake 8 to 7½ inches in diameter.

Yeast

 * 1) Sprinkle yeast and ½ teaspoon sugar over milk in small shallow bowl.
 * 2) Cover with plastic wrap and place in warm place until yeast blooms and mixture nearly doubles in volume, 5 to 10 minutes.

Bread

 * 1) Combine 4½ cups flour, 1 tablespoon sugar and salt in large mixing bowl.
 * 2) Make well in flour mixture and add milk-yeast mixture and softened butter.
 * 3) Beat vigorously with large spoon until smooth.
 * 4) Form into ball and place on lightly floured surface.
 * 5) Knead hard 10 minutes, adding more flour or water as needed to create medium stiff dough.
 * 6) When dough is smooth and elastic, place in large, lightly buttered bowl.
 * 7) Cover with plastic wrap and kitchen towel and let rise in warm, draft-free place, such as unlit oven with pilot light on, until doubled in bulk and dough springs back slowly when gently poked with finger, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
 * 8) Punch dough down and let rise until again doubled, 30 to 40 minutes.
 * 9) Punch dough down and roll out on lightly floured surface into circle about 22 inches in diameter.
 * 10) If rolling surface is too small, divide dough in half and roll into 2 half-circles 22x11 inches.
 * 11) Roll dough up on rolling pin and unroll carefully over buttered 9-inch cake or spring-form pan or spring-form so that it is centered, with edges overlapping more or less evenly on all sides.
 * 12) If using 2 half-circles of dough, form 1-inch seam to make whole circle and moisten thoroughly to seal.
 * 13) Carefully press center of dough down to bottom of pan.
 * 14) Place cheese filling on dough and bring up edges of dough over filling, forming thick, fabric-like folds.
 * 15) Moisten edges at top and seal.
 * 16) Let stand 10 to 15 minutes.
 * 17) Bake at 375°F in center of oven, with foil underneath in case filling leaks, until golden brown, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
 * 18) Cool 1 to 2 hours before serving.