Pumpkin-Cheese Braided Bread

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• ¾ cup warm water
• 3 ½ tablespoons honey
• 1 ½ tablespoons instant yeast
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons pumpkin puree
• 6 ½ cups bread flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese, divided

Step 1

Mix the milk, warm water, honey, and yeast in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Let it sit for about 10 minutes until the yeast gets all foamy and bubbly. Then, add the oil, pumpkin puree, flour, and salt in that order. Mix everything together until you get a soft, smooth dough that’s a little sticky but not too much — if it feels too wet or dry, just tweak the flour or water a bit.

Step 2

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it by hand for a few minutes. Shape it into a ball, pop it into a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise somewhere warm until it doubles in size, which should take about an hour and a half to two hours.

Step 3

Once it’s risen, divide the dough into two balls and lightly flour them. Put one ball back in the bowl, cover it, and stick it in the fridge until you’re ready for it. Roll the other ball out into a rectangle about 12 by 16 inches. Spread half the cheese evenly over the dough, then roll it up tightly like a jelly roll, sealing the seams well.

Step 4

Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the roll down the middle lengthwise. Place the two pieces side by side with the cut sides facing up, then braid them together by crossing the right strand over the left, keeping those cut sides on top as you go. Pinch the ends to seal and place the braid into a greased loaf pan, cut side up. Cover it with plastic wrap.

Step 5

Repeat the rolling, filling, and braiding with the second ball of dough. Let both loaves rise until they’re puffed up to the top of the pans or just peeking over, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). When ready, remove the plastic wrap and bake the loaves for 25 minutes. Rotate the pans, then tent the loaves loosely with foil to keep them from getting too dark, and bake for another 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Step 6

Take the pans out of the oven and let the bread cool in the pans for about 5 minutes before transferring the loaves to a wire rack to cool completely, about an hour. Enjoy!