Back in the day, a friend of my uncle’s made this crazy good quick bread with Bisquick, garlic powder, blue cheese, and – if I recall correctly – cinnamon. She very kindly shared the recipe, and we all were making it like crazy. Then, I started making it less often, then really not at all, and finally, I couldn’t even find the recipe anymore.
Enter this recipe, which I adapted from a cheddar cheese bread recipe I came across somewhere recently. You don’t need biscuit mix, and it’s even better than I remember.
INGREDIENTS
•1-3/4 cup flour
•3/4 tsp salt
•1/2 tsp baking soda
•1/2 tsp garlic powder
•1-1/2 tbsp butter, softened
•2 oz blue cheese, crumbled
•3/4 cup + 2 tbsp buttermilk
Note 1: these amounts are halved from the original recipe, which claimed to make two loaves. If you are using a larger (9-1/2 x 5-1/2 inch bread pan, go ahead and make a double batch.
Note 2: I realize there is no baking powder called for, but don’t fret, as the bread will come out, if mebbe not as ‘high’ as it might, with a lovely texture.
Note 3: if you don’t have, or don’t want to buy, buttermilk; simply place one tablespoon for lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup, add milk to make one cup, stir, then let rest for five minutes.
Heat oven to 400º and grease a bread pan.
Whisk the flour together with the salt, baking soda, and garlic powder in a mixing bowl.
Add one tablespoon of the butter to the flour mixture and, using your fingertips, combine until the mixture resembles fine sand.
Add the crumbled cheese and toss to coat well.
Stir in the buttermilk just until the dough comes together, then turn the batter into the prepared bread pan.
Cut a thin slit down the center of the batter and insert thin slices of the remaining bit of butter (I used cold butter for this, and more than likely a bit more than 1/2 tablespoon).
Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean – about 25 or 30 minutes – then cool on a rack for 30 minutes before turning out and slicing.
Nice bread – if a bit, well, thin. I believe that was mostly due to my large bread pan choice. Next time, I will use my smaller loaf pan, and mebbe even add 1/2 tsp of good cinnamon – just to see how it goes.
Still and all, one fine addition to our dinner of chicken and mozzarella ravioli with my Best! Doctored Sauce, and a romaine, sun-dried tomato, red onion, Persian cucumber, and feta cheese salad topped with a bit of Another Italian Dressing.