Quebec Vintage Cheddar Wheat Bread, Take 2

or rather, Quebec Vintage Cheddar-Scented Wheat Bread

1/2 cup lukewarm water

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup milk

1/2 cup boiling water

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp kosher salt

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading

3 cups whole-wheat flour

4 ounces Quebec Vintage Cheddar, cut into 1/4 inch cubes

Combine lukewarm water and yeast in a mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer). Let stand 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl, combine milk, boiling water, sugar, and salt. Add milk mixture to yeast mixture (making sure milk mixture is no warmer than lukewarm). Stir in 3 cups all-purpose flour. Add whole-wheat flour, mix until combined.  Stir in cheese.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until dough is smooth, about 10 minutes by hand.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning the dough once to coat the dough with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

"Punch dough down" by gently folding it over itself a few times to release some of the gas within the dough. Divide dough in two and shape each piece into a loaf. Place each loaf in a greased loaf pan. Let dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375º F. Bake loaves for about 45 minutes, or until the top is brown, the sides and bottom of the loaves are brown when they are turned out of the pans, and when tapped, the loaves sound hollow. Remove loaves from pans and cool loaves on wire racks.

Today's lessons:

-Bread is still delicious

-Not enough cheese, cut too small (thus the "Cheddar-Scented" bread)

-Check flour amounts - might be too much

-Cheese might want to be added with whole wheat flour instead of after - might combine more easily that way

-Took a while to rise. Check next time.