Bushra Griffith
Ham and cheese loaf is a delicious and versatile dish that can be made in a variety of ways, from vintage recipes to Asian-style soft loaves. It is a great way to use up leftover ham and can be served as a hot sandwich, a breakfast item, or even as part of a salad. The loaf typically consists of ham and cheese stuffed inside a dough, which is then baked until golden brown. The dough can be made from scratch or store-bought, and the type of ham and cheese used can vary depending on personal preference.
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What You'll Learn
Mixing the dry ingredients
To make the ham and cheese loaf, you'll first need to gather your dry ingredients: bread flour, castor sugar, and salt. Place these in a large mixing bowl, taking care to leave out the active dry yeast for now. Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly until the salt and sugar are evenly distributed throughout the flour.
It's important to use bread flour, which has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour, as this will give your loaf a better structure and texture. Castor sugar, or superfine sugar, is ideal for baking as it dissolves quickly and easily. If you can't get hold of castor sugar, you can pulse regular granulated sugar in a food processor to make it finer.
Once your dry ingredients are mixed, you'll need to activate the yeast. Dissolve the active dry yeast in warm milk—room temperature or slightly warmer is ideal. You can also add a teaspoon of sugar to the milk to help feed the yeast and encourage it to activate.
After the yeast has been activated, you can pour the milk into the flour mixture. You'll also add one egg at this stage. Mix the ingredients until they come together, and you'll notice the dough becoming stretchy and less sticky as the flour absorbs the liquid.
At this point, you can start kneading the dough. You can do this by hand on a floured surface, or use a dough hook attachment on an electric mixer. Knead the dough for around five minutes, until it's smooth and elastic.
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Preparing the dough
To prepare the dough for a ham and cheese loaf, you will need bread flour, castor sugar, salt, active dry yeast, warm milk, an egg, and butter or olive oil. You may also need a dough hook attachment for an electric mixer to make kneading easier.
First, place the bread flour, castor sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl, and mix to distribute the salt and sugar evenly throughout the flour. In a separate container, dissolve the active dry yeast in warm milk. It is important to use warm or room-temperature milk to activate the yeast. Once the yeast has dissolved, pour the milk into the flour mixture, and add one egg. Mix the ingredients until they start to come together. The dough will be sticky at first, but it will become more stretchy and less sticky as the flour absorbs the milk and egg.
After about five minutes of mixing, the dough will come together and stay clean from the mixing bowl. At this point, you can add the soft butter or olive oil. Knead the dough for another five minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic.
Before proofing the dough, you can do a 'window-pane' test to ensure it is ready. Stretch the dough until it is paper-thin and semi-translucent. If it stretches without breaking, it is ready for proofing. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, then remove it from the container and transfer it to a floured work surface. Knead the dough for another minute, then divide it into four equal portions and let them rest for five minutes before rolling them out.
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Adding the ham and cheese
Once you've prepared your dough, it's time to add the ham and cheese. If you're using ground ham, you can grind your own ham by purchasing smoked ham and cubed pork and grinding them together. Chilling the meat beforehand will help to ensure a great texture. If you're using sliced ham, roll out your dough into rectangles, slightly larger than the size of the ham slices.
Place the ham slices, along with shredded or cubed cheese, on the dough, leaving about one centimetre clear from the edges. You can also add some diced onion to bring more flavour and moisture to the loaf. If you're using more than one type of ham or cheese, you can set up a little bar with various toppings and let your guests put together their preferred combinations.
Roll the dough jelly-roll style, sealing the ham and cheese inside. You can also roll the dough like a Swiss roll, placing the four portions of dough with the ham and cheese horizontally in a loaf pan. Apply some oil or butter to the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking.
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Shaping the loaf
Firstly, prepare the dough by mixing the dry ingredients, including bread flour, castor sugar, and salt, in a large mixing bowl. Ensure the ingredients are evenly distributed. Activate the dry yeast by dissolving it in warm milk, and then pour this mixture, along with an egg, into the flour blend. Mix until the dough starts to come together; it will initially be sticky but will become stretchy and less sticky as the flour absorbs the liquid. Attach a dough hook to an electric mixer and knead the dough for about five minutes until it forms a cohesive ball. You can then add soft butter or olive oil for a healthier alternative.
Once the dough is ready, perform a 'window-pane' test before proofing it. Stretch the dough, and if it can be pulled until paper-thin and semi-translucent without breaking, it is ready for the next step. After the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to a floured surface and knead it for a minute. Divide the dough into four equal portions and let them relax for five minutes.
Now, it's time to shape each portion into a rectangle. Roll them out slightly larger than the size of the ham you will use. Place the ham slices and shredded cheese on the dough, leaving about one centimetre of space around the edges. Roll the dough like a Swiss roll to enclose the ham and cheese inside. You can also unroll the dough onto a greased baking sheet, add the ham, onions, and cheese, and then roll it up tightly, jelly-roll style, sealing the edges.
Finally, apply oil or butter to the bottom of the loaf pan to prevent sticking. Place the dough horizontally in the loaf pan, fitting all four portions snugly. Your ham and cheese loaf is now ready for baking!
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Baking the loaf
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a baking sheet or the bottom of a loaf pan with butter or oil. If you are using a loaf pan, grease the pan and line the dough inside horizontally. If you are using a baking sheet, unroll the dough onto the sheet and top with ham, onions, and cheese.
Roll up the dough tightly, jelly-roll style, starting with the long side. Pinch the seam to seal and tuck the ends under. Brush the exterior with butter. Place the loaf in the oven and bake until golden brown. This should take around 30-35 minutes.
Once baked, let the loaf stand for 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch slices. You can also let the loaf cool and run a sharp knife around the wall of the loaf pan to loosen it. Then, overturn the pan to unmold it.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need bread flour, castor sugar, salt, active dry yeast, milk, an egg, soft butter or olive oil, ham, and cheese.
Cheddar cheese is a popular choice, but you can also use other types of cheese such as pasteurized process cheese or turkey ham.
You can use leftover ham, deli ham, or smoked ham.
First, mix the dry ingredients (bread flour, castor sugar, and salt) in a large mixing bowl. Then, dissolve the active dry yeast in warm milk and pour it into the flour mixture along with one egg. Mix the ingredients until they come together, and then knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Finally, add the soft butter or olive oil.
Roll out the dough into a rectangle and place the ham slices and shredded cheese on top, leaving about 1 cm clear from the edges. Roll the dough jelly-roll style to seal the ham and cheese inside. Place the dough in a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
