bread baking challenge #43= ASIAGO CHEESE

 ASIAGO CHEESE, CARAMELIZED ONION LOAF a bread baking challenge.

  

I received a cup of "bram" from my friend and colleague in baking, Brandon, who nourish this "bram" for almost a week, already. From rye flour and pineapple juice, left on the counter, at room temp, and mixing, adding, and moving to a warmer place.... he manage to have 3 bubbling, sour-smelling cups of "bram.

This way Brandon, Janice, and I start baking ASIAGO, ONION, and BREAD- part of our challenge.
I start with the sponge, bram, flour, and water, mix well, raise for 4 h, and left in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day I start making the dough, with a sponge, yeast, flour, salt, and milk, in the stand-up mixer, to be kneaded well. Adding 2 cups of shredded ASIAGO cheese, make all the difference for this dough.

Asiago cheese can assume different textures, according to its aging process from smooth for the fresh Asiago (Asiago Pressato) to a crumbly texture for the aged cheese (Asiago d'allevo) of which the flavor is reminiscent of parmesan. The aged cheese is often grated in salads, soups, and pasta while the fresh Asiago is sliced to prepare  Panini or sandwiches; it can also be melted on a variety of dishes, including bagels and bread.

The only "official" Asiago is produced in the north Italy alpine area of the town of  Asiago province of Vicenza, in the  Veneto region, and now is also made in the Alpine region of the province de Trento, in the Trentino region.  Alpine milk is what makes Asiago a special, healthy cheese.  Alpine meadows have a larger variety of grass species, medicinal plants, and flowers all of which contribute to a better-tasting milk with a higher protein content.    (From Wikipedia )

After 4h raise, covered with plastic wrap, the dough is soft, flexible, and ready to be shaped.

I poor some caramelized sliced onion,  some oil, and more shredded cheese to top the bread.

 

Ready to bake, I covered it and left in a warm place, to rise more.

Baked at 500F for 20 minutes and rotate, 20 minutes more to be nice, brown, and sound hollow.

What a wonderful lunch with a hearty bowl of soup!