Ingredients:

2 pkgs of active dry yeast
2 3/4 T sugar
2 t salt
3 1/2 – 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 T butter
1/2 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
1/2 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the dry yeast, sugar, and salt with 2 cups of the flour.

In a small saucepan, heat the milk and butter to approximately 125°F. Don’t worry about a thermometer, just use your clean finger. You are about 98.6 degrees. 125 will begin to feel like it is very warm, but stop short of being too hot. In other words – the milk should be a little warmer than you.

Use a mixer and combine the milk into the dry ingredients. Then with the mixer turned to medium, beat the dough for 2 minutes.

By hand, stir in the cheeses. Then stir in the rest of the flour just until the batter is very stiff. It should not be wet.

Leave the dough in the bowl, cover with a cloth, and place in a warm non-drafty place to rise. This will take 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down the dough and turn out into a well-greased 9” loaf pan. Push a bit to even the height and rounded nature of the loaf.

Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes. The loaf should be well-browned.

Place a sheet of foil loosely over the top of the loaf and continue to bake for another 15 minutes and remove from the oven.

Thump the loaf with your finger. It should sound hollow. Remove from the oven, but do not remove it from the pan. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Slice and enjoy!