Cheesy Ritz Chicken (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Bread Ingredients
01 -
1 1/2 cups warm tap water (not hot)
02 -
2 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast
03 -
3 cups of bread-specific flour
04 -
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or cooking salt
05 -
2 1/2 cups Colby cheese, freshly shredded and packed tightly
# Instructions:
01 -
In a big mixing bowl, combine yeast, salt, and flour with a rubber spatula. Slowly pour in the water and stir until everything's combined and the dough feels sticky. Make sure no flour bits are hiding at the bottom.
02 -
Use plastic wrap to cover the bowl and leave it somewhere warm for about 2 or 3 hours. The dough should puff up, look bubbly, and wobble slightly if you shake the bowl.
03 -
About half an hour before the dough finishes rising, heat up your oven to 240°C (450°F) or 220°C for fan-forced models. Place a lidded, heavy pot (24-28cm or 4.5-8 quart) inside to warm up.
04 -
Spread a tablespoon of flour on a flat surface and move the dough onto it. Gently press the dough into an 8-inch (20cm) circle. Save a third of the cheese for the top. Cover the dough's surface in half of the remaining cheese, fold the edges inward four times, and add the rest of the cheese between folds. Make sure the final bottom layer has no cheese to act as the base. Flip onto parchment paper with the seams down, adjusting shape if needed.
05 -
Use the cheese you saved to top the dough with a layer that looks like a cheesy crown.
06 -
Take the hot pot out of the oven and carefully lower the dough into it, along with the parchment paper. Cover with the lid and bake for 35 minutes, then bake uncovered for another 10 minutes until the top looks golden and crispy.
07 -
Let the bread cool for 10 minutes before slicing it up and serving.
# Notes:
01 -
Your sticky dough shouldn't be runny like cake batter but needs to hold its shape.
02 -
To get the best results, pick a heavy pot with a tight lid to trap heat efficiently.