Macaroni Cheese Loaf Bread Recipe
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Recipe Overview
Preparation time: 30 minutes plus overnight resting time and cooling time
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Serves: 8-10 people
Ingredients Needed
- 450g/1lb bread flour
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon instant dried yeast
- 310ml/10.5fl oz water at 37C/98F
- 90g/3oz butter, grated
- Oil for greasing bowl
- 300-400g/10.6-14oz mac and cheese made up
- 300g/10.6oz red leicester cheese (or orange cheese), grated
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1 DOUGH - Whisk the bread flour, salt, onion powder and yeast in a large bowl until well dispersed. Add water and incorporate using your hand or with a wooden spoon or spatula for 30 seconds and then add the grated butter and mix for 30 seconds to 1 minute until there are no more dry patches. It will be a "wet dough" but that's ok. Lightly oil the inside of a second large bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest 12 hours at room temperature (approx. 18-22°C or 65-72°F). It should be puffy and risen.
Step 2 SHAPE - Make the mac and cheese according to box directions and allow it to cool completely. Have the grated cheese ready and a sheet of parchment. Flour a surface and spread out the dough into a 30x30cm or 12x12inch square. Cover with two thirds of the grated cheese and mac and cheese. Roll up into a log and then press down gently to spread it out a bit more and add the remaining third of cheese and mac and cheese. Note: I recommend watching the video above to show this folding process. Roll up into a ball and place on the parchment and cover with cling film and allow to rise for 2 hours.
TROUBLESHOOTING - If your dough breaks in a couple of places while rolling up into a ball keep rolling the ball until the hole is on the bottom and you have a smooth top if you can. But it's not the end of the world if there's a hole either!
Step 3 BAKE - Preheat oven to 220C/440F fan forced or 240C/464F conventional. Place the base of a large cast iron pot (don't heat the lid) in the oven to preheat. Then when ready lift the bread by the parchment and place the whole bread and parchment into the pot. Place the lid on and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden. Rest bread for at least 45 minutes before cutting (important!).
REHEATING - Heat slices in a 150C/300F fan forced or 170C/340F conventional oven for 15 minutes until warmed through.
Personal Note
It's been a couple of months since we've seen the in-laws because were away in Bali for my birthday so we decided to bunch together my birthday together with Araluen and Laporello's.
Tuulikki came along but now she's walking with a cane – a purple cane of course with swirls on it and it looks like a magical witchcraft staff which I expect no less from her. We brought some floral crackers and cheese as well as the chicken Alfredo bake, this mac and cheese bread fresh from the oven as well as two cakes and some cookies.
Not all of the kids were there as Mr NQN's nieces and nephews are going through teenage phases. Mr NQN's nephew Jett is 12 years old and decided he was not coming along so he stayed home on the Central Coast. He is also starting to rebel by eating meat. His cousin Aura, now Ari, is going on their second date. And yes, I felt ancient when I heard this.
But at least seven year old Finn came along (at least until he becomes a teenager and we become completely embarrassing). This kid has adult tastes in food. I brought along strawberry and matcha cake not expecting him to like the matcha as it is slightly bitter but he loved the cake and ate three pieces! When I was 7 years old I didn't like anything like that but Finn drinks kefir and other tart or sour drinks so I'm interested to see how his taste develops as an adult!
So tell me Dear Reader, did you have adult tastes when you were a child? Would you like this bread? Do you have a sourdough starter?