We make our cheese bread with flour, milk and sour cream

WE START our cheese bread with all-pur pose flour and add whole milk and sour cream for a clean, creamy flavor and rich, moist texture. Just a few tablespoons of butter adds enough richness without greasiness, and using less fat makes the texture heartier and less cakelike.

Most recipes for cheese bread call for shredded cheese. We prefer our cheese (cheddar or Asiago) cut into small chunks, which, when mixed into the dough and baked, create luscious, cheesy pockets throughout the bread. For added cheesy flavor and a crisp, browned crust, we coat the pan and sprinkle the top of the loaf with grated Parmesan. Run-of-the-mill cheese bread is at once dry and greasy, with almost no cheese flavor at all. We wanted a rich, moist loaf topped with a bold, cheesy crust.

Chef’s Note: A mild Asiago, crumbled into 1/ 4- to 1/2-inch pieces, can be used instead of the cheddar. Aged Asiago that is as firm as Parmesan is too sharp and piquant. If, when testing the bread for doneness, the toothpick comes out with what looks like uncooked batter clinging to it, try again in a different, but still central, spot; if the toothpick hits a pocket of cheese, it may give a false indication. The texture of the bread improves as it cools, so resist the urge to slice the loaf while it is piping hot. Do not use skim milk for this bread. We developed this recipe using a loaf pan that measures 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inches; if you use a 9by 5-inch loaf pan, start checking for doneness 5 minutes earlier than advised in the recipe.

3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated on large holes of box grater (1 cup)