MAKES TWO 8-INCH LOAVES
Across the street from Chez Panisse is a little shop called The Cheese Board that carried all sorts of artisanal domestic and foreign cheeses long before such stores were commonplace. All of us at Chez loved and frequented that store. My favorite thing was their cheddar cheese loaf. I’d never had bread made with a quality cheese, the way this one was.
There are so many good cheddar cheeses being made these days, my favorite of which is Hook’s from Wisconsin. Pick one that you like, but do use a good-quality sharp cheddar to get the full deliciousness of this bread.
51/3 tablespoons (2/3 stick) cold UNSALTED BUTTER, cut into small cubes, plus more for buttering the pans
4 cups all-purpose FLOUR, plus more for dusting the pans
1 teaspoon CUMIN SEEDS
2 tablespoons OLIVE OIL
1 large YELLOW ONION, diced
1 teaspoon KOSHER SALT, plus more for seasoning
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons BAKING POWDER
1/2 teaspoon CURRY POWDER
10 ounces SHARP CHEDDAR CHEESE, shredded (about 21/2 cups)
2 large EGGS
11/2 cups WHOLE MILK
8 ounces sliced GERMAN-STYLE HAM (such as Black Forest or Westphalian), for serving
A small jar of good GERMAN MUSTARD, for serving
Butter two 8-inch loaf pans and dust them with flour. Arrange an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 375°F.
Toast the cumin seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat for a minute or two, shaking the pan constantly to prevent the seeds from burning. Transfer the seeds to a bowl or plate to cool.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, until it slides easily in the pan. Add the onion, season with salt, and sauté until the onion is soft and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer the onion to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature.
Combine the flour, baking powder, the 1 teaspoon of salt, curry powder, and cumin seeds in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the butter and use your fingertips to blend until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the cheese and toss with your hands to combine.
Add the eggs to the bowl with the onion and beat the eggs. Stir in the milk. Add to the flour and stir with a rubber spatula just until all the flour is moistened and the dough comes together; don’t mix more than necessary or your bread will be tough. Divide the dough between the two loaf pans and use the spatula to even out the top if necessary.
Bake the loaves for 40 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove the bread from the oven, let cool in the pans for about 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool to room temperature. If you’re making this in advance, wrap the loaves tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store at room temperature.
Slice the bread 1/2 inch thick and serve on a board or platter with the ham and mustard on the side for people to serve themselves.