Cheese Zombies
Dec 28, 2020 0:58:34 GMT -5
Post by bloodbought on Dec 28, 2020 0:58:34 GMT -5
Cheese Zombies
These baked sandwiches have nothing to do with Halloween or Zombies. I was not able to track down the reason that they are named this way! lol.
3 packets of active dry yeast or 2 and 3/4 tablespoons Dissolved in 3/4 cup warm water.
*Note* A "normal" loaf of bread takes one packet of yeast (2 1/4 tsp), this recipe is about two loaves of bread worth of flour. You probably only need 4 1/2 tsp of yeast for this (1 tbsp plus 1 1/4 tsp).
1 1/4 cup warm water
7 tbsp granulated sugar
7 tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 cup instant non-fat powdered milk
6 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
12 American or cheddar cheese slices
Blend dry ingredients and then add in the oil, water and yeast/water mixture. Knead until smooth and elastic.
Cut into two pieces and place in 2 greased bowls (or one big one), cover and let rise until doubled in a warm place.
Punch down dough and stretch out one of the pieces into the bottom of a half/sheet pan that has been greased.
Place cheese slices over top.
Top with remaining dough, stretching to edge. Crimp edges to keep cheese from leaking out.
Cover and allow to rise until doubled.
Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes until golden brown.
Brush with butter when it comes out of the oven if desired.
I have found two stories on how the cheese zombie came to be here are excerpt from the interwebs:
"In the late 1950s, a school district in Washington’s Yakima Valley received an excess of subsidized cheese also known as government cheese. Faced with the abundance of dairy, the food services supervisor (or, by other accounts, a local cafeteria cook) invented a new sandwich that soon appeared on cafeteria menus: the Cheese Zombie.
Yakima Valley school districts still make the meal, and nostalgic adults can get their Zombie fix from one of the many small shops in the area that also serve the sandwich."
OR
"In 1963, Decla Phillips and Helen Beloc worked as bakers for Mount Diablo High School (in Concord, California). The duo created the legendary Cheese Zombie by rolling out 144 pounds of dough, then stretching the dough onto baking sheets where it would be covered by a layer of American cheese, followed by another layer of dough. Small circles were cut and the edges were crimped using a special tool to keep the cheese from oozing out once melted. Once baked, the concoction becomes a doughy, gooey, cheesy ball of deliciousness. Served as a brunch treat for the students, Decla and Helen's Cheese Zombie quickly became a favorite and was adopted by schools throughout the East Bay.