Chewy cheesy bacon bread

Make the tangzhong: pour the boiling water into the flour, stir and roll into a homogeneous smooth ball; cover and cool completely.

In a stand mixer put the tangzhong, flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water, heavy cream and honey; mix on speed 1.

If dry flour remains once all the water is in, add the extra water 1 tsp at a time.

Knead on medium (speed 4) for 5 to 6 minutes, until a small piece stretches into a thick sheet. (Alternatively knead 10 minutes on speed 2 and finish by slapping 200 to 300 times on the counter.)

Add the softened butter and mix on speed 1 until absorbed, then knead on medium another 5 to 6 minutes until it stretches into a thinner but uneven film.

Knead on high (speed 6) for 1 to 2 minutes; check that the dough stretches thin enough to see fingers through and that a poked hole is smooth and round.

Oil a bowl; give the dough a couple of folds, round into a ball, cover and ferment until doubled, about 1.5 hours at 28C.

Dust the dough and surface, press out some air, weigh and divide into two even pieces.

Roll each piece smooth side up into an oblong about 1 cm thick, flip, roll into a log; cover and rest half an hour.

Oil a 20 x 11 cm tin. Roll each log out to about 1 cm thick, 30 cm long and 6 cm wide; flip, press along the edges to remove big air bubbles and pinch down the near side.

Lay strips of bacon on the sheet, then the sheet cheese torn in half on top.

Roll up from the far side gently but tightly, pinch the seam and the ends closed, and set in one side of the tin; repeat with the second log.

Put in a bag and proof 1.5 hours at 30C, or until the dough fills about 70% of the tin.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 35 minutes; 15 minutes in, sprinkle the shredded cheese on top.

Knock the tin on the counter a couple of times straight away to break big air bubbles, slide the loaf out onto a cooling rack, and cool at least 1 hour before cutting.