Ham 'N Cheese Braided Loaf

Kendra suggested I make the Ham 'N Cheese Braided Loaf for March.  Hopefully she wasn't the only one who liked it!  ;) 


4 tsp. yeast (1 heaping Tbsp.)
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp. sugar
3/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup mustard or sour cream 
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter
2 cups flour + 2 additional cups flour
2 Tbsp. dry ranch dressing mix (I've used regular ranch dressing with a little less mustard or sour cream if you don't have the mix on hand)
deli meat (ham, turkey, or whatever you prefer)
cheese (the recipe calls for Swiss, but I used a colby-cheddar mix)
1 egg, whisked

Mix yeast, 1/2 cup warm water, and 1 tsp. sugar together.  Let sit a few minutes.  Add 3/4 cup warm water, mustard, sugar, salt, butter, and 2 cups flour.  Mix.  Add additional 2 cups flour.  Roll into a rectangle directly on greased cookie sheet.  Add meat and cheese down the center.  Cut edges into 1-inch strips up to the meat and cheese.  Roll in ends and "braid" strips.  (Don't worry - sometimes it looks really pretty, and sometimes it just doesn't; the girl the recipe came from says sometimes she just cuts the strips and kind of slops them together for a random look.)    Brush with egg.  Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 25 minutes.

**For your frozen loaf:  Make sure you begin thawing it first thing in the morning!