Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese Bread

I love bread. Scratch that, I love carbs. I am definitely not one of those girls that could ever go on a "no carb" diet. The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. And I do. A BIG one. When I just happened to stumble across this recipe I couldn't stop thinking about it. As soon as I told Evan about it he was on board and begging me to make it. This bread was great, easy, and delicious just like all quick breads should be. It is very similar to cornbread and is delicious with a big bowl full of chili!

Recipe adapted from Pink Parsley:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces (1 cup) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 3 Tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno, veined and seeded (If you use pickled jalapenos make sure you rinse them well.)

Preheat the oven to 375, and spray an 8x3 inch loaf pan.

Sift together the flour, salt, pepper, sugar, and baking powder in a medium bowl.  Add the cheese and gently toss and stir until it is evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

Whisk the milk, oil, egg, and jalapeno, in another bowl. Pour the milk mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture.  Gently mix with a spatula, only until the dry ingredients are just incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and place in the oven.  Bake until the top is golden-brown, and springs back when touched in the center, about 45-50 minutes.  Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan and cool completely. 

Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese Sandwich Bread

This second recipe for Jalapeno Cheddar Bread is more of a sandwich bread and is perfect for making a delicious tomato sandwich. I used to eat these all the time, and I'll never make them again unless it is on this jalapeno cheddar bread! This one is a bit more time consuming, but totally worth it.

As far as the recipe goes, it is a pretty straight forward bread recipe.  I've never really baked bread before, but I suppose there is a first time for everything! The steps are pretty standard: mix, knead, rise, shape, proof, bake.  

Recipe adapted from Pink Parsley:

• 3 3/4 cups (18 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup cold buttermilk**
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 Tablespoons honey
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 2-3 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, diced (If you use pickled jalapenos make sure you rinse them well.)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Adjust one oven rack to the lowest position, and another to the middle position.  Heat the oven to 200 degrees.  When it is preheated, maintain the temperature for 10 minutes, then turn off the oven.

Toss the jalapeno and cheddar with 1 Tablespoon of flour in a small bowl.

Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan.  Remove from heat and add the cold buttermilk and stir to combine. 

**If you don't have buttermilk on hand (which I never do) you can make your own. Pour 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to one cup. Let it sit for about 5 minutes and use as needed.

Mix 3 1/2 cups of the flour and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.  Add the buttermilk/water mixture, butter, honey, and yeast to a liquid measuring cup.  Turn the mixer on low, and add the liquid in a slow stream, increasing the speed of the mixer as you go to medium.  Continue mixing until the dough is smooth and satiny, stopping to scrape the dough from the hook as needed.  After about 2-3 minutes add the jalapeno-cheese mixture, and continue to knead about 10 minutes total, adding flour 1 Tablespoon at a time, as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the sides of the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead to form a smooth ball, about 15 seconds.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, rubbing the dough around the bowl to coat with the oil.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place the bowl in the oven until the dough doubles in size, 50-60 minutes.

Turn out onto the floured surface and gently press the dough into a rectangle that is 1 inch thick and 9 inches long.  With the long side facing you, roll the dough firmly into a cylinder, pressing with your fingers as you roll to make sure the dough sticks to itself.  Turn the dough seam-side up and pinch it closed.

Place the dough seam-side down in a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan, and press it gently to make sure it touches all four sides of the pan.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm spot until the dough almost doubles in size, 20-30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place an empty baking pan on the lowest rack of the oven.  Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and pour  into the empty pan.  Set the loaf onto the middle rack, and bake until golden brown, about 40-50 minutes.

Remove the bread from the pan and cool to room temperature on a wire rack.  Slice and serve!