Jalapeno-Cheddar Bread

If you happened to stop by my house anytime during January-March, you would have most likely been offered a slice of my jalapeno-cheddar bread. A customer had requested it in December, and it was the first menu item of my short-lived home business, Melody Bakery. 

Doesn't it look delicious? :)

The tricky thing about this recipe is making sure you follow the directions exactly: something I have a lot of trouble with. 

• 1 1/2 tablespoons dry yeast

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1 cup warm water

• 4 cups flour (more as needed)

• 2 large jalapeno peppers, coarsely chopped, and seeds removed (can use more jalapeno if desired)

• *I prefer to use pickled jalapenos, only because they tend to hold their flavor better. 4 tbsp of chopped pickled jalapenos should do the trick.

• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 egg (room temperature, let egg sit in hot water for about 5-7 minutes to warm)

• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)

• 3/4 cup milk, warmed

• 2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese (chopped into about 1/2-inch cubes or a little larger if desired)

• *note on the cheddar cheese: my family really likes having bigger chunks of melted cheese in the bread. However, you can replace this with 2 1/2 cups of thickly grated cheese to get a more prominent cheese flavor throughout the entire loaf.

Place the flour, yeast and salt in the bowl of the food process. Pulse to mix. Add 1-1/3 cups of water and process until the dough comes together. If the dough doesn't form a ball, add a little of the extra water. Process for about 60 seconds, turn off machine and let dough rest for 5 minutes. Turn on the machine again and rotate the dough about 30 times under the cover, and then remove it to a lightly floured work surface. it should be fairly smooth and quite firm. Let the dough rest for 2 minutes and then knead roughly and vigorously. The final dough should not stick to your hands as you knead (although it will stick if you pinch and hold a piece); it should be smooth and elastic and, when you hold it up between your hands and stretch it down, it should hold together smoothly.

Preliminary rise - 40 to 60 minutes at around 75°F. Place the dough into a clean dry bowl, (do not grease the bowl), cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place free from drafts. (Note the French do not grease the bowl because they believe the dough needs a seat to push up from.) This first rise is sufficient when the dough has definitely started to rise and is about 1-1/2 times its original volume.

• Punch down dough and slice into two even pieces. Shape into two large balls, and place on greased cooking sheet. Cover with a clean tea towel and rise again for another 1 hour or more until doubled.

Brush tops with an egg white that has been mixed with 1 teaspoon cold water.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Immediately toss a number of ice cubes on to the bottom on the oven to create steam. Bake until bread is golden brown; this usually takes about 20 - 30 minutes.