Jalapeño and Cheddar Bread

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A spicy and cheesy bread made from scratch. Few things can beat this Jalapeño and Cheddar Bread when it comes to flavor and ease of making!

The smell of fresh bread baking in my oven is probably one the few smells I like! And slicing a warm bread slice, smothering it with butter and enjoying the slice with freshly made tea is my favorite snack. These two reasons put together, I LOVE to bake my own bread.

In the past I have baked a lot of loaves with a lot of add-ins. For the longest time I have been thinking of baking a Jalapeño and Cheddar Bread. However, I have putting it off and baking something else instead. 

Recently on my trip to Walmart I spotted a can of LA MORENA® Sliced Jalapeños staring me in the eye. It is present in the Hispanic food aisle there. I was there to buy a few ingredients for Mexican night and bought myself a can of Jalapeño.

On returning home I opened the can and saw how fresh and wonderful the jalapeño looked. I wasted no time and was all set to bake myself a wonderful loaf of jalapeño cheddar bread, given that I had the cheese in the refrigerator already!

You know why it was so instant? Apart from the fact that I was craving for the bread, it was because the recipe needs such simple ingredients, every pantry will have it! And now that I like the sliced jalapeños from LA MORENA®, I will always have them in my pantry. With that, I can make delicious recipes without having to step out from home. LA MORENA® peppers are trusted, high quality, ingredients you can depend on to create delicious meatless, seafood or vegetarian meals that bring your friends and family together during lent season

Coming to the bread, the recipe is pretty straight forward. I started with the basic white bread recipe of flour, butter and yeast. To that I added some yummy jalapeño and Cheddar cheese. Just these two ingredients take the bread to the next level!

The jalapeño gives the bread the required moistness and spice. And the mild cheddar gives the bread the required flavor. Together, the combination is a sure winner! And the best part? The best is the slightly charred bits of jalapeño and the golden brown cheese on top. Together, they make such a lovely crust on the bread that is super tasty.

The day I baked this loaf I had a couple of slices with a cup of tea while clicking the pictures. I let it rest a couple of hours and believe me, the flavors intensified! The jalapeño and cheese mixed well with the dough and the bread was EVEN MORE flavorful! So, that night we had some basil and tomato sandwiches, using the freshly made bread. 

As the bread has so much flavoring in itself, there is little requirement of many fillings. Just place some sprouts or vegetables between two slices for a perfect sandwich. If you are a cheese lover, just place some cheese on it and grill the bread. The result will be a perfect slice of grilled cheese. Want more ideas? Cut the bread to small pieces and bake it till golden brown. The result you ask? Amazing cheddar jalapeño croutons for your soups and salads. 

If you notice the can in the pictures, it is a BIG can of jalapeños right? The ones in it were so fresh and flavorful that we finished it already! Given that I got the can last week, it sounds like a feat right? Well, it was pretty simple. I used them in this bread, in a couple of Mexican dishes and I crushed the rest with garlic to make a wonderful pasta sauce. Want more options to make from LA MORENA® Sliced Jalapeños? Check them out here. Don't forget to get yours from Walmart right away! 

Ingredients

All Purpose Flour 3 cups

Unsalted Butter 3 tablespoon room temperature

Sugar 1 tsp

Dry Active yeast 1 sachet (2 ¼ tsp)

Salt 2 tsp
LA MORENA® Sliced Jalapeños 1 cup minced

Mild Cheddar Cheese 1 cup shredded

Dried Oregano 1 tsp

Method

In a bowl heat 1 cup water. When just warm, add the sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and the yeast. Let the yeast bloom for 10 minutes. 

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer add the flour, remaining salt, dried oregano and unsalted butter. Mix everything and add in the yeast mixture. Knead for a few minutes till it comes together.

Add ¾ cup cheese and ¾ cup jalapeno to the dough. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes till it is soft and smooth.

Coat the dough with some oil or butter and place it in a bowl. Cover it and rest in a warm area for an hour till it doubles in size. Line a bread pan with parchment paper or with non stick spray. Set aside. 

After the dough doubles, punch it down and knead for a minute or two. Roll out the dough into a rectangle 1 inch thick. 

Start rolling the dough along the long side in a tight loaf. Place the loaf in the prepared tin. Sprinkle remaining cheese and jalapeno on it and let it rest covered for an hour.

Preheat oven to 400 F/ 250 C. Place the risen bread and bake for 15-17 minutes, till it is no longer wobbly and the top is brown and crisp. 

Remove and cool completely on a cooling rack. Slice the bread and enjoy with a side of butter or a dip of your choice.