This recipe is not so new, basically a repeat post, but I had to share it again with only slight change from the first Jalapeño Bread. Really there are only two differences from this time to the last. First is the cheese; this time we used swiss instead of cheddar. And second is that this time we were able to use a stand mixer which totally made a difference in effort ;) So so so much easier! Barely any effort at all when you don’t have to put your back into it. Regardless, the bread was delicious as expected… hopefully you’ll catch a glimpse of inspiration to make your own.
This bread recipe is adapted from one of our favorite bread recipes:
Jalapeño Cheddar Bread
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon active dry yeast (less than a ¼-ounce package)
1 ¾ cups plus 1 tablespoon warm water (105-115°F)
4 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
1 ½ teaspoons salt
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh jalapeño, including seeds and ribs, plus 2 tablespoons
chopped fresh jalapeño, without seeds and ribs (from 3 medium total)
5 ounces coarsely grated swiss cheese (1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons)
1 ½ ounces finely grated parmesan (¾ cup)
1 large egg, beaten with a pinch of salt
* Special equipment: a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment (we used the bread hook attachment – we’re new to the whole stand mixer set up)
Prepare jalapeños, shred and measure out cheeses.
Combine yeast and 1 tablespoon of warm water in a small bowl. Allow it to stand and work for about 5 minutes.
Add flour, salt, oil, yeast, and the other 1 ¾ cup warm water in your mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until a soft dough forms and increase speed to medium high for another 3 minutes.
Add jalapeños, 1½ cups of shredded swiss cheese, and ½ cup grated parmesan. Mix until well incorporated. This is the part where your arms thank you for having a stand mixer! A good old wooden spoon and metal bowl works too.
Scrape dough down to the center to form somewhat of a ball (I broke my spatula here! and now we have half a spatula that we still use;). Lightly sprinkle with flour and cover with a clean linen towel to help it stay moist. Set bowl in a warm and draft-free area and allow to rise for about 2-2½ hours or until doubled in size.
Turn the sticky dough out onto a well-floured surface. With floured hands form into a rectangle about 8 x 11 inches. Fold in thirds like a letter, pressing along the seam of each fold to seal.
Butter a 9×5 loaf pan. Place dough in in seam side down. Cover with same kitchen towel and let it rise again until dough rises above the pan, 1-1¼ hours.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
Brush loaf with egg and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of swiss and ¼ cup parmesan down center of loaf.
Bake for 50 minutes to an hour or until golden. Loosen loaf from the pan with a butter knife if necessary and remove it from the pan. The original recipe suggests to return the loaf to the oven for an additional 10 minutes with out the pan to crisp up the crust. I’ve done it with and with out that step and liked it either way. If you are unsure if it is cooked enough, this step will reassure you.
Place on a cooling rack and allow it to sit for about 1-1½ hours. This might be that hardest past of the whole process – it smells so good, you’ll want to dig in immediately!