Spicy Cheese Bread

What is Spicy Cheese Bread?

This bread is a delicious blend of fresh jalapenos and extra sharp cheese all together in a fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside loaf that could not be easier.

What are the ingredients in Spicy Cheese Bread?

• Bread flour.  This is ideal to give the loaf the desired rise that will make your loaf come out perfectly.
• Kosher salt
• Extra sharp cheddar cheese, both cubed and shredded
  • You will want to use cubed cheese, NOT shredded for the cheese that is blended into the loaf.  This will give you the delicious cheese pockets throughout the loaf.  If you only have shredded cheese, you can still use that in the loaf, it will just yield a different final result.
  • For the topping, you will want shredded cheese as it will distribute and melt more evenly than the cubed cheese atop the loaf.
• 2-3 large jalapenos, both diced and sliced.
  • Use one or two of the jalapenos, diced and seeded, to blend into the loaf.  Again, you could use sliced, but the diced will provide a more even distribution of heat throughout the loaf and a better final presentation.
  • For the outside of the loaf, I prefer the look of the slices of jalapeno; however, diced would work fine here as well if that was your preference.
• Warm water
• Instant yeast

How to make Spicy Cheese Bread?

• Begin by proofing the yeast in the warm water.
• Add in the bread flour, cubed cheddar, salt and diced jalapeno.  Stir together until well combined.  Knead 8-10 times.  Cover, not air-tight, an allow to rise for an hour.
• After an hour, knead another 8-10 times.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Shape the dough into a loaf and allow to rise on the prepared baking sheet while the oven pre-heats to 450.
• Sprinkle the top of the dough with the shredded cheese and the jalapeno slices, lightly pressing all to adhere.  
• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the center is fully set (check with a wooden skewer).
• Allow to cool before slicing.

Ways to serve Spicy Cheese Bread?

• Use as a side dish for a soup, try this Instant Pot Minestrone or this Alphabet Vegetable Soup
• Make it into a grilled cheese.  Add some cream cheese or mozzarella and some bacon strips for a Jalapeno Popper grilled cheese.
• Have it on its own as a snack.
• Serve with a spicy chili.

How to make the bread less spicy?

To reduce the heat, you can reduce the total amount of jalapenos.  You can also check the “heat” of the particular jalapenos you are using before adding them to the bread.  You could substitute a milder pepper such as a green chile, banana pepper or wax pepper.

Ways to mix up the Spicy Cheese Bread?

• Cheese:  consider using Pepper Jack cheese for a similar, but different taste.  You could also use a less “sharp” form of cheddar
• Add more ingredients:
  • Some cooked, crumbled bacon would be a great addition to this loaf
  • Adding small cubes of Neufchatel cheese stirred in alongside the cheddar cubes would give the dish more of a traditional jalapeno popper feel.

Jalapeno Cheddar Bread

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Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 3 ½ cups bread flour
• 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 8 oz block extra sharp cheddar cheese diced
• 2-3 large jalapenos one or two seeded & diced, the other sliced
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 .25 oz packet instant dry yeast
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

 

• Add the water to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with the yeast and allow to sit for a few minutes until the yeast begins to bloom.
• Stir in the flour, salt, cubed cheddar and diced jalapeno. Stir together using large spoon until the mixture is fully combined and no flour remains.
• Knead the dough 8-10 times.
• Cover with a towel and allow to rise for 1 hour.
• After an hour, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Knead the dough another 8-10 times. Form into a round loaf and place on the prepared baking sheet. Allow the dough to rest while your oven preheats to 450 degrees.
• Sprinkle the dough with the shredded cheddar and press some of the jalapeno slices into the top of the loaf.
• Bake for 25-35 minutes until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
• Allow to cool before slicing.