I am thankful for Jalapeno Cheese Bread.

I had a lady request for me to make Jalapeno and Cheese bread.  I found a recipe online and tweaked it until I liked the results.  She loved it and I started selling these for $6.50 a loaf or two for $12.  And even though I LOVE to bake, and I LOVE that people love what I bake, and I LOVE to make money, it takes time away from my family and it's making me fat!

We have eaten this bread in chunks, slices, as pieces of toast.  We've made toasted egg sandwiches with it.  And today we made it with large pieces of garlic throughout as an add-in.  YUM!

So, I'm ready to share the recipe with you all!  And I'd love to hear your opinion on it if you try it!

Ingredients:

3 cups very warm water
1 1/2 tbsp. yeast
1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. salt
7 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped or sliced fresh jalapenos (I remove the seeds.)
2 cups cubed colby jack or pepper jack or medium cheddar cheese (1/2 inch cubes)

1.  Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

2.  Add jalapenos, cheese, and water to flour mixture and mix only for one minute until it's all integrated.  DO NOT KNEAD!  The dough will be quite wet and sticky. 

3.  Cover bowl with clean tea towel or plastic wrap sprayed with non-stick spray and let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours at room temperature.

4.  Dump out the dough onto a floured board and let it rest 10 minutes.

5.  Divide into 2 pieces for large loaf pans 9x5 size (like Pampered Chef stoneware loaf pan).  Or divide into 3 pieces for smaller 8x4" loaves.

6.  Spray loaf pans with non-stick spray and plop the dough into it.  It will still be VERY sticky-- that's how it's supposed to be.  Do not flour it to death.  

7.  Let rise covered for 30 minutes before baking in a 450 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.  For dark or non-stick pans bake at 425 degrees. 

8.  Remove from pans and cool on wire rack for 20 minutes before cutting.

Now, if you want to have an artisan type loaf follow these directions after step 4.
1.  After resting 10 minutes, divide dough into 2 or 3 pieces (depending on size you prefer), and put in a heavily floured tea towel to rise until double in size. 

2.  While bread is rising in tea towel, place an oven proof pot that has an oven proof lid into the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.  I recommend cast iron.

3.  Being careful not to burn yourself on the pot, take it out of the oven and plop your dough down into it.  Don't worry if it looks strange. 

4.  Put lid back on pot and return to oven for 30 minutes. 

5.  Remove from pans and cool on wire rack for 20 minutes before cutting.

NOTE:  Be careful when handling fresh jalapenos.  I recommend using gloves while cutting and removing seeds.  Your hands may not notice the heat -- but your mouth will later if you touch it, or your eye, or your teething baby...