Jalapeno Cheddar Bread

Back in upstate New York where I grew up, there is a bakery that harbors many happy childhood memories. Rock Hill Bakery made the most amazing breads: from a simple peasant loaf to a hearty raisin bread that would have Pavlov himself salivating (forget the dogs)! I can recall stopping by their storefront in Hudson Falls to pick up crusty delights on our way home from a day of errands and piano lessons in the “big city.” I would cross my little fingers in hopes that the nice man who always slipped me a sourdough roll would be behind the counter when we arrived.

One of our favorite selections at Rock Hill was the Jalapeno Cheddar loaf. Its savory melt-in-your-mouth magic transformed breakfasts at the Dougherty household. So, when my husband and I got married this past April and were gifted a (gorgeous, purple) Lodge enamel dutch oven and a recipe for “crusty bread,” my heart skipped a beat when I immediately recognized it’s jalapeno potential.

The basic recipe is as follows:

Ingredients

3 C flour
1 3/4 t salt
1/2 t yeast
1 1/2 C water

Combine ingredients and let set until dough has doubled in size– 12-18 hours recommended, overnight works well. I find that as long as I set the bowl in a warm place (in front of the kitchen window on a sunny day in my case) a couple hours does just fine. Place an empty, covered dutch oven in the oven at 450 for 30 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven, lightly grease with olive oil, and drop in the dough (as relatively loaf shaped as possible,) replace lid, and bake. After 30 minutes, remove lid and return to oven for another 15 minutes. I recommend letting the bread cool in the pot before attempting to remove it.

The great thing about this recipe is it’s an empty canvas for whatever sort of creation you come up with! One recommended variation adds: 3/4 C cranberries, 1/2 C sliced almonds and the zest of one orange. (This is delicious, by the way.) My personal favorite variation (so far!) adds: 1 4 oz can chopped jalapenos, 2/3 can corn, and 1- 1 1/4 C grated cheddar cheese.Delicious fresh, or toasted with butter.