Jalapeño Popper Sandwich Loaf
This tender but spicy loaf is a sandwich bread at its core: we literally took our classic white sandwich bread recipe and upscaled it for our Large Loaf Pan and added the fixings of a jalapeño popper. Namely, cream cheese that delivers a perfect crumb, cheddar studs for big yummy pockets of cheese, and jalapeño for heat. Our favorite use for this loaf? Grilled cheese, of course. But we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that this bread makes the perfect base for a BLT, mayo & tomato, or just a butter sammie.
Ingredients
1¼ cup water
¾ cup whole milk
2¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
5 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1¾ teaspoon salt
4 ounces cream cheese, softened and cubed
6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, diced
2-3 jalapeños, diced
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese, for top
Directions
- Mix water and milk together and heat to 105˚ F to 110˚ F. Add yeast packet and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, combine the bread flour, sugar and salt. Next, add the yeast mixture and softened cream cheese and mix well until the dough comes together. Add the diced cheese and jalapeños. Once a dough ball forms, knead the dough for 3 to 5 minutes on medium speed.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover and let proof for an hour or until doubled in size.
- Once the hour is up, punch down the dough and move it to a lightly oiled countertop. Shape the dough into a log, approximately 10 inches long.
- Place the log in a lightly greased large loaf pan, cover and let it rise for 30 - 45 minutes, depending on the warmth of your kitchen. Start preheating the oven to 350˚ F toward the end of the rise.
- Bake the bread for 60 to 65 minutes. 15 minutes before the bake is finished, remove the loaf and sprinkle shredded cheddar on top, then return to oven. Measure the interior temperature of the loaf with a digital thermometer. The bread is done when it registers between 190˚ and 200˚ F.
- Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes. Carefully remove bread from loaf pan and place on the rack to cool. And while it may be difficult to wait, let the loaf cool completely before slicing.
Pro tip
Want to convert this recipe to our standard Loaf Pan? Reduce by approximately 25% to get a smaller sized loaf that's still big on flavor (just multiply each quantity by .75 to get your new measurements). For example, instead of 5 cups of flour, use 4.