Pepperjack Cheese Bread

Hi fellow foodies! It was my birthday on Saturday and I started the day off with one of my favorite things to do: baking! I decided to make some Pepperjack Cheese Bread because I love the way it smells as it bakes.

I started off early and bloomed the yeast and kneaded the dough. I left it to rise for the first rise and went to the Farmer’s Market. The weather was amazing and the vendors had an amazing assortment of things to look at. I ended up buying some pecans, avocado oil, locally sourced honey, and some dog rope bones. It was a successful haul!

I would have purchased some fresh veggies but I had tickets to see the movie, Venom. It’s still warm in Texas so I had to be careful what I left in the car. The movie was a lot of fun, very campy! If you go see it; make sure that you stay through the credits to see the bonus footage at the end.

My birthday was starting off great so I decided to head home and check on my bread. I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived home because my sweet kids had baked a beautiful birthday cake for me. It was so lovely!

The cake was so wonderful that I almost forgot about my bread! I ended up shaping the dough into two loaves and brushing on on melted butter with onion flavoring. It needed a second rise which took an hour and then I let it bake for 40 minutes. It smelled amazing!

We cut into it and slathered it with butter. As it melted, we passed around freshly baked slices and everyone got a piece. It was delightful! Each bite was so flavorful and soft with a bit of a crusty edge. I’m so glad that this recipe made two loaves!

I hope you are a having a great weekend! If you get a chance, try out this bread; it’s delicious!

😄Jennifer

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons active yeast

1/4 cup warm water (about 110 degrees Fahrenheit)

2 cups warm milk (about 110 degrees Fahrenheit)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons salt

5 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup melted salted butter

2 teaspoons onion powder

Directions:

1. In the bowl of stand mixer, add yeast, water, milk, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes so that the yeast can bloom.

2. Add cheese, oil, salt, and 2 cups of flour. Mix on low until incorporated. While mixing, add remaining 3 1/2 cups of flour. Keep mixing until dough pulls away from sides.

3. Place dough on a floured surface and knead for 6-8 minutes. Bring the outsides to the center and press down with your fist.

4. Place dough in a large bowl that has a bit of oil rubbed on the sides (olive oil, vegetable oil, non-stock cooking spray). Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm place (80-85 degrees Fahrenheit) for 2-3 hours. Dough should double in size during this time.

5. Punch down dough and place on a floured surface.

6. Divide dough and shape into two loaves.

7. Place dough into two loaf pans. In a small bowl, combine melted butter and onion powder. Brush on tops of loaves. Allow to rise again for 1 hour in a warm place.

8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake in the middle of the oven for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve and enjoy!