Cheddar Jalapeño Monkey Bread
Yeast has been calling screaming out to me for weeks now. Between the rush of the holidays and the ruthlessness of the flu bug, I just haven’t had the time to rear a yeasted dough through its required stages. Breads cannot be rushed. Yesterday, as I rose to greet the early morning hours, I knew I had finally captured a window of time in which to nurture a risen bread to completion. The weather has been more than chilly in these parts and the first order of business was to warm the house. The fireplace was lit and the furnace clicked on. Yeasted dough does not take kindly to a frigid environment.
I have written before of the love I have for baking in the early hours of weekend mornings, when H and J are snoozing away in their nearby bedrooms and the solitude of the kitchen belongs to me alone. No TV, no music, just the quietness of the day before it erupts into the necessary noise of productivity. Yesterday was that kind of morning. I knew it was the perfect time to put my hands into flour, water, and yeast and bring up a billowy mound of fermented goodness.
I found this recipe among some clippings I have been hanging onto for years, and although I have a laundry list as long as my arm of recipes I am dying to make from all the wonderful cookbooks I was gifted with during the holidays, I am also committed to revisiting the stacks and files of torn pages I have collected for years. This bread is actually a melding together of two such recipes – hence, I can now remove two bread recipe clippings from my “must try” folder. However, this combined version of the two will definitely find a place in my permanent files and I will most certainly be making it again.
Just a note on pan size. I love using pieces from my collection of vintage bakeware. I was determined to use the pan you see in the photos but it was actually too small for the amount of dough I had. A few balls of dough spilled over the edge of the pan and onto the baking sheet. No great loss since I was able to snatch them from the oven early and sink my teeth into cheesy goodness before the larger pan of bread was finished baking. The dimension of the pan stated in the recipe below is the correct size.
This monkey bread cries out for a group of eager hands pulling it apart one cheesy bubble at a time. Plan on making it for your next dinner party. I guarantee you your guests will remember it long after they have gone home.
Cheddar Jalapeño Monkey Bread
2 cups whole milk
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus enough for pan
5 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons instant (fast-rise) yeast (one 7-gram packet)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese – divided (I used white cheddar but yellow will also work)
5 tablespoons chopped fresh jalapeño (Approximately 3 medium jalapeños) *
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
* The heat of jalapeños is primarily found in the ribs and seeds of the pepper. Use as much or as little as you prefer. I used the ribs and seeds from 2 of the peppers and it was perfect for my taste.
Butter the bottom, sides, and center tube of a 9 1/2- or 10-inch-diameter tube pan with at least 4-inch sides. Line the bottom with parchment and butter the paper. If the tube pan does not have a fixed bottom, wrap aluminum foil around the bottom of the pan to catch any drips.
In a saucepan, heat milk and butter over medium heat until the mixture is very warm (about 130˚F) and butter melts.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer on low speed, mix together 2 cups flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Mix in hot milk mixture to combine smoothly. Beat for 2 minutes. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let rest 10 minutes.
Add eggs and beat on low speed to combine them. Add remaining flour and continue mixing 5 minutes. Dough will be soft and begin to come away from sides of bowl. Add the chopped jalapeños and 1 1/2 cups of the grated cheese. Continue to mix until the peppers and cheese are incorporated evenly throughout the dough. Put dough in a buttered bowl, turning over to coat both sides with butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes.
Put melted butter in a small bowl. Press air out of the dough. Using about 2 tablespoons of dough for each, form into 1 1/2-inch balls. Dip dough balls in melted butter. Arrange about 15 balls of dough about 1/4 inch apart in the bottom of the pan, staggering to evenly fill bottom of pan. Sprinkle the dough with 1/3 cup of grated cheese. Continue filling pan with a second layer, about 16 to 18 balls of dough. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of grated cheese. Arrange remaining balls of dough over the top in center of dough. Sprinkle on the remaining 1/3 cup of cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350˚F while dough rises.
Bake until the top is browned and feels firm, about 45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Use a sharp knife to loosen bread from sides and center tube of pan, turn out onto wire rack, and remove paper liner. Serve bread warm or at room temperature.
Source: Adapted from Real Food-Spring 2011
This is a Monkey Bread that I can really go Ape over.
It is your sense of humor that I am most in love with. XX
Looks so good Mary! I love the combo of the cheese and jalapeños. I used to love to bake bread. Something so satisfying about it, waiting for it to rise. But since we are on a wheat-free trial right now, not doing any baking. Anyway, sure looks delish!
Thanks Sally! Curious about how the wheat-free trial turns out. Let me know.
OMG mary I want this right now! Although I can’t do spicy. Would it be good without the peppers or with mild peppers like those canned chilies we use in quiches ?
The mild canned peppers would work just fine. Drain them very well. I think if you use fresh jalapeños but without any ribs or seeds it would give you better flavor and very little heat. Even the amount of ribs and seeds I used did not make for a “hot” bread.
Wow, what a beautiful recipe! I love that it’s a “savory” monkey bread. Very different than the cinnamon and brown sugar version that I’m used to.
I also LOVE that spreader and the message that’s on it. Will plan to bring this to the next dinner party. 🙂
[K]
Thanks Kim! I love the spreader too. It was a birthday gift from a very dear friend.
My mouth is watering!!!
Indescribably delicious! This is butter (yum) and bread (yum) and heat from Jalapenos (phew!) and this combination is absolutely perfect.
Plus there’s the great fun of pulling apart bite size pieces….
Make a butter lettuce salad and this bread and that have fun!