Delicious homemade buttermilk cheese bread, with added jalapeños. Flavoured with buttermilk and semolina, this bread is a perfect side for soups or chilli. Makes a killer grilled cheese, too!
I was recently craving a great Jalapeno Cheese bread to have with a big pot of chilli and this loaf was born. The loaf contains a bit of semolina flour, for great flavour and buttermilk, for a bit of tang.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Buttermilk – real buttermilk is recommended, but in a pinch you can make your own buttermilk by souring 1 cup of regular milk with a Tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar.
Cheese – an old or sharp yellow cheddar will give the best flavour to this bread.
Semolina – I loved the addition of semolina flour to this bread. It added great flavour! You’ll usually find semolina flour in with the cornmeal at the grocery store. If you can’t find semolina, try using the finest ground cornmeal you have or can find.
Jalapeños – I used fresh, diced jalapeños here, but you could also use jarred, pickled jalapeños.
Cook’s Notes
When mixing the bread, add only as much flour as is needed to make a smooth, moist dough. You may need a bit less that stated, or maybe a bit more. Just add what you need to.
Rising times are always approximate and will vary from kitchen to kitchen. Let the dough rise until doubled, no matter how long it takes.
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Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup finely diced jalapenos, ribs and seeds removed
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast
- 1/4 cup warm water, 110 F.
- 1 cup buttermilk, well shaken and at room temperature
- 3 Tablespoons butter, melted then cooled to room temperature
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups semolina flour, or fine cornmeal, plus a bit more more to scatter in pan
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt, a bit less if you've used salted butter
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese, plus a bit more for top, if desired
Instructions
- Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add jalapeno and cook, stirring until just softened, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- In a large bowl of the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a kneading hook, combine the yeast and water. Stir and allow to stand 5 minutes. Add the buttermilk, the 3 Tbsp. melted and cooled butter and the egg and mix well.
- Add 2 cups of the all-purpose flour, the semolina (cornmeal), sugar and salt. Mix to combine. Begin adding addition all-purpose flour in small increments, until you have a smooth, moist (but not sticky) dough. Remove to the dough to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and sprinkle with a bit of semolina flour or fine cornmeal. Set aside.
- Remove the dough to flour work surface.Knead the grated cheese and jalapeño into the dough. Form in to a rough 9x5-inch rectangle and place into the prepared pan.
- Cover loaf with greased plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. (regular bake setting/not fan assisted). Remove plastic wrap. Sprinkle top with additional grated cheese, if desired. Bake in preheated oven until the top is deep golden and the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 1 hour. ***Check at the 45 minute point of cooking and cover loosely with aluminum foil if it is dark enough already. Cool bread in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool on a cooling rack.
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Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
I am making it now!!!?
Enjoy :)
Hi there, this bread looks amazing, what would I use if I don’t have any semolina flour? Would you just use more flour?? Thanks xx
Hi Caroline, You could just use more flour, but that said, the semolina is kind of important to the texture and taste of this particular bread. If you can’t find semolina, you could run regular cornmeal through a food processor and use that instead of the semolina.
Thank you so much, hope you have a great day xxxx
Thanks Caroline :)
I love that jalapeño-cheese swirl. This bread is carb heaven!
Thanks Laura and yes, I’m a sucker for the swirl, too :)
anyway you slice it (or bake it) I’m in! This needs to happen with big bowl of chili.
Thanks Cathy and yes, it’s absolutely perfect with chili!!
It’s like this recipe is my spirit animal. Or spirit recipe. Whatever it is, I’m obsessed! Bread and cheese and spicy things… I am ALL over this!
Thanks Karly and I’m the same way. Doesn’t get much better :)
Wow, I’ll have a grilled ham and cheese please! This bread sounds amazing and I love your version. It looks so pretty. Either way, I know the aroma must be amazing as it bakes! Pinning for a baking day :)
Thanks Chris. They were both delicious, for sure!
My husband would flip for this bread. I love both loaves so it doesn’t matter to me. The grilled cheese sounds pretty outstanding as well. I love it when you bake!
Thanks Tricia. It’s wonderful cheese bread therapy ;)
You’re right Jennifer, this would make an awesome grilled cheese!!
It does, Mary Ann (I can vouch for that! :)
Ohhhh, grilled cheese with this bread would be the best! I’m on a bacon kick these days so I’d have to find a way to include that too, lol.
Your bread making skills amaze me, Jennifer. Two loaves of this fabulous bread! I’d consider it a lifetime achievement if I made one, haha!
Always such a pleasure to visit your latest creations.
Hope you’re out enjoying this beautiful weekend!
Thanks Robyn and yes, this November weather is a little gift, isn’t it? :)
I need this and then I need a grilled cheese with this like you mentioned. Love the semolina flour in there!! So delicious.
Thanks Katrina and yes, definitely recommend this lovely bread. The semolina adds great flavour!