Jalapeno Cheese Bread And Rustic Bread Stick (revised)

1. Sprinkle the dry yeast or crumble the fresh yeast and sugar Over 1/2
cup
of the lukewarm water in a cup or small bowl. Leave it for 10 minutes, then
stir to dissolve the yeast. Add the remaining water and oil.

2. Sift the flours together into a large mixing bowl. Set aside 2 cups of
the
mixture. Add the salt to the remaining mixture and make a well in center.
Pour the yeast mixture into the well, add the chopped chiles, and mix
briefly.

3. Gradually stir in the reserved flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the
dough
loses its stickiness and can be kneaded easily. Knead the dough thoroughly
on
a floured surface until it is smooth and elastic, flouring the surface
occasionally if the dough sticks to it. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl
and turn it over to oil its entire surface. Cover with a damp cloth and
let it
rise in a warm place for about 1-1/2 hours or until doubled in volume.
Punch
down the dough and let it rest, about 5 minutes, covered with a cloth.
(This
allows the dough to regain its elasticity.)

4. Knead the dough again on a lightly floured surface. Knead in the cheese
by
sprinkling it on the bread all at once and kneading until distributed.

5. Grease two 9- by 5-inch loaf pans. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts
and
on the floured surface roll out each part to a smooth, cylindrical loaf
about
9 inches long. Put the loaves in the pans seam side down, slash the top
lightly 3 times with a serrated knife, cover with a damp cloth, and let
rise
in a warm place for about 1 hour or until nearly doubled in volume.

6. For the egg glaze, whisk the egg and water together until slightly
foamy.
Brush the loaves with the egg glaze. Sprinkle lightly with cornmeal.
Preheat
the oven to 375F.

7. Bake the loaves for about 15 minutes or until they begin to brown.
Reduce
the temperature to 350F and continue baking for another 45 minutes or until
the bread sounds hollow when tapped. Let the loaves cool on a rack. Serve
lukewarm or at room temperature.

ADVANCE Preparation: This bread is best on the day it is baked. NOTE: If
you’re using a food processor to knead the dough, add the chiles and
cheese by
hand so that the pieces stay intact.

NOTES : WHETHER YOU BAKE this in a loaf or make the rustic bread sticks,
you’ll enjoy this spicy but not overpowering California-style bread. The
spiciness of the bread can be altered by increasing or reducing the number
of
jalapeno chiles. This bread goes nicely with frittata or scrambled eggs.

Scanned and formated by Brenda Adams ,adamsfmle@aol.com