Zesty Cheddar Bread

 Zesty Cheddar Bread

    This recipe comes to us from Betty Crocker's The Big Book of Bread, printed in 2013. I love this recipe and have made it with both chipotle peppers as called for in the recipe and with diced green chilis.  You can change it up a bit, by adding more chipotle or using a different cheese. I like using a monterrey jack cheese. This bread is so good hot and with butter.  Try adding diced Italian flavored tomato and Italian seasonings instead of the chipotle or green chilis. I've toasted and buttered slices and added a generous sprinkle of parmesan, because you can't have too much cheese. However you decide to make it, I'm sure you will love it. My adaptations are in blue.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Buttermilk

1/3 Cup Butter, melted and cooled (1/3 Cup Unsalted Butter)

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 Tablespoons finely chopped chipotle chilis in adobo sauce (2 Tablespoons diced green chilis)

2 Eggs

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 Cup Shredded Cheddar (4oz) (1 Cup Monterrey Jack Cheese)

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees and grease just the bottom of an 8x4 or 9x5 inch loaf pan. You can use shortening or cooking spray. Mix together the buttermilk, butter, eggs, sugar and chilis. Mix until well combined and add the rest of your ingredients. Pop this baby in the oven and bake an 8-inch pan for 45 to 55 minutes and a 9-inch pan for 40 to 50 minutes. Your bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool your bread in the pan, on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes (I brushed around some butter on top of my loaf). Run a knife around the loaf in the pan to loosen the bread from the sides and remove from the pan, setting it top side up. 

Zesty Cheddar Bread

    If you try this, let me know what you think.