Jalapeño Cheddar Quick Bread Recipe for Savory Sandwiches

• 4 cups all-purpose flour (about 1 lb 1 oz)
• 2 cups semolina flour (about 11 1/2 oz)
• 3 teaspoons SAF or instant yeast
• 3 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups lukewarm water (16 oz)
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 8 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
• 3 small to medium fresh jalapenos, sliced into 1/8-inch rounds

To Mix Dough By Hand:

• Combine all ingredients except the Cheddar and jalapenos in a large bowl. Stir with a sturdy spoon until a shaggy, cohesive dough forms. Cover and let rest 30 minutes. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a clean bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled, about 2 hours.

To Mix Dough By Stand Mixer:

• Add all ingredients except the toppings to the mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low until a shiny, elastic dough forms. Remove the bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

To Mix Dough By Bread Machine:

• Place all ingredients except the toppings into the bread machine pan with the dough paddle. Select the dough cycle and start. When the cycle completes, proceed to shaping.

To Shape and Bake the Dough:

• Lightly spray two standard loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• Turn the risen dough onto a clean surface and form into a neat mass. Divide in half, then divide each half into three pieces. Cover the three pieces you’re not working with.
• Pat one piece into a rough oval. Press an indentation lengthwise with the side of your hand, fold the dough along that indentation, and roll into a rope about 12–14 inches long. Repeat so you have three ropes of equal length. Arrange them parallel with the ends facing you. Sprinkle about one-third of the grated Cheddar and half the jalapeno slices over the ropes.
• Braid the ropes: lift the far-left rope over the adjacent rope to the center, then lift the far-right rope over the new center rope. Continue alternating left and right over the center, tucking in cheese and jalapeno slices as needed, until the ends are too short. Pinch the ends together and tuck them under the braid.
• Place the braided loaf into a prepared loaf pan. Repeat with the remaining dough. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of each loaf.
• Cover the loaves lightly and let rise in a warm place until puffy and about doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Bake 25–30 minutes, or until the tops are golden to deep brown and the loaves feel firm. Remove from oven, let rest in the pans 3 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.