Jalapeno and Cheddar Cheese Bread

Photo features: Tomato soup in a Sourdough Bread Bowl at Boudin Bakery Cafe Pier 39, San Francisco

Today I was going through our San Francisco trip photos and I saw this Sourdough Bread photo taken at the Boudin Bakery Cafe at Pier 39 and I thought I should write about this bakery which happens to be one of the oldest and famous French bread bakeries of San Francisco. If you ever get a chance to eat a Sourdough bread don’t give it up, its worth it.

We went to San Francisco in winter of 2015 and although California is known for its nice weather somehow it got exceptionally cold. It was a cloudy and windy day when we decided to visit Pier 39 which is very popular for its shops, restaurants, arcades and street performances so lots of touristy things to do yay! It is also famous for the Sea Lions which have become a major tourist attraction so we joined the crowd to see them. 

The Sea Lions are considered highly intelligent animals and they can be used to teach tricks for entertainment. Obviously the crowd was expecting something like the Georgia Aquarium Dolphin show. However, after waiting patiently for about an hour we started wondering if they were going to do anything. Finally, we got tired and hungry and started looking for options. Pier 39 has some very good fish and chips places but Boudin’s bread café stands as an exception with hot soup and bread. 

A view of Pier 39, San Francisco

Sea Lions at Pier 39, San Francisco

Boudin at Pier 39 is a small café although they do have a big restaurant a few blocks away and in total 30 cafes all over California. As soon as we entered the café, we knew what we were going to order as everyone was eating Sourdough Bread and Soup. Their serving style is quite unique; the soups are served in a huge Sourdough Bread bowl. So, without any delay, we also ordered two soup bowls, I had a Tomato soup which was good but a little tart to my taste. Debarshi had a Clam Chowder soup which is their main attraction and he loved it. I only wish they can have some small and medium sized bread bowls as well. For us it was too much food so I suggest, if you can’t have an entire bowl by yourself, share it. 

Although I do not have the Sourdough Bread recipe, I do have another amazing recipe to share with you. It’s a Jalapeno and Cheddar Cheese Bread and tastes awesome. The spicy Jalapenos and creamy Cheddar when combined together creates a unique taste. This bread can be eaten with fruits for breakfast or roasted meat and soup for dinner. I have also prepared it on special occasions and parties and have got some serious compliments and requests for the recipe.

A view of Boudin Bakery Cafe Pier 39, San Francisco

I think the first time we had this bread was when Debarshi was getting his Doctorate. I had just learnt how to bake a Bread and was looking for more baking ideas. Debarshi used to be very busy with his Defense, but he still used to do little things to cheer me up. He started bringing me different types of Bread from the local bakery. We had this bread a couple of times and we liked it so much that I looked up the recipe and started baking it myself.

You know what they say, “Nothing says home like the smell of baking.” So give this a try today!

This photo was taken at our House Warming Party 2014, it features: Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese Bread, Sweet Potatoes with Red Bell Peppers, Pyaz Ke Pakore and Dhania Chutney

Ingredients:

• All-Purpose Flour – 1 and 1/3 cups
• Cheddar Cheese (medium) – 2/3 cup, shredded/ grated
• Jalapeño Peppers (Red and Green) - 2 Tablespoons (half of each), minced 
• White Sugar - 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon 
• Salt - ¼ teaspoon 
• Lukewarm Water – 1/3 cup 
• Active Dry Yeast - 0.5 tablespoon 
• Vegetable Oil - 2 teaspoons

Directions:

• In an oven safe dish, pour 1/3 cup lukewarm water (the water should not be too hot or cold just feel lukewarm on the inner side of your wrist), sprinkle in the Yeast and set aside until foamy. If the Yeast doesn’t get dissolved completely stir it a little with a wooden spoon.
• After 5 minutes add the Flour, Cheese, Jalapenos, Sugar, Salt and Oil and mix well with the Yeast water. 
• Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic to the touch, about 15 minutes, gradually adding only enough additional flour to keep dough from sticking.
• Set the oven temperature to Warm (or the lowest you can find on the temperature knob, example: 170 degrees Fahrenheit)
• Put the dish in oven and cover it. (The dough should feel warm and cozy inside). Switch off the oven.
• After 1 hour, take out the dough it should have doubled. 
• Again set the oven temperature to Warm (or lowest) and re-knead the dough. 
• Divide the Dough into 4 or 6 equal parts and roll each part into round or cylindrical shapes (use a board to roll easily) and arrange them 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet on a baking tray(s). 
• Put the baking tray(s) back in the oven and switch off the oven.
• Let the bread rise for 30-45 minutes until almost doubled. 
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 
• Bake until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. 
• Once baking is complete, transfer the hot breadsticks to a cooling rack.

If you are using a stand mixer to knead the dough:

• Use the hook.
• The directions I have written above can be used for the stand mixer as well. You may have to knead for some time more as it depends on the speed you are on. I use the lowest speed and knead till the dough is smooth to touch. I add extra flour whenever required.
• Once the dough has been kneaded I transfer it to an oven safe dish and put in the warm oven for an hour. I do this step as my stand mixer bowl has a rubber attachment below it and it may crack in the oven. If you have a metallic bowl it may warm up inconsistently so always use an oven safe dish big enough to hold all of the dough.

These photos were taken at the Christmas Lunch 2014, featuring: Jalapeño Cheddar Cheese Bread, Rosemary Butter Roasted Chicken and Sweet Potato Mash

I love to improvise a recipe; it gives me the chance to try something new. Like in this case, we were going to a Log Cabin and I decided to bake some Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese bread for the breakfast. Instead of rolling one big bread roll or Breadsticks, I rolled small portions of the dough and transferred them to a greased muffin pan. They turned out to be pretty good, creamy and spicy and looked like cute little muffins. The small portions of the bread were convenient to eat on the road and saved us from eating any junk food.

Photo Courtesy: Dr. Debarshi Chatterji and yes! I will also take a few compliments

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