Jalapeno Ranch Whole Wheat Bread Recipe

Ingredients

Hand Method: (yields 2 loaves)

• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup oil
• 2 1/2 cups warm water (110°F)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp SAF Instant Yeast
• 2 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 – 7 cups fresh whole wheat flour (room temperature)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Dough Enhancer, optional
• 1/3 cup Vital Wheat Gluten, optional
• 1/2 Cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (you can experiment with any number of cheeses)
• 2 Tbsp ranch salad dressing mix
• 2 chopped fresh jalapeno peppers (seeds removed)

Large Mixer Method: Yields 4-6 loaves

• 2/3 cup honey
• 2/3 cup oil
• 6 cups warm water (110°F)
• 3 Tbsp SAF Instant Yeast
• 1 1/2 – 2 Tbsp salt
• 14 – 18 cups fresh whole wheat flour (room temperature)
• 2 Tbsp Dough Enhancer, optional
• 2/3 cup Vital Gluten, optional
• 1 Cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (you can experiment with any number of cheeses)
• 4 Tbsp ranch salad dressing mix
• 4 chopped fresh jalapeno peppers (seeds removed)

Directions

Hand Method

Combine the warm water, yeast, and 2 cups of fresh whole wheat flour in a large mixing bowl. Allow to sponge for 15 minutes. Add the honey, oil, dough enhancer, salt, ranch salad dressing mix, chopped jalapenos and 4-5 cups additional flour until the dough begins to clean the sides of the mixing bowl. This is true whether you are mixing by hand with a wooden spoon or using a dough hook attachment with an electric mixer.

Mix the cheese in near the end of the kneading process and distribute as desired. Some people like clumps of melted cheese and others prefer the cheese evenly distributed throughout the dough. Knead the dough by hand 7-10 minutes or until it is very smooth, elastic and small bubbles or blisters appear beneath the surface of the dough. When hand kneading, oil your kneading surface and your hands with 1-2 tsp of oil to help reduce stickiness to avoid adding too much flour.

Form the dough into 2 loaves and place into greased bread pans. Allow the dough to rise in a slightly warmed oven (85-100°F) or other warm place until doubled in size, about 30-60 minutes.

Bake the loaves for 25-30 minutes at 350°F. Preheating the oven is not necessary. Bread is done when the top, sides, and bottom are nicely browned in color, or 180°F to 200°F is reached on an instant-read thermometer. Over baked is better than under baked.

Large Mixer Method

Combine the honey, oil, warm water, yeast, dough enhancer, and 2 cups of the whole wheat flour in the mixing bowl; sponge for 15 minutes. Add the salt, ranch salad dressing mix, chopped jalapenos and 14-18 cups additional flour, 1 cup at a time, while the mixer is running until the dough is stiff and cleans the sides of the mixing bowl.

Mix the cheese in near the end of the kneading process and distribute as desired. Some people like clumps of melted cheese and others prefer the cheese evenly distributed throughout the dough. Knead the dough for 6 minutes on speed #1 (or low speed) to develop the gluten if you are using fresh flour. Allow the dough to rise until doubled, about 30-60 minutes. This first rising is optional if you are in a hurry.

Form the dough into four to six loaves and place into greased bread pans. Allow the bread dough to rise in a slightly warmed oven (85-100°F) or other warm place until doubled in size (about 30-60 minutes).

Bake loaves for 25-30 minutes in a 350°F oven. Bread is done when the top, sides, and bottom are nicely browned in color, or 180°F to 200°F is reached on an instant-read thermometer.

Another good recipe for Jalapeno Bread can be found here.