I dragged John to the supermarket (for yeast), the “Whole Foods” natural store (for the ‘best’ jalapenos), and to our local cheeseshop (only the ‘best’ cheddar will do). Of course, when we got home, I realized the Irish Cheddar we had both loved so much was white and therefore, made us go back out to get a “yellow” cheddar which would make the rolls look a little more appetizing. What can I say? When I get something in my head, I like to get it right. Luckily, things don’t fly into my head very often. In the end, it was worth it because the rolls didn’t last 3 days in our house. A telling sign that all that extra work was worth it!
Cheddar Jalapeno Rolls (adapted from here)
Serves: 10 (10 rolls)
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (1 packet)
3 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
6 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
3 large jalapenos, diced
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons oil
2 eggs, divided
In a large bowl, combine yeast, flour, sugar, salt, cheese, and jalapenos. Whisk to combine. In a small bowl, whisk the water, oil, and 1 egg together, until fully combined. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients mixing them together with a wooden spoon. Once combined, knead the dough for 5-8 minutes, until smooth and elastic (it might not look like it at first, but it does get to that stage eventually)
Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Gather the dough into a ball and place it into the bowl, turning it once so all sides have been covered in cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 45-60 minutes, until doubled in size (it doubled for us in 35 but our house isn’t air conditioned).
Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside. Using floured hands, transfer the dough to a clean, floured surface. Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheet. Space the rolls only slightly apart (1/2 inch) so they can bake together in the oven.
Cover the rolls with a damp towel. Let the rolls rise for 35 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the rolls with the egg mixture. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until the tops of the rolls are golden brown. Let the rolls cool slightly prior to serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days (in this heat, though, if they won’t be eaten in 3 – wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and freeze the leftovers).
Until the next time my oven is on…
