Jalapeno Cheese Pull-Apart Bread

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

SubhanAllah, there's something about food that has a way of evoking memories. There are times I'm making a dish, trying my best to follow in the footsteps of the relative who may have taught me, and all of a sudden I'm taken back years ago to when I was a new bride and learning my mother in laws prized techniques. Or lifting the lid of a pot to take a whiff of whatever is simmering away and I can hear my mothers voice in my head, detailing to me the next direction.

And then there are those times you spent with your loved ones, laughing and just being happy. I had one cousin who always went out of his way to special order a jalapeno cheese loaf from a local store and without fail, there'd be a couple loaves on the kitchen table when we'd all assemble at his family's house. Back then, it was just one of many treats we'd all devour over funny stories and late night talks. Now, looking back, that loaf of bread was so much more; it was part of the memories we shared as a family, and of relatives who went out of their way to do those kinds of things for each other. It was love.

I no longer live anywhere near that store, or my family for that matter, and it's been years since I've had the original thing. But the other day I saw a recipe for jalapeno bread in a magazine that took me back to those family dinners so many nights ago, and I knew I had to try my best and recreate it. I stuck to my new favorite bun recipe and improvised, and though its not quite perfect, it is really good! The recipe in the magazine was a pull-apart bread and I went with that thinking it'd be easier to layer in the jalapenos and cheese. But I'm still experimenting on the perfect loaf-version. In the meantime, this is good enough  perfect to break off a big chunk and dip into a bowl of steaming chili.

This recipe is for my big cousin, who always ordered an extra loaf of jalapeno cheese bread just for me, jazakallah khair Abu L !

 Jalapeno Cheese Pull-Apart Bread

Ingredients:
1 recipe 40 Minutes Buns
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup pickled jalapeno, diced (less if you want to keep it mild)

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 and butter a casserole dish.

2. Divide dough into quarters. Divide each quarter into 1" cubes.Carefully place a layer of cubed dough in bottom of dish. Top with 1/2 cup of cheese and 1/4 cup jalapenos. Continue layering until all the ingredients are used up, ending with the dough. Reserve a little cheese to sprinkle on top.

3. Bake 30 minutes on the middle rack until the top is hard and golden. Then cover with foil and continue baking for another 15 - 20 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

4. Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes before digging in!