Cheesy Bacon Jalapeño Popper Beer Bread

Bacon, cheese, jalapeno, and bread. Could an ingredients list get any better? Not when it comes to savory bread, my friend.

This bread is not one of those smooth round loaves but it does have the most savory flavors and that's what it's really all about.

The Bacon

We use thick-cut smoked bacon. You want to fully cook it but don't cook it to the point of being crispy. Remember, it's going to cook more in the bread.

The Beer

The beer needs to be at room temperature. I know, letting it sit out and warm up will seem wrong but we're cooking with it, not drinking it. Go with a beer you like the flavor of or if you don't like drinking beer Samuel Adamas is a great choice.

Jalapenos in Bread?

Oh, Yeah! If you don't normally cook with jalapenos there are a few things to keep in mind. Jalapenos don't necessarily mean hot. One way to tell is to look for "stretch marks". They will look like tan/white lines down the sides of the jalapeno. Those ones are usually hot! You can decrease the heat by removing the seeds and the white membrane the seeds are attached to.

When cutting jalapenos we always wear disposable gloves. This helps us avoid that burning feeling you'll get if you touch your skin after cutting into a jalapeno.

Cheesy Bacon Jalapeno Popper Beer Bread

• 3 cups all-purpose flour (363 grams)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 medium-size jalapenos, (seeded, deveined and diced)
• 12 ounces bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
• 1 12 ounce bottle of beer (I like Samuel Adams or Shiner Bock)
• 1 tablespoon butter or bacon drippings for pan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Prepare 9x5 bread pan by greasing with butter or bacon drippings.  Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl combine cream cheese, jalapenos, bacon and cheese.  Stir to combine.  Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar with a whisk.  Make a well in the center.  Add cheese mixture and beer. Gently stir mixture with a spoon until combined.  Pour mixture into prepared bread pan.
5. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until browned on top and thumps on the bottom. Remove from oven and place pan on a wire rack and allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Remove bread from pan and allow it to cool on wire rack.

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