I’ve had a pizza pull-apart bread recipe bookmarked for ages, and kept intending to make it. When the time came, I sorta took it in another direction.

Start off by fishing the chipotles out of a can of chipotles in adobo. Scrape most of the seeds out of the peppers and cut them into small bits. Set aside, and keep the adobo sauce around as well.

Possibly the only peppers I like.

Combine the flour and baking powder, then use your fingers to distribute the butter as evenly through the flour as possible. You kind of just smoosh the butter as thin as you can so it touches as much flour as possible. Stir in the chipotles and 2/3 of the cheese. Add the milk and egg and stir into a sticky dough. Form the dough into a roughly 8″ circle. The dough is pretty messy at this point, but don’t worry if your circle looks pretty haggard.

Use a sharp knife to cut 4 lines, dividing the dough into 8 sections without cutting quite all the way through the bottom. Because the dough was so sticky, I sprayed the knife with Pam before every cut. I think this was a good move. While you’re cutting it, the loaf may shape up a bit.

Pour the adobo sauce onto the bread, aiming mostly for the cracks you just cut. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

Bake until it’s golden and sounds hollow when tapped near the bottom.

That's a beast!

I don't know why, but this reminded me of a sun star. (Creeps of the sea!)

Cool ten minutes before serving.

I liked it, my roommate liked it… I’m not really sure what meal it falls under, though. The pizza pull-apart one was listed as breakfast, but a few minutes after finishing a slice of this one my lips were burning, which strikes me as not so breakfasty. Side dish? I think if I made it again I would cut smaller pieces (maybe make it a square and cut into 12?) as the pieces felt a bit big.

I’ll be submitting this to Aspiring Bakers, where the theme this month is Bread Seduction, hosted by The Sweetylicious.

Chipotle and Cheese Pull-Apart Loaf

Inspired by where’s the beef?

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
• 6 1/2 tablespoons butter, cold and chopped into cubes
• 1 7oz can chipotles in adobo
• 3/4 cup grated cheese (I used an Italian mix, cheddar would probably be fine as well)
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Remove the chipotles from the sauce, scrape out their seeds, and cut into small chunks. Put aside, retaining the adobo sauce.

Combine the flour and baking powder, and then work the butter into the flour as evenly as possible. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese and the chipotles, and then the milk and egg. The dough will be sticky, but shape it into a roughly 8″ circle on your parchment-lined pan.

Cut 4 lines across the dough almost to the bottom, marking it into 8 sections. Pour the adobo sauce into the cracks you just sliced. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese on top of the bread.

Bake 35-40 minutes, until golden and hollow sounding when tapped near the base. Let cool 10 minutes and enjoy.