Cowboys and Chuckwagon Cooking : BUCKAROO Jalapeno and Cheese BREAD

Austin Edison wins 2013 BEST in SHOW Cowboy Round-Up, Hondo, Texas

In 2012, Austin Edison entered his first official Baking Contest as a 14 year old at the Cowboy Round-Up Chuck Wagon Cook-Off held in Hondo, Texas. Entries were from both youth and adults where each group is awarded first through third place, then best in category between the two groups and Best in Show. Entering 3 of the 7 total Baking categories, Austin not only won first place with each entry, but also Best in category with each and the Best in Show.

In 2013, he elected to enter again, this time just two of the seven categories, with his special cookie recipe for "OUTLAW COOKIES" and his bread, "Jalapeno and Cheese Buckaroo Bread." Once again, he won First Place with each entry earning the best in category for each and the Best in Show with his bread recipe.

Austin learned how to cook mostly from his mother and grandmother where he occasionally helps out in the kitchen, but camp cooking he credits to his dad and the chuckwagon crew of "Cosineros Del Campo" owned by Daniel "Danny" Canales from Ricardo, Texas and Pete Garcia, of Kingsville, Texas first exposed to the chuckwagon's at legendary King Ranch. There, he learned how to use the cast iron dutch oven cooking Pan De Campo bread and gained much of his experience to earn his championship and the title of "The Chuckwagon Kid" futured in his hometown newspaper.

BUCKAROO Jalapeno and Cheese BREAD

1 cup lukewarm water

3 cups bread flour (plus some more for dusting the board)

1/2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp Kosher salt

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 large jalapeño peppers, chopped (take seeds out for milder flavor)

¼ t instant yeast(quick rise)

sprinkle of olive oil, for plastic wrap

In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 cup water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18 hours

Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

Take the two Jalapeno peppers and wash, then slice removing seeds and stem for milder pepper flavor which most people will prefer. Dice into find pieces and then shred 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese.

After the bread has rested, dust dough with flour using enough to keep it from sticking to the work surface or your fingers. Roll the dough ball slightly out so you can quickly add the jalapenos and cheese, and fold back over so the dough again is shaped into a ball with the ingredients completely covered inside the bread dough. Place dough ball back into a bowl that you have lightly greased with olive oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 1-2 hours until double in size.

Indoors or outdoor cooking, preheat a large 12" inch dutch oven . You can line the bottom of the dutch oven with parchment paper or lightly oil and place dough into dutch oven then bake for 45 or until golden brown at 400 degrees (F). If cooking outdoors directly on coals, place more coals on the lid using less on the very bottom to prevent burning. Note: If using an outdoor grill, just set the dutch oven on the grill rack and cover the grill for approximately 30 minutes, then remove dutch oven lid and recover grill for additional 10-15 minutes to reach the perfect color.