Jalapeno Cheddar Bread

A savory and spicy homemade jalapeno cheddar bread made with fresh jalapenos, kosher salt, and cubes of sharp cheddar cheese.

Years ago, while living in Florida, Kim and discovered jalapeno cheddar bread. It was being sold at a local retailer for about 2-years. Then, suddenly, they stopped carrying it. Well, needless to say, we got into the kitchen and started baking.

It didn't take long for Kim to create a delicious jalapeno cheese bread that more than made up for the store-bought version. Today, we're sharing her recipe with you. It will take a little time, but trust me, it's worth the effort!

How to make jalapeno cheddar bread from scratch:

First, place a large mixing bowl on your counter. Add 2-cups of bread flour and about 2-cups of all-purpose flour (about 240 g.) to the bowl.

After that, pour in the instant yeast and sprinkle in the kosher salt. Combine the ingredients.

Next, remove the seeds and membranes from the jalapenos and dice them. Cube the cheddar cheese.

Place both ingredients into the bowl with the flour mixture. Toss the cheese and peppers in the dry ingredients.

Afterward, pour in the warm water and use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture into a rough dough.

Now, if the dough is too dry, add a little more water. If it's too wet, add more flour. We recommend only adding a tablespoon at a time (of either flour or water) to avoid messing up the dough.

Then, leave the dough in the mixing bowl, and knead about 5 times. Just enough to smooth it out a little. At this point, drizzle the dough with oil and use your wands to evenly coat the dough.

Cover the bowl with a clean towel or plastic wrap. Place it in a warm, draft-free place and let it rise for 30-45 minutes or until it's doubled in size.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 450°F and place a large Dutch oven (with lid) into the oven to heat.

When the dough has finished rising, transfer it to a large piece of parchment paper. Shape it into a ball and transfer it to your preheated Dutch oven (along with the parchment paper).

Place the lid onto the Dutch oven and reduce the heat on your stove to 400°F.

Put the bread into your oven to bake to 40-minutes, then remove the lid from the pot. Last, let the bread continue baking (without the lid) for an additional 15-20 minutes.

Once done, transfer the bread to a cooling rack and let it cool for about 30-minutes before slicing. That's it, your jalapeno cheddar bread is done! Kim and I hope you enjoy the recipe and wish you all the best 🙂

Recipe Tips:

• You can use pickled jalapenos and pre-cubed cheese. However, be aware that pickled jalapenos will be much hotter. Furthermore, store-bought cubed cheddar cheese has been dusted in an anticoagulant (to keep them sticking together). This powder may effect the finished product in unforeseen ways. In other words, it may not work.
• Be careful not to over-knead the bread. Otherwise, it will become very tough and the exterior will be really chewy.
• If you don't have a Dutch oven, use a 9x5-inch loaf pan and cover it with an aluminum foil tent and bake at 400°F. Be sure to keep an eye on the bread to ensure it doesn't burn.

Craving more baked goods? Then try our sweet potato biscuits and focaccia bread!