Description
This Jalapeno Cheddar Dutch Oven Bread is a flavorful, artisan-style loaf featuring a high hydration dough that’s moist and tender. Infused with sharp shredded cheddar cheese and spicy diced jalapenos, it bakes to a golden crust in a preheated Dutch oven, ensuring a perfect rise and crusty exterior. The result is a cheesy, spicy bread with a soft crumb, ideal for sandwiches or enjoying on its own.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 large jalapeno, diced
- 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast (1 standard .25oz packet)
Wet Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water (about 100-110°F)
Toppings
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (for topping)
- 10 round slices jalapeno (or more, to taste)
Instructions
- Prepare dry ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the bread flour, kosher salt, 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, and diced jalapeno. Stir well and set aside.
- Activate yeast: In a large mixing bowl, add the warm water (warm, not hot, like a baby’s bath water) and instant yeast. Stir gently to combine.
- Mix dough: Add the flour mixture to the yeast and water. Use a rubber spatula to stir until no flour streaks remain, forming a loose, wet dough.
- First folding: Using the spatula, fold the dough inward from the edges toward the center 8-10 times while turning the bowl slightly each time. This helps build structure in the high-hydration dough.
- First rise: Cover the bowl with a towel and place it in a warm spot. Let the dough rise for 1 hour.
- Second folding: After 1 hour, fold the dough inward again 8-10 times with the spatula. Cover and let rise for another hour in a warm place.
- Preheat Dutch oven: Halfway through the second rise, place a Dutch oven with its lid inside your oven and preheat to 450°F (232°C). Allow it to preheat for a full 30 minutes.
- Prepare dough for baking: Lightly flour a counter or cutting board and your hands. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface, flip it over, and brush off excess flour.
- Shape dough: Fold the corners of the dough toward the center 6-8 times to form a rough ball. Flip the dough onto a piece of parchment paper that fits inside your Dutch oven with some overhang.
- Score and top the dough: Using a sharp knife, score an “X” on the surface of the dough. Spray with cooking spray or brush lightly with oil. Sprinkle the reserved 1/3 to 1/2 cup shredded cheddar and place jalapeno slices on top.
- Bake covered: Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven using mitts, remove its lid, and use the parchment paper to transfer the dough to the pot. Cover with the lid and return to the oven.
- Bake uncovered: Bake the bread for 30 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and bake for an additional 20 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown.
- Cool bread: Remove the Dutch oven from the oven, tilt it, and slide the bread out with the parchment. Remove the parchment paper and transfer the bread to a wire rack. Let it cool completely for 1-2 hours before slicing for best texture.
Notes
- This is a high hydration dough, so it will be looser and stickier than traditional bread dough; this is normal.
- Warm water should be lukewarm, around 100-110°F, to properly activate the yeast without killing it.
- Preheating the Dutch oven ensures the bread has the perfect environment for oven spring and crust development.
- Letting the bread cool completely before slicing preserves crumb texture and prevents gummy slices.
- You can adjust the amount of jalapeno slices on top for more or less heat according to taste.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: jalapeno cheddar bread, dutch oven bread, artisan bread, spicy cheddar bread, homemade bread recipe
