Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Bread
This jalapeño cheddar sourdough bread recipe makes a crusty artisan loaf, loaded with cheddar cheese and spicy pickled jalapeños.
This is our basic sourdough country loaf recipe with the addition of shredded cheddar cheese and pickled jalapeños, which are added to the dough in the second set of stretch and folds.
Fresh jalapeños can be used in place of pickled jalapeños if desired. If you prefer the bread to be less spicy, remove the seeds before adding the peppers to the dough.
Jalapeño cheddar sourdough bread can be enjoyed alongside soups, as the base for a spicy grilled cheese sandwich or on it’s own for a tasty snack!
Sample baking schedule
For reference, my kitchen temperature is 70°F. Each step can be affected by the temperature of your kitchen. If your kitchen is colder than 70°F, the process will take longer and vice versa.
Every step in the schedule is performed at room temperature.
- 8 PM: The night before you mix the dough, feed the sourdough starter so it is active and bubbly in the morning.
- 8 AM: In the morning, mix the flour, water and the starter in a mixing bowl. (Reserve 30 grams of water for next step.) Cover and let the dough rest for 1 hour.
- 9 AM: Mix the salt and remaining water into the dough with your hands. Cover and let rest 1 hour.
- 10 AM: Perform the first set of stretch and folds. Cover and let rest 30 minutes.
- 10:30 AM: Add the shredded cheddar cheese and pickled jalapeños to the top of the dough and perform the second set of stretch and folds. Cover and let rest 30 minutes.
- 11 AM: Perform third set of stretch and folds. Cover and let the dough for rest 2.5 hours.
- 1:30 PM: Dump the dough onto floured surface and shape it into a ball. Place it upside down in floured proving basket. Cover and let rise 2-2.5 hours at room temperature.
- 4 PM: Preheat the oven, score and bake. Allow the bread to cool down for 2 hours before slicing.
Tip: After placing the dough in the proving basket, you have the option to cover it and let it cold ferment in the fridge for up to 36 hours.
When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven and bake according to recipe directions. There is no need to let the dough rest at room temperature before baking.
Tips on shaping the loaf
Normally, when shaping sourdough, the dough would be shaped twice, a pre-shape and a final shape. However, this dough is shaped once, in the pre-shape method.
- After dumping the dough onto a floured surface, use your hands to gently pull and twist it on the surface to form a rough shaped ball or oval shape.
- Flour the top of the dough and use a bench scraper to pick the dough up and turn it over into a floured proving basket.
Do not worry about creating a "taut" surface on the outside of the dough when shaping. Because of the added cheese and jalapeños, the skin is easier to break when shaping, so be gentle.
How to store and freeze sourdough
Store your jalapeño cheddar sourdough bread at room temperature in a bread bag, wrapped in a kitchen towel or beeswax wrap. You can also store the bread, sliced side down, on a cutting board, covered with the dome of a cake stand.
It is not recommended to store sourdough bread in the fridge as it will become hard.
Freeze full loaves or individual slices wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and inserted into a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
How to measure flour without a scale
Because flour is measured by weight, if the flour is scooped straight out of the bag with the measuring cup, there will be more flour than called for in the recipe.
- Use a spoon to fluff up the flour in the bag.
- Use the spoon to scoop the flour into a measuring cup until it is heaped on top.
- Take a butterknife and level off the top.
This should give you the most accurate measurement for flour without a scale.
Tips for baking in warm and/or high humidity
When baking in warm and/or high humidity areas, it's often a good practice to use less water and bake a little longer than the recipe calls for.
Reduce the water by 50 grams in the initial mix and then slowly add the remaining water until you achieve the correct hydration level. Bake the bread about 5-10 minutes longer with the lid on, before removing for the remaining bake time. This will take some trial and error!
High altitude baking tips
If you live at a high altitude, 5,000-11,500 feet above sea level, you will need to use a sourdough recipe developed for high altitude baking for best results. Visit Butter and Air for their expertise on high altitude sourdough.
Easy sourdough bread recipes
Sourdough baking doesn't have to be complicated. Follow one of our easy, step-by-step sourdough recipes for perfect results every time!
- cinnamon raisin sourdough bread
- honey wheat sourdough sandwich bread
- sourdough bagels
- soft sourdough pretzels
- olive and walnut sourdough bread
Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Bread Recipe
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients to make ½ cup (100 g) of Active Sourdough Starter
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) sourdough starter
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (50 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 ½ tablespoons (50) water
Dough Ingredients
- ½ cup (100 g) sourdough starter (active)
- 1 ½ cups (360 g) water (30 grams divided)
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (50 g) whole wheat flour
- 3 ¾ cups (450 g) bread flour
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) fine sea salt
Add-in Ingredients
- ¼ cup (60 g) sliced jalapeños (pickled or fresh)
- 4 oz. (113 g) sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
INSTRUCTIONS
Feed Your Sourdough Starter
- 12 hours before you plan to mix the dough, add the ingredients to make ½ cup (100 g) of active sourdough starter to a clean jar. Stir until combined, loosely cover the jar and let the starter rise at room temperature. (This will create a total of 115 g active starter but some of it will stick to the sides of the jar during the transfer, so we are making a little more than needed.) The sourdough starter is ready to use when it has doubled in size and there are plenty of bubbles on the surface and sides of the jar.
Make the Dough
- Autolyse: In a mixing bowl, combine 330 grams of water and 100 grams active sourdough starter, stir to combine. Add 50 grams whole wheat flour and 450 grams bread flour and use your hands to combine the ingredients until there are no dry bits and the dough looks like a shaggy mass. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest on the counter for 1 hour.
- Add salt: Add 10 grams of salt to the remaining 30 grams of water in a small bowl and stir to dissolve. Add the salt water to the dough and use your hands to work it in until well combined. Cover the bowl and let rest on the counter for 1 hour.
- Bulk fermentation: Perform 3 sets of stretch and folds, 30 minutes apart, over the first hour and a half. Add the shredded cheddar cheese and jalapeños to the dough during the second set of stretch and folds. Keep the bowl covered between sets. Once finished with the third set of stretches and folds, cover the dough and allow it to rise at room temperature for an additional 2-3 hours. How to perform a set of stretches and folds: While the dough is still in the bowl, pick up one side with a wet hand. Pull it up and over itself. Turn the bowl and repeat this action on 4 sides of the dough until the bowl has come full circle.
- Shape and Second Rise: Turn the dough onto a floured surface and shape it into a rough ball. (The outside of the dough will not be smooth). Flour the top of the dough and place into a floured proving basket, top-side down. Allow to rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours or until it has risen about 20%-30%.(Alternatively, you can cover the shaped dough and let it rest in the fridge for up to 36 hours.)
- Preheat: Preheat the oven, with the dutch oven inside, to 500° for 30 minutes.
- Score and Bake: Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper and score the top with a razor. Remove the dutch oven and place on stove-top. Use the parchment paper as a sling and lift the dough up and into the dutch oven. Cover with the lid, turn oven down to 450° and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake an additional 20-25 minutes or until the crust is at the desired color.
- Cool: Let the bread cool on a cooling rack for 2 hours before cutting.
NOTES
- Use large silicone gloves when bread baking to protect hands and forearms from burns.
- During the first rise (bulk fermentation), if your kitchen temperature is warmer than 70°, check the dough 2 hours after the last stretch and fold to make sure that it does not over proof. The dough is ready for shaping when it has risen about 30% and has bubbles around the edges of the bowl.
Hi, this is my first time using this recipe. after stretch and folds, I shaped put in my proofing basket and popped in the fridge for today. Do I need to reshaped it before letting it rise now or is it fine to just let rise right out of the fridge?
Just let it rise in the proofing basket before baking.
does it have to have the whole wheat flour ?
No you can use all bread flour.
Hi! I am very new to making sourdough and this was my first time trying inclusions. I used all bread flour because I didn't have whole wheat. It never seemed to develop the tension I expected. I even added an extra set of stretch and folds. My kitchen is on the cooler side so I used the proof setting on my oven. I was intending to cook it today but after the 2-3 hours rest (for me it was 2.5 hrs) when I took it out of my banneton it was very sticky and spread like it was running away from the oven. It seems I may have over fermented?. Or Should I have adjusted the water by using all bread flour? Thanks!
It seems like you may need to work on shaping to help get a taut ball which helps the dough keep it's shape better.
Hi! Do the jalapenos make the bread to spicy? Have you ever tried canned diced chile peppers instead? Thanks so much for your recipe and thanks in advance for your help 🙂
Hi Kara, if you are concerned about the spice level, I would definitely use canned diced chile peppers! I feel like most of the heat gets baked out, but if you are sensitive, use the canned chiles instead to be on the safe side.
This is my go to recipe! The jalapeño cheddar loaf comes out perfect every time!
This is my first time making sourdough. I am on the step where you add the salt and remaining 30 g of water. The dough now seems very wet. Is this normal?
Yes, the dough will feel "wet" and then firm up as the flour absorbs the water.
This recipe is amazing! I follow it every time for a plain bread or other inclusions and it works the best for me by far!
Why is the bulk fermentation on this 3 hours vs the 7-10 hours for regular basic sourdough? just curious. Also I had a hard time mixing in the jalapenos and cheddar, but I did a rough chop of each, small pieces but not prepackaged of either.
Hi Leila Ray, there is a couple of reasons for this. The country loaf recipe has twice the amount of starter that the basic recipe calls for which causes the dough to ferment faster. We want this with this recipe in order to do the second rise in the fridge. With the basic recipe, the first and second rise is done at room temperature, so you want a slower rise for more control. Let me know if you have more questions!
Made this earlier this week following your recipe exactly and it was outstanding!!!
I’m snowed in and have only wheat flour and want to get another loaf started l, could I make the recipe with all wheat flour and have it turn out ok?
Hi Heather, yes you can bake it with whole wheat flour but it will be much more dense than with bread flour. You will need to add more water, I would start with about 30 grams, because the wheat flour will need more hydration. Wheat flour tends to ferment a little faster too. If you are snowed in, I think it's worth a try!
My loaf turned out flat. Help! I don’t know what I did wrong. I let it sit for 3 hours after the last stretch and fold and another 3 hours after shaping it. The dough was still sticky.
Hi Jamie, can you tell me the temperature of your kitchen? It's sounds like it may be on the cooler side.