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Jump to RecipeThis jalapeño cheddar sourdough bread is spicy, cheesy, soft and fluffy thanks to all natural fermentation. The loaf is the perfect way to spice things up in your sourdough baking routine. This jalapeño cheddar sourdough bread is open baked, no dutch oven necessary!
If there is one thing we love in this house, it is our sourdough bread. Nothing quite beats the process of making sourdough bread from scratch and having a recipe which makes everyone have a smile on their face and happy full bellies.
Plus, there is something so spiritual about bread – bringing us back to our roots. Each time I enjoy a slice of bread, I am reminded of the powerful stories told in the Bible and the symbolism of bread as it is laid out in John 6.
This easy sourdough jalapeño cheddar loaf is a regular recipe in our household. We took our favorite sourdough bread recipe and added in a healthy dose of jalapeños from our garden and a considerable amount sharp cheddar cheese.
The end result was a fluffy and flavorful loaf of bread we use for eating with eggs, toasting up a grilled cheese sandwich or making jalapeño cheddar sourdough breadcrumbs for dinner casserole.
If making a sourdough loaf with inclusions is intimidating, do not be afraid. It is much easier than anything and the results are well worth the time. After making sourdough bread for years, we finally gave in and started our inclusion journey with a savory sourdough loaf.
The best part about this recipe is there is no extra time or preparation outside of spending a few minutes to cut jalapeños and cheddar cheese. Simply add the inclusions during the stretch and fold process.
Why you will love this bread
Kitchen Equipment
To make this sourdough bread, we use a kitchen scale, one large mixing bowl equipped with a lid, a tea towel, a bread lame, a baking sheet, a silicone mat (or parchment paper) and a wire cooling rack.
Ingredients for jalapeno cheddar sourdough bread
A simple sourdough loaf consist of sourdough discard, flour, salt, and water. What makes this bread special is the addition of two sourdough inclusions (jalapeño and cheddar!). For full recipe, ratios and ingredient details refer to the recipe card located at the bottom of this blog.
Jalapeños: Of course a jalapeño cheddar recipe has to include jalapeño. We finely diced our jalapeños (grown in our garden) , though you can also use canned or jarred jalapeños if you would like. If using canned or jarred jalapeños, the jalapeños may seem to ‘melt’ into the bread.
Cheddar cheese: A good quality cheddar cheese is important within this loaf. We like sharp cheddar cheese though you can use, mild cheddar, white cheddar or your favorite type of cheese within the recipe. Our preference is to use a block of cheese to create cubes as opposed to shredding cheese. We love the ‘cheesy pockets’ when the bread bakes.
Sourdough discard: The bread is naturally fermented thanks to wild yeast found in sourdough discard. For the fluffiest bread and best texture, we do prefer using active sourdough starter within this recipe as opposed to discard. (If you are confused on the difference between active and sourdough discard, let us help you learn some more about sourdough education!
How to make sourdough jalapeño cheddar bread
Step 1: Complete autolayse and mix dough.
Step 2: Add cheddar and jalapeños to sourdough bread during stretch and folds.
Step 3: Allow to sit on counter for 12-16 hours.
Step 4: Completed fermentation (dough has doubled in size, bubbles, light and fluffy).
Step 5: Shape into a loaf for fridge fermentation.
Step 6: Bake, slice and enjoy.
How to store sourdough jalapeño cheddar bread
There are varying opinions on how to store this jalapeño cheddar bread because of the cheese. Because cheese contains dairy, you can place the loaf within the fridge. To have a fresh slice of bread every time, we put the loaf in the fridge whole and take slices when ready to eat this way the bread does not dry out. Store in the fridge for up to a week.
We store this loaf on the countertop for 3 day (before we eat it all). If storing within the freezer, counter to the above, we do slice the bread and place it in the fridge overnight before placing it into the freezer. This reduces the changes of the bread freezing together or getting freezer burnt. Store in a freezer ziplock bag for up to three months.
Please follow the guidance of your local health department and and safety course on how to properly store baked goods which contain dairy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Jalapeno Cheddar Sourdough Bread
Equipment
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl (with lid)
- 1 Bread Lame
- 1 Tea Towel
- 1 Sheet Pan
- 1 Silicone Baking Sheet
- 1 Wire Rack
- 1 Kitchen Thermometer Optional
Ingredients
- 11.5 ounces All Purpose Flour
- 4.8 ounces Bread Flour
- 3.5 ounces Sourdough Starter Active / at peak*
- 10-15 ounces Water See below 'Notes' on water
- 0.4 ounce Salt
- 1 ounce Jalapeños Diced
- 5 ounces Cheddar Cheese Cubed
Instructions
- Prepare sourdough discard so it is active and at peak when combining with ingredients.
- Combine water and flour together. Stir together to form a shaggy dough. Cover with a lid or wet tea towel. Allow to autolayse for 30 minutes.
- Dice jalapeños, and cheddar cheese. Consider wearing gloves while handling the jalapeños .
- Once autolayse is complete, add to sourdough starter and salt to the flour and water. Combine until you can no longer feel the granules of salt (about five minutes). Allow the bread to sit for 15 minutes.
Stretch and Folds / Countertop Fermentation
- Begin series of stretch and folds. Use one hand to stretch the bread and fold it over the top. Complete stretch and fold four (4) to six (6) times – turning the bowl 90 degrees after each stretch and fold. Cover the bowl after stretch and folds are complete, allowing the dough to rest.On the second set of stretch and folds (stretching/folding 4-6 times), incorporate the jalapeños and cheddar. The sourdough bread inclusions will fold in and incorporate within the bowl the more stretch and folds you do. Complete stretch and folds four times. Beginning with every 15 minutes and increasing to every 30 minutes.Stretch and fold series will look like: 15-30-30-30. Once the stretch and folds are complete, cover the bread with a lid or a damp tea towel and allow to sit on the countertop until it has doubled in size (about 12-14 hours depending on the temperature of your home).
Shaping / Bulk Fermentation
- The countertop fermentation is complete once the dough has doubled in size, the bread is jiggly when the bowl is shaken and large bubbles are on the surface of the dough.
- Pour sourdough bread onto the countertop and shape – being sure to pop any large bubbles. Gently use both hands and perform the cupping method to pull bread towards you and turn in a circular motion. This will help to build surface tension on the bread. Be sure not to pull too tight or the jalapeños and cheddar will pop out of the bread.
- Place in a bowl with a tea towel, cover and place in the fridge for 12-48 hours (depending on personal sour preference).
Bake and Storage
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the bread on a sheet pan with a silicone mat and score down the center.Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The bread will be hard to the touch on the outside and will become less stiff when removed from the oven. If temping the bread, the internal temperature it should be anywhere from 190 to 210°F.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature on a wire rack until ready to slice. We prefer to allow ours to cool overnight though you can cut it earlier, if this fits your timeline better.
- You can store this bread at room temperature for up to four days. At that point we like to slice the bread and place it in the fridge overnight and then into the freezer in the next day. This ensures that the bread has time to cool before it goes in the freezer and has less chance of getting freezer burnt or sticking together
Notes
- We have made this bread a handful of times. We have used both active sourdough and sourdough discard. For higher rise, more holes and fluffier bread – use active starter as opposed to discard which has been sitting in the fridge.
- Sourdough recipes can be finicky. By making enough loaves of bread we know the ‘right’ texture for our bread. This is where it has enough stretch but not soupy when completing stretch and folds.
- Temperature, sourdough starter and the length of time of autolayse can control how ‘wet’ a recipe is. We like to add more water after the autolayse is complete and the bread has been initially mixed (sourdough starter and salt added in).
- If needed, increase water 1 ounce at a time. The higher hydration = more holes!
- You can adjust the ‘sour’ flavor within sourdough bread by controlling the length of time in which it ferments. This time starts from the moment the bread is mixed together until it is cooked. To extend the time a bread sits – extend the bulk fermentation period.
- For non-sourdough lovers: 18 hours is the best point. For us, this is a 10-13 hour countertop ferment and 5-8 hour fridge bulk fermentation period.
- For sourdough lovers: 24-36 hours is the best point. For us this is a 10-13 hour countertop ferment and a 14-24 hour fridge ferment.
Nutrition
What do you like using sourdough jalapeño cheddar bread with? Our favorite is making a grilled cheese sandwich. Let us know in the comments below!
Yum! Perfect use for all my jalapeños I just picked before the frost!
Oh ja! I love jalapenos in almost everything and most certainly in a sourdough bread! Awesome recipe!