This jalapeño cheddar sourdough bread is perfect for seasoned bakers or beginners alike. This nearly foolproof, no-knead sourdough recipe bakes up the most terrifically tangy sourdough bread with tasty, melty cheddar cheese and mildly spicy jalapenos. Or go for a walk on the milder side and skip the peppers.
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Why We Love This Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Bread
- This cheesy jalapeno sourdough recipe is a fun way to try something new. It’s a beginner-level bread recipe, just like this Irish Soda Bread.
- The tanginess is perfect for combining with gooey cheese and spicy peppers. The wonderfully easy overnight prep method makes this a practically no-fail recipe, so you know you’ll be baking delightful loaves every time.
- This cheesy bread is great to serve as a tasty centerpiece at any gathering. Or keep it on the countertop as a grab-a-slice-and-go treat for everyone in the house to enjoy as a quick snack!
Sourdough discard recipes like this are tried-and-true classics that continue to gain popularity with both new and longtime bakers. From easy sourdough sandwich bread to sourdough discard pizza crust or our apple sourdough discard cakes recipe, and also learn how to make focaccia with sourdough starter, you can make almost anything! All with wild yeast, no commercial yeast is needed!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
You only need a handful of ingredients and a bit of patience to make this recipe.
- Active Sourdough starter – fed 12-24 hours before starting the recipe. Learn how to make homemade sourdough starter with our easy guide.
When we say active, we mean a mature starter that is at least a week old and always doubles in size within 4-6 hours of feeding. It doesn’t mean you need to use it at the peak activity after a feeding. - Warm filtered water – too hot or cold will prevent it from rising properly
- Bread flour – We like to use King Arthur Bread Flour
- Sea salt – just a pinch
- Jalapeño peppers – or use a mild pepper like a poblano pepper.
- Sharp cheddar cheese – shredded 1/4-inch cubed chunks of cheese.
Recipe Substitutions
- If not everyone is a fan of peppers, you can leave them out for a super cheesy version with lots of flavors and no spiciness. Or use pickled jalapeños instead.
- For those who love a truly spicy heat, use pepper jack cheese instead of sharp cheddar.
- Use other types of cheese, like Mozzarella, Colby Jack or Monterey Jack to change the flavor or an extra long cheese pull.
How to Make This Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Bread Recipe
- Feed your starter 12-24 hours before starting the recipe. You need an unfed hungry starter that takes in the flour and water for energy and uses that to raise the dough.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the starter and warm, filtered water, stirring with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until dissolved. Then, stir in the flour and salt mixing until a thick, shaggy dough forms.
Cover the bowl it with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes. - Lightly flour your countertop or surface then coax the dough from the bowl.
Perforn a round of stretch and fold to add tension to the dough. Pull the dough straight up about 4-5″ then fold it into the middle of the dough. Rotate the bowl 1/4 of a turn and continue to stretch and fold for a full rotation until the dough tightens up and is difficult to stretch. - Cover the dough bowl with a damp tea towel (or plastic wrap if you live in a drier climate), and let it rise in a warm space (70º-85ºF) , free of drafts for 4 to 12 hours. This recipe uses a room temperature fermentation rise (not cold ferment rise in the fridge).
See our Sourdough Bulk Fermentation Rise Times in the recipe below for rising time guidelines. Let the the dough ferment or rise overnight or during the day.
Do not put the dough in the fridge to rise.
After the Bulk Fermentation Rise
- Check your dough to see that if it has air bubbles on top or underneath (this is why we recommend a clear glass bowl for beginners) and has doubled in size. If not, find a warm place to let the dough rise for 2 more hours. See our tips below.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Ideas for keeping dough warm for the bulk rise:
Place the bowl in the oven with the door propped open and the light on to create a slightly warmer climate without actually turning the oven on.
Use a heated mat (like those used for germinating seeds) for rising.
Use the “proof” setting of your oven (I set mine at 85ºF) and set a timer. This will speed up the rising process, so check it at 4 and 6 hours.
If there is a sunny room in the house that stays warm, keep the dough covered in that area.
- The next morning, or after the fermentation rise, lightly flour your countertop and pull the dough from the bowl. Stretch the dough and add the minced jalapeno and cheddar cheese on top of the dough. Perform another set of stretches and folding, like you did before. The fillings should be enclosed within the dough when you are done.
If the dough is a little sticky, flour your hands and lift the dough with a bench scraper when it’s done. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Line a medium bowl with a floured towel, or use a banneton basket with a linen cover and dust heavily with flour to keep it from sticking. Let dough rise in it for 30 – 60 minutes. This process is called sourdough proofing, where the dough undergoes its final rise before baking.
How to Bake Jalapeno Sourdough Bread
- Preheat your oven to 450º (without the Dutch oven pot). Cover the proofing basket or bowl with a long piece of parchment paper, and turn it over onto the countertop.
- Right before baking, slash the top of the loaf with a lame or sharp knife. Gently lower the parchment paper dough into a Dutch oven or heavy pot and add the lid. Do not preheat the pot.
- Place the covered pot in the oven and bake, covered for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for 20 minutes.Then bake it directly on the oven rack for 10 minutes to crisp the exterior.
Let cool on a wire cooling rack for an hour before slicing and serving.
Wondering what to do with leftover bread? We suggest making a spicy grilled cheese sandwich and serving it with our easy 3 ingredient tomato soup.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make jalapeno cheddar sourdough bread with all-purpose flour?
Yes, simply substitute bread flour 1:1 with all-purpose flour. This substitution may result in a smaller loaf.
Can you freeze sourdough bread?
Yes, it freezes well. Freezing over refrigerating will keep the crust soft for longer term storage. Place in an airtight zipper bag and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw at room temperature, then slice and enjoy. Get more tips with our how to store homemade sourdough bread post
How can you tell when bread is done baking?
The crust will be light golden brown, and sound hollow when you give the loaf a gentle tap. If you’d like to test the internal temperature, it should be 195°-200°F.
Can I use whole wheat flour with this jalapeño cheddar sourdough recipe?
Yes, you can substitute whole wheat flour with a 1:1 ratio for up to 1/2 of the all purpose flour.
More Cheesy Recipes To Love…
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Jalapeno Cheddar Sourdough
This beginner-friendly sourdough is packed with tangy cheddar and fiery jalapeños. It's the perfect easy-to-make simple treat.
Equipment
- heavy pot with a lid, like a dutch oven cast iron pot or stockpot - (4 or 5 quart pot)
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (60 grams) sourdough starter discard or fed 12-24 hours prior *see notes below
- 1½ cups (350 grams) warm filtered water (95º to 100º F)
- 4 ¼ cups (500 grams) bread flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon (9 grams) sea salt
- 2 jalapeno peppers, membranes and seeds removed, minced
- 1 cup (4 ounces or 100 grams) cheddar cheese, shredded or 1/4" cubes
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the sourdough starter. Mix in warm, filtered water, stirring until dissolved. Add bread flour and salt. Stir with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until a thick, shaggy dough forms. Wet your hands, and finish mixing dough by hand. Cover the sourdough with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Lightly flour your countertop. Pull the dough from the bowl with a dough scraper or by hand onto the countertop. Stretch and fold the dough for 15 seconds (see video below): grab the edge of the dough and bring it straight up it about 4 inches and tuck it into the center of the dough. Then, turn the dough 1/4 a turn. Continue this process until the dough has come full circle and tightened. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with a damp towel (or plastic wrap if you live in a dry area). Let it rise overnight. or about 8 hours at room temperature or a warm location (between 72º and 80ºF degrees to ferment). See the chart below in the notes for sourdough rising times. Do not refrigerate the dough.
- The next morning, or after the fermentation rise, lightly flour your countertop and pull the dough from the bowl. Stretch the dough and add the minced jalapeno and cheddar cheese on top of the dough. Perform another set of stretches and folding, like you did before. The fillings should be enclosed within the dough when you are done.Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
- Line a medium bowl with a floured towel, or use a banneton bowl with a linen cover and dust it heavily with flour. Add the dough to the bowl and shake it so it settles evenly. Let dough rise in it for 30 – 60 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 450º (without the Dutch oven pot). Cover the dough bowl with a long piece of parchment paper, and turn it over onto the countertop. Slash the top of the loaf with a lame or sharp serrated knife. Gently lower the parchment paper dough into a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid. Do not preheat the pot.
- Place the covered pot into the oven and bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove the lid from the pot and bake for 20 minutes. Using oven mitts, carefully remove the bread from the pot and bake it directly on the oven rack for 5-10 minutes to crisp the exterior. Let cool at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.
Video
Notes
This recipe uses a discard or unfed sourdough starter, which means one that was fed 12-24 hours before starting the recipe. Our recipe does not use a starter that’s at its peak when mixing the dough. A 100% hydration sourdough starter works best for this recipe.
Do not refrigerate the dough! Our recipe does not use a refrigerated rise. If it gets too cold, the fermented yeast will not rise overnight.
TFN Pro Tips:
- Ideas for keeping dough warm for the bulk rise:
- Place the bowl in the oven with the door propped open and the light on to create a slightly warmer climate without actually turning the oven on.
- Use a heated mat (like those used for germinating seeds) for rising.
- Use the “proof” setting of your oven (I set mine at 85ºF) and set a timer. This will speed up the rising process, so check it at 4 and 6 hours.
- If there is a sunny room in the house that stays warm, keep the dough covered in that area.
- If your starter is active (it doubles in size 4-6 hours after feeding) and was fed within 12-24 hours of starting the recipe, your sourdough might not be warm enough during the overnight rise.
- Find a warm place (ideally 75º- 80º F) like a cool oven with the light on, a warm window, or above the refrigerator or dryer to set the bread for 2 hours. Then continue with the recipe.
- I use a 9″ round Silpat silicone sheet in my dark-bottomed cast iron post. Place it in the bottom of your pot. Or add a layer of foil and an extra layer of parchment paper to protect the bottom of the dough.
- Dutch ovens that are darker in color tend to brown the bottom of the bread more.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 369kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 364mg | Potassium: 104mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 224IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 155mg | Iron: 1mg
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Stacy Litwin says
How much are we supposed to be having the dough rise? Like 50% or to double in size? Just wondering because I know things rise really slow at my house so wondering what the end goal is
Renae says
The level of activity after the bulk rise is most important. The dough should have risen at least 50% and shows bubbles on top and bottom. If your house is cooler, I recommend using clear bowls for the long-rise so you can see the activity level underneath. Typically, I see more bubbles underneath than on top.
Stephanie says
I’ve been eyeing up this bread for a while now. I’m working with a toaster oven so I was bummed when I couldn’t find a sandwich bread recipe for this. Figured I’d play around and see how it came out if I put it into a bread pan. It’s delicious!! I skip the second to last step and just let it rest/rise in the pan before baking. I brought my first loaf to work, it was a hit. Now I’m currently making a second loaf. And… THIS RECIPE IS EASY!
Renae says
I am so happy to heat this!
Heather says
I’m curious about not pre-heating the Dutch oven. I’ve always preheated, going to try as is because I hate when people comment on a recipe they didn’t follow. Have you tried it both ways? Thanks for the recipe, dough is bulk rising as I type:)
Renae says
No, I haven’t tried this recipe with a preheated Dutch oven. But, while recipe testing my original sourdough bread recipe (that this is based on) I did try it both ways and did not notice any difference in texture or rise. As a personal preference, though, I do not like trying to drop the unbaked sourdough dough into the preheated pot. I actually burned myself once doing that. It’s way easier for me to take it out after it’s baked (thanks to the parchment paper).
KC says
Does this recipe really call for discard, I would typically feed my starter in the AM and use it in the evening. I just want to make sure this really calls for unfed
Renae says
As long as it’s been at least 6 hours (preferably 12 hours) since you fed your starter, you will be fine. I have tested it with a starter fed around 6 hours prior, 12 hours, and a true discard. All of them came out nicely.
Arlis says
This looks delicious! I am wondering why, with this particular recipe, you say NOT to refrigerate the dough?
Renae says
Some sourdough bread recipes use a refrigerated bulk/fermentation rise. My sourdough bread recipes do not, they rise at room temperature. I get a lot of questions about that, as well as preheating the Dutch oven. My recipes do not use a preheated Dutch oven. Happy baking!