Jalapeno Cheddar Sourdough
This beginner-friendly sourdough jalapeño cheddar bread recipe is loaded with tangy cheddar and fiery jalapeños. You'll love how easy this no-knead bread recipe is to make!
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 369kcal
Equipment
- 5 qt. Cast iron dutch oven or a heavy pot with a tight fitting lid rated to 450ºF
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- ¼ cup sourdough starter (60 grams) discard or fed 12-24 hours prior *see notes below
- 1½ cups warm filtered water (350 grams) (95º to 100º F)
- 4 ¼ cups bread flour (525 grams) or all purpose flour (525 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoon fine salt (10 grams)
- 2 jalapeno peppers membranes and seeds removed, minced
- 1 cup cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese (125 grams) shredded or in ¼" 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. Gently 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, cover with a damp towel (or plastic wrap if you live in a dry area) and and let rise at room temperature or a warm area 4-12 hours (see chart in notes) to ferment.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 450ºF. Do not add your Dutch oven or baking pot to the oven, it does not get preheated.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.
- 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
FOR GRAMS MEASUREMENTS click on the METRIC tab above ingredients.
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.
I recommend using a clear glass mixing bowl for fermentation (rising). This allows you to see the activity on the dough's top and bottom. Often, the bottom of the dough will show a lot of activity, reassuring you that it's properly fermented.
Do not refrigerate the dough! Our recipe does not use a refrigerated rise. If it gets too cold, the dough will not ferment (rise) properly.
Bulk Fermentation Rising guidelines:
Rising times will vary according to your room temperature and humidity:
- 80ºF about 4-5 hours
- 75ºF about 6-7 hours
- 70ºF about 8-9 hours
- For temperatures under 70ºF it can take up to 12 hours or more
- Place the bowl in the oven with the door closed and 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 to 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.
- I use a 9" round Silpat silicone sheet in my dark-bottomed cast iron pots. Place it in the bottom of your pot before adding the dough.
- Or add a layer of foil and an extra layer of parchment paper in the bottom of your cast iron pot.
- Check to see if the top of the loaf is golden and if it sounds hollow when tapped on.
- Check the internal temperature in the center of the bread. It should 195º – 200ºF when done.
- Let the bread cool completely. Store it in a plastic bag at room temperature. I use a plastic bread bag with a twist tie to seal it and it stays fresh for about 5 days.
- This bread is great to freeze. Place in an airtight bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then slice and enjoy.
- Check out our in-depth guide on how to store fresh sourdough bread for more storage tips.
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