If you love homemade sourdough bread and happen to love a little cheese and spice, you are going to want to try this Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Bread.
This is one of those loaves that makes your kitchen smell absolutely incredible while it’s baking. The crust gets beautifully golden and crisp, the inside stays soft and chewy, and every slice has pockets of creamy, melted cheddar with little bursts of spicy jalapeño.
And the best part? You don’t need to do anything complicated to make it.
This recipe uses my basic sourdough dough as the starting point, with cubed cheddar and chopped pickled jalapeño peppers folded in toward the end of the stretch-and-fold process. After a long bulk rise and an overnight rest in the refrigerator, it’s ready to bake the next morning.
The result is a loaf that’s delicious on its own, but it’s also amazing toasted, alongside soup, or as the base for a really good grilled cheese.
Why You’ll Love This Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough
There is something about the combination of tangy sourdough, creamy cheddar, and spicy jalapeños that works.
The cheddar melts into little pockets throughout the bread while some of the edges become wonderfully crispy and caramelized. The pickled jalapeños add just enough heat and acidity to balance the richness of the cheese.
And because you’re using pickled jalapeños, you can easily adjust the amount depending on how spicy you like your bread.
I tend to use a small jar of pickled jalapeño slices, but you certainly don’t have to use the entire jar if you prefer a milder loaf.
Ingredients
For the Sourdough
- 100 grams active sourdough starter
- 300 grams water
- 10 grams salt
- 450 grams organic all-purpose flour or bread flour
For the Add-Ins
- About ¾ of a block of creamy cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes.
- 1 small jar of pickled jalapeño peppers, drained and dried very well
A Note About the Cheese
I recommend using a creamy cheddar rather than a particularly dry or crumbly one.
Cut the cheese into small cubes rather than shredding it. The cubes create those wonderful little pockets of melted cheese throughout the loaf.
You can certainly experiment with different cheeses, but a good creamy (white) cheddar is my favorite for this recipe.
How to Make Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough
1. Mix the Dough
Add your active sourdough starter, water, salt, and flour to a large bowl.
Mix until everything is well combined and you have a shaggy dough. You don’t need to knead it extensively.
Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and let the dough rest for 45–60 minutes.
This rest gives the flour time to hydrate before you begin your stretch-and-folds.
2. Begin Your Stretch and Folds
After the initial rest, you’ll begin your stretch-and-folds.
Do four sets of stretch-and-folds, approximately 35 minutes apart.
For each stretch-and-fold, gently pull up one side of the dough and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat around the dough.
You don’t need to be aggressive. The goal is to build strength in the dough gradually.
3. Add the Jalapeños and Cheddar
You’ll add the jalapeños and cheddar during the fourth and final stretch-and-fold.
This is an important little step: make sure your jalapeños are very dry before adding them to the dough.
Drain the pickled jalapeños and pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels. You want to remove as much excess moisture as possible.
For the final stretch-and-fold, add some of the cheese and jalapeños as you work your way around the dough. Don’t worry if they aren’t perfectly distributed at first.
As you shape and fold the dough, gently press the additions into it with your fingers so they become incorporated without tearing it.
4. Let the Dough Rise
Once your stretch-and-folds are finished, cover the bowl again with your damp tea towel and let the dough continue to rise at room temperature.
This part can take anywhere from 5–10 hours, depending on your home’s temperature and even the weather outside.
You’re looking for the dough to double in size roughly.
Don’t get too hung up on the clock here. Sourdough fermentation is very temperature-dependent, so the dough itself is a better indicator than a specific number of hours.
5. Shape the Loaf
Once the dough has doubled, gently turn it out onto your work surface.
Tighten the dough into a round ball, creating some surface tension as you shape it.
Try to keep the cheese and jalapeños tucked inside as much as possible, although a little cheese peeking through is definitely not the end of the world!
In fact, those little bits of cheese that make their way to the crust can become wonderfully crispy and delicious.
6. Overnight Proof
Place the shaped dough into a well-floured banneton basket.
Cover the basket by placing it inside a plastic grocery bag and refrigerate overnight.
I love this overnight proof because it makes the next morning so easy. The dough is already shaped, cold, and ready to bake.
7. Bake the Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough
The next day, preheat your oven to 450°F.
I also put my Dutch oven in the oven while it preheats, so it’s nice and hot when the bread goes in.
When you’re ready to bake, carefully turn the cold dough onto a sheet of parchment paper and score the top.
Transfer the dough to the preheated Dutch oven.
My Steam Trick
I like to add a few ice cubes underneath the parchment paper before putting the lid on the Dutch oven.
The ice creates additional steam during the beginning of the bake, which helps give the bread that beautiful crust.
It also helps keep the bottom of the bread from getting too dark.
One exception: If your dough is very cold straight from the refrigerator, I skip the ice cubes. The cold dough already provides plenty of steam as it heats up.
Baking Times
Bake at 450°F covered for 20–30 minutes.
Then remove the lid and continue baking for approximately 20 minutes uncovered, or until the loaf is beautifully browned and cooked through.
Keep an eye on it during the uncovered portion because the cheese can cause the crust to brown quickly.
Let the bread cool before slicing.
I know it’s tempting to cut into a hot loaf of sourdough, especially when you can smell that melted cheddar, but letting it cool gives the crumb time to finish setting.
Tips for the Best Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough
Dry your jalapeños really well.
This is probably one of my biggest tips for this recipe.
Pickled jalapeños contain quite a bit of moisture, so drain them and pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels before adding them to your dough.
Use a creamy cheese.
A creamy cheddar melts beautifully, giving you delicious pockets of gooey cheese throughout the loaf.
Don’t rush the bulk rise.
Your dough may double in five hours, or it may take closer to ten. It depends heavily on the temperature in your kitchen.
Watch the dough rather than the clock.
Don’t worry about perfectly distributing the add-ins.
When you add the jalapeños and cheddar during the final stretch-and-fold, they don’t have to be perfectly distributed immediately.
They’ll continue to move around as you shape the dough.
Keep an eye on the crust.
Cheese can make sourdough brown faster than a plain loaf. If your bread is getting darker than you’d like during the uncovered baking stage, keep a close eye on it.
How Spicy Is This Bread?
That depends almost entirely on how many jalapeños you use.
Using a small jar of pickled jalapeños gives the bread a noticeable jalapeño flavor and some heat without making it overwhelmingly spicy.
For a milder loaf, use fewer peppers and make sure you remove excess liquid.
For more heat, use more jalapeños—or choose a hotter variety.
How to Serve Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough
This bread is delicious enough to eat on its own, but there are so many ways to enjoy it.
Try it:
- Toasted with butter
- Alongside a bowl of soup
- With chili
- As the bread for grilled cheese
- With scrambled or fried eggs
- Toasted and topped with avocado
- Alongside a salad
- As a breakfast toast with cream cheese
- Straight from the loaf with absolutely nothing on it!
One of my favorite things about a loaf like this is that it can turn a simple meal into something that feels special.
How to Store Homemade Sourdough
Once the bread has completely cooled, store it in a bread bag or another breathable container at room temperature.
For the best texture, I prefer to enjoy it within a few days.
You can also slice the loaf and freeze the slices. That makes it easy to pull out exactly what you need for toast or grilled cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh jalapeños instead of pickled?
Absolutely. Fresh jalapeños will give the bread a different flavor and a little more freshness.
If using fresh jalapeños, remove the seeds and membranes for less heat, then chop them into small pieces.
Can I use shredded cheddar?
You can, but I prefer cubed cheese for this recipe.
Small cubes give you those beautiful pockets of melted cheese throughout the loaf.
Can I make this without a banneton?
Yes. A banneton makes shaping and proofing sourdough easier, but you can use a bowl lined with a well-floured kitchen towel if that’s what you have.
Why does my sourdough take longer to rise sometimes?
Temperature makes a huge difference with sourdough.
A cooler kitchen can significantly slow fermentation, while a warm kitchen can speed it up. That’s why I recommend watching for the dough to double rather than relying solely on the suggested time.
Kelly’s Thoughts
If you’re already comfortable making a basic sourdough loaf, this Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough is such a fun way to change things up.
It’s still relatively simple, but the addition of creamy cheddar and spicy pickled jalapeños makes it feel completely different from a traditional loaf.
And honestly, there is nothing quite like pulling a golden, cheesy loaf of sourdough out of the oven and knowing you made it yourself.
So grab your sourdough starter, a block of creamy cheddar, and some jalapeños—and give this one a try.
If you make it, I’d love to know what you think! Leave a comment below or tag me on social media so I can see your loaf.
Happy baking! 🥖🌶️🧀
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Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
For the Sourdough
- 100 grams active sourdough starter
- 300 grams water
- 10 grams salt
- 450 grams organic all-purpose flour or bread flour
For the Add-Ins
- About ¾ of a block of creamy cheddar cheese cut into small cubes
- 1 small jar of pickled jalapeño peppers drained and dried very well
Instructions
Mix the Dough
- Add your active sourdough starter, water, salt, and flour to a large bowl.
- Mix until everything is well combined and you have a shaggy dough. You don’t need to knead it extensively.
- Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and let the dough rest for 45–60 minutes.
- This rest gives the flour time to hydrate before you begin your stretch-and-folds.
Begin Your Stretch and Folds
- After the initial rest, you’ll begin your stretch-and-folds.
- Do four sets of stretch-and-folds, approximately 35 minutes apart.
- For each stretch and fold, gently pull up one side of the dough and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat around the dough.
- You don’t need to be aggressive. The goal is simply to gradually build strength in the dough.
Add the Jalapeños and Cheddar
- You’ll add the jalapeños and cheddar during the fourth and final stretch-and-fold.
- This is an important little step: make sure your jalapeños are very dry before adding them to the dough.
- Drain the pickled jalapeños and pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels. You want to remove as much excess moisture as possible.
- For the final stretch-and-fold, add some of the cheese and jalapeños as you work your way around the dough. Don’t worry if they aren’t perfectly distributed at first.
- As you shape and fold the dough, gently press the additions into the dough with your fingers so they become incorporated without tearing the dough.
Let the Dough Rise
- Once your stretch-and-folds are finished, cover the bowl again with your damp tea towel and let the dough continue to rise at room temperature.
- This part can take anywhere from 5–10 hours, depending on the temperature in your house and even the weather outside.
- You’re looking for the dough to roughly double in size.
- Don’t get too hung up on the clock here. Sourdough fermentation is very temperature-dependent, so the dough itself is a better indicator than a specific number of hours.
Shape the Loaf
- Once the dough has doubled, gently turn it out onto your work surface.
- Tighten the dough into a round ball, creating some surface tension as you shape it.
- Try to keep the cheese and jalapeños tucked inside as much as possible, although a little cheese peeking through is definitely not the end of the world!
- In fact, those little bits of cheese that make their way to the crust can become wonderfully crispy and delicious.
Overnight Proof
- Place the shaped dough into a well-floured banneton basket.
- Cover the basket by placing it inside a plastic grocery bag and refrigerate overnight.
- I love this overnight proof because it makes the next morning so easy. The dough is already shaped, cold, and ready to bake.
Bake the Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough
- The next day, preheat your oven to 450°F.
- I also put my Dutch oven into the oven while it preheats so that the Dutch oven is nice and hot when the bread goes in.
- When you’re ready to bake, carefully turn the cold dough onto a sheet of parchment paper and score the top.
- Transfer the dough to the preheated Dutch oven.
My Steam Trick
- I like to add a few ice cubes underneath the parchment paper before putting the lid on the Dutch oven.
- The ice creates additional steam during the beginning of the bake, which helps give the bread that beautiful crust.
- It also helps keep the bottom of the bread from getting too dark.
- One exception: If your dough is very cold straight from the refrigerator, I skip the ice cubes. The cold dough already provides plenty of steam as it heats up.
Baking Times
- Bake at 450°F covered for 20–30 minutes.
- Then remove the lid and continue baking for approximately 20 minutes uncovered, or until the loaf is beautifully browned and cooked through.
- Keep an eye on it during the uncovered portion because the cheese can cause the crust to brown quickly.
- Let the bread cool before slicing.
- I know it’s tempting to cut into a hot loaf of sourdough, especially when you can smell that melted cheddar, but letting it cool gives the crumb time to finish setting.
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