How to Make Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough.

Last updated on June 13th, 2024 at 02:34 pm

By far our most in-demand, number one fan favourite bread to bake in the baking studio! Jalapeño cheddar sourdough is a hearty, tangy bread infused with the spicy kick of jalapeños and the rich, sharp flavour of melted cheddar cheese, creating a perfect balance of heat and creaminess in every bite.

INTRODUCTION TO JALAPEÑO CHEDDAR SOURDOUGH

There is something about this combo that people love. I avoided writing this recipe for a while because I thought it was overdone or too common. With that said there is a reason jalapeño cheddar sourdough is such a winning combination and I hope this version becomes a staple in your baking.

For the best-tasting loaf, I like to make this in the summer when jalapeños are readily available but these days you can get jalapeños any day of the year so don’t feel like you need to wait if you really want to make it. While I like to add the cheese in cubes, you can also grate it and add that to the dough (you can also do half grated, half cubed).

FLOUR SPECS

• 80% Organic Bread Flour
  • 12.4% protein, 0.54% ash
• 14.3% Whole Wheat Flour
  • I use stone-milled organic hard red spring wheat.
• 5.7% Fresh-Milled Rye
  • I use fresh-milled rye flour in this recipe, but you can substitute it with whole rye flour, also known as dark rye or whole-meal rye

The recipe calls for 80% organic strong bread flour, 14.3% whole wheat and 5.7% fresh-milled rye flour, but you can substitute the rye flour with whole wheat or other grains. Rye is recommended for fermentation and to help the dough hold up to the inclusions.

INGREDIENT SPECS

• Jalapeños
  • I love using jalapeños in sourdough. During the late summer when they are everywhere, I love to grab large baskets at the farmers market and bake my way through them. If you like them spicier you can pick red jalapeños or add another type of chile.
  • While I like to use them raw so they steam and soften in the dough, imparting flavour to the crumb, you can roast them or pickle them before adding to the dough. If using pickled peppers, replace about half the total amount with them.
• Cheddar
  • I love using a strong cheddar here but you could also use Monterey Jack, Gouda, Fontina or a combination of cheeses.
  • If you’d like to omit the cheese you can add more jalapeños in place of the total cheddar weight.
  • While I prefer to use cubed cheese to get chunks in the final loaf, you can also use grated or a combination of grated and cubed.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Stand mixer
• Large bowl
• Chef’s Knife
• Bowl Scraper
• Bench scraper
• Dutch oven for baking
• Cooling rack

JALAPEÑO CHEDDAR SOURDOUGH SPECS

To make changes to the recipe, you can download a FREE jalapeño cheddar sourdough DOUGH CALCULATOR.  I use these Excels in my everyday baking and send them to readers in my weekly newsletter.

TOTAL FORMULA

The total formula reflects everything in the dough. This is the levain + the final dough.

DOUGH SCHEDULE

To help you bake this at home, I have created a suggested timeline for each process step. This schedule is meant to be a guideline but by no means do you have to stick to it. Feel free to adapt the recipe or timing to best fit your baking schedule.

MIX THE LEVAIN – 10:00 am

1. Mix all the ingredients until well combined. This build should take about 4-5 hours if you use a water temperature of 28°C/82.4°F to reach full maturity.

NOTE: While you do not have to stick to the recommended feeding above, it is important to have a ripe levain at the point of mixing. If you are new to sourdough and not sure how different temperatures and inoculations can affect the rise and fall of your levain check out my guide to how I’ve been feeding my starter for over 15 years here.

AUTOLYSE – 1:30 pm

1. Mix the flour and water 1 until fully combined. Cover and let rest for 30-60 minutes.

A lot of commercial bakers are skipping the autolyse step to save time in the baker, but I still like to include this step. The dough will benefit from the added rest time, shortening your final mix and creating a more extensible dough.

MIX THE DOUGH – 2:30pm

1. Using the remaining water, mix the salt into the dough by hand. This step should take about 5-10 minutes, but it can vary based on your mixing experience. If you feel the dough with your fingers you shouldn’t feel any granules of salt in the dough.
2. Gently mix in the inclusions into the dough (cheddar and jalapeños). Place the inclusions on top and use your hands to pinch them into the dough.
3. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover it clean towel.

BULK FERMENTATION – 3:00 to 6:00 pm

Bulk ferment the dough for 2:45 to 3 hours. If you are in a cold environment, keep the dough in a warm place during the bulk fermentation.

1. Bulk ferment the dough for 2.5-3 hours. At the end of the bulk fermentation, your jajalapeño and cheddar sourdough should be almost doubled in size, look smooth and slightly domed on the sides. See the picture below for reference.

FOLDING – 3:30 & 4:30

First Fold:

1. Using a wet dough scraper release the dough from the sides of the bowl.
2. Wet your hands and grab one side of the dough with both hands. Pull the dough up, stretching it (but not tearing it) until you feel some resistance from the dough. Put it back down about 3/4 of the way on the dough.
3. Cover and let rest for another 30-60 minutes.

Second Fold:

1. Repeat the steps from the first fold. The dough won’t be quite as extensible as it was during the first fold.

DIVIDE AND PRE-SHAPE – 6:00 pm

While my preference is to make jajalapeño cheddar sourdough as a batard, you can also make it into a boule.

1. Use a dough scraper to flip the dough out of the bowl onto your workbench. Cut the dough in half with a bench scraper and weigh them to 900g pieces.
2. Using your hands or a bench scraper round the dough into a tight ball.
3. Let the dough rest on the bench uncovered for 20-30 minutes.

FINAL SHAPE – 6:30 pm

1. Gently flour the top of the jalapeño cheddar sourdough; then use a bench scraper to flip it into your hand. Place it onto a lightly floured surface in front of you.
2. Using your hands, gently stretch the sides of the dough outward then bring them back to the center slightly overlapping and sealing to the dough.
3. Grab the top middle of the dough and pull it up and down to the bottom sealing back onto itself.
4. Now starting at the top corners start to stitch the loaf working down. The goal is to develop tension on the surface of the dough.
5. Roll the dough over so the bottom is now on top and tuck it together.
6. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes before flouring the top, picking it up and gently folding it together before placing it into a good flour banetton.

Note: Shaping bread sounds complicated and one of the easiest ways is to watch a video and follow along.

FINAL PROOF – 6:45 pm to the next morning

The jajalapeño cheddar sourdough can be baked the same day it is made, but I prefer an overnight cold fermentation. Cold fermentation enhances flavour development, makes the dough easier to handle and gives you some flexibility in your schedule.

1. Cover the dough and place in the fridge for 12-18 hours.

BAKING – 9:00 am

1. Preheat a Dutch oven to 500°F/260°C for about one hour.
2. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and place onto a heat-proof surface. Gently flip the jajalapeño cheddar sourdough into the Dutch oven and score the bread with a lame. I like a single slash down the middle of the loaf but you can get creative if you want.
3. Place the lid back on the Dutch oven and spray a bit of water from a bottle into the Dutch oven (this is optional, but a little extra steam helps the loaves rise).
4. Place the Dutch oven back into the oven and drop the temperature to 480°F/248°C. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove the lid to the Dutch oven and finish the bake without steam for another 16-20 minutes.
5. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let cool on a cooling rack before cutting.

Teachable moment: The time and temp of the bake will vary based on your oven and desired doneness. Everyone likes their bread baked a little bit differently and you should bake yours how you want it, even if that means changing my times or temperature recommendation. To check if the jajalapeño cheddar sourdough is cooked you can take the internal temperature aiming for about 206°F/96.5°C.

Jajalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Final Thoughts

This recipe will forever be one of my favourite breads. You can also use this recipe to make other sourdough with other inclusions. Swap the jalapenos for more cheese and add some herbs, change the direction completely and add some walnuts and raisins, the combinations are endless. If you like this recipe, check out my gouda and herb sourdough it showcases the lamination technique which is another great way to add inclusions to your sourdough bread.

How to Make Jalapeno Cheddar Sourdough

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• Author: MJD
• Total Time: 4 hours 50 minutes
• Yield: 2 Loaves

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Description

By far our most in-demand, number one fan favourite bread to bake in the baking studio! Jalapeño cheddar sourdough is a hearty, tangy bread infused with the spicy kick of jalapeños and the rich, sharp flavour of melted cheddar cheese, creating a perfect balance of heat and creaminess in every bite.

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Ingredients

TOTAL FORMULA:

Weight	Ingredient	Bakers %
666 grams	Bread Flour	80%
119 grams	Whole Wheat Flour	14.3%
48 grams	Rye Flour	5.7%
634 grams	Water	76.2%
40 grams	Levain	4.8%
16 grams	Salt	1.9%
159 grams	Cheddar Cheese	19%
119 grams	Jalapeno	14.3%

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Instructions

For the Levain – 10:00 AM

Weight	Ingredient	Bakers %
32 grams	Bread Flour	80%
8 grams	Rye Flour	20%
40 grams	Water at 28°C/82.4°F	100%
40 grams	Levain	100%

 

1. Mix all the ingredients until well combined. This build should take about 4 hours at 28°C/82.4°F to reach full maturity.

AUTOLYSE – 2:00 PM

Weight	Ingredient	Bakers %
634 grams	Bread Flour	80%
119 grams	Whole Wheat Flour	15%
40 grams	Rye Flour	5%
555 grams	Water 1	70%

1. Mix the flour and water 1 until fully combined. Cover and let rest for 30-60 minutes.

MIX THE DOUGH – 2:30PM

Weight	Ingredient	Bakers %
40 grams	Water2	5%
119 grams	Levain	15%
16 grams	Salt	2%
159 grams	Cheddar	20%
119 grams	Jalapeno	15%

1. Using the remaining water, mix the salt into the dough by hand. This should take about 5-10 minutes but it can vary based on your mixing experience. If you feel the dough with your fingers you shouldn’t feel any granules of salt in the dough.
2. Gently mix the inclusions into the jajalapeño cheddar sourdough. To do this, place the inclusions on top and use your hands to pinch them into the dough.
3. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover it clean towel.

BULK FERMENTATION – 3:00 TO 6:00 PM

Bulk ferment the dough for 2:45 to 3 hours. If you are in a cold environment, keep the dough in a warm place during the bulk fermentation.

1. Bulk ferment the dough for 2.5-3 hours. At the end of the bulk fermentation, your jajalapeño and cheddar sourdough should be almost doubled in size, look smooth and slightly domed on the sides. See the picture below for reference.

FOLDING – 3:30 & 4:30

First Fold:

1. Using a wet dough scraper release the dough from the sides of the bowl.
2. Wet your hands and grab one side of the dough with both hands. Pull the dough up stretching it (but not tearing it) until you feel some resistance from the dough. Put it back down about 3/4 of the way on the dough.
3. Repeat step 2 3 times until you have made your way around the dough. Gently pick the dough up and flip it over so the seam is down.
4. Cover and let rest for another 30-60 minutes.

Second Fold:

1. Repeat the steps from the first fold. The dough won’t be quite as extensible as it was during the first fold.

DIVIDE AND PRE-SHAPE – 6:00 PM

While my preference is to make jajalapeño cheddar sourdough as a batard, you can also make it into a boule.

1. Use a dough scraper to flip the dough out of the bowl onto your workbench. Cut the dough in half with a bench scraper and weigh them to 900g pieces.
2. Using your hands or a bench scraper round the dough into a tight ball.
3. Let the dough bench uncovered and rest for 20-30 minutes.

FINAL SHAPE – 6:30 PM

1. Gently flour the top of the jajalapeño cheddar sourdough then use a bench scraper to flip it into your hand. Place it onto a lightly floured surface in front of you.
2. Using your hands gently stretch the sides of the dough outward then bring them back to the center slightly overlapping and sealing to the dough.
3. Grab the top middle of the dough and pull it up and down to the bottom sealing back onto itself.
4. Now starting at the top corners start to stitch the loaf working down. The goal is to develop tension on the surface of the dough.
5. Roll the dough over so the bottom is now on top and tuck it together.
6. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes before flouring the top, picking it up and gently folding it together before placing it into a good flour banetton.

FINAL PROOF – 6:45 PM TO THE NEXT MORNING

The jajalapeño cheddar sourdough can be baked the same day it is made, but I prefer an overnight cold fermentation. Cold fermentation enhances flavour development, makes the dough easier to handle and gives you some flexibility in your schedule.

1. Cover the dough and place in the fridge for 12-18 hours.

BAKING – 9:00 AM

1. Preheat a Dutch oven to 500°F/260°C for about one hour.
2. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and place onto a heat-proof surface. Gently flip the jajalapeño cheddar sourdough into the Dutch oven and score the bread with a lame. I like a single slash down the middle of the loaf but you can get creative if you want.
3. Place the lid back on the Dutch oven and spray a bit of water from a bottle into the Dutch oven (this is optional but a little extra steam helps the loaves rise).
4. Place the Dutch oven back into the oven and drop the temperature to 480°F/248°C. Put it back into the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove the lid to the Dutch oven and finish the bake without steam for another 16-20 minutes.
5. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let cool on a cooling rack before cutting.

Teachable moment: The time and temp of the bake will vary based on your oven and desired doneness. Everyone likes their bread baked a little bit differently and you should bake yours how you want it, even if that means changing my times or temperature recommendation. To check if the jajalapeño cheddar sourdough is cooked you can take the internal temperature aiming for about 206°F/96.5°C.

Notes

This recipe will forever be one of my favourite breads. You can also use this recipe to make other sourdough with other inclusions. Swap the jalapenos for more cheese and add some herbs, change the direction completely and add some walnuts and raisins, the combinations are endless. If you like this recipe, check out my gouda and herb sourdough it showcases the lamination technique which is another great way to add inclusions to your sourdough bread.

• Prep Time: 4 hours
• Cook Time: 50 min
• Category: Bread
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American