Jalapeno Cheddar Dutch Oven Bread is perfectly crusty on the outside, with a soft fluffy inside, and is made using simple ingredients. Deliciously savory with a bit of spice, it’s perfect with a pat of butter, or for grilled cheese! Plus, this dough doesn’t have to sit overnight, so you don’t have to plan ahead to have great bread.
This Jalapeno Cheddar Dutch Oven Bread is one of those recipes that is so fun to make. We also love easy bread recipes like my original No Knead Bread and Honey Beer Bread. This is one of my Bread Recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
DUTCH OVEN BREAD RECIPE
Are you a fan of those breads from the bakery, you know, the one’s with that deliciously crunchy crust and soft, fluffy inside?
Yep, this bread tastes just like that. Except with plenty of sharp cheddar cheese and jalapenos!
All the nooks and crannies are just BEGGING for some creamy salted butter. Although my favorite thing to make with this bread… is grilled cheese! Seriously, it’s amazing.
I have another suuuuuuper easy no-knead bread on my website, but it requires a really long rise/rest time… so you have to make it the night before you want to bake the bread.
It tastes amazing, but I wanted to tweak that recipe to see if I could make a no-knead dutch oven bread that DIDN’T require a rise overnight.
Like most breads, it does have to rise two different times, however, it’s virtually hands-off, since you just fold the dough with a rubber spatula in between the rises… you don’t even have to get your hands dirty!
Let’s break it down… it may sound complicated, but I promise you it’s not, and I took step by step photos to show you.
HOW TO MAKE DUTCH OVEN BREAD
These steps correlate to the picture collage above!
- Add flour, salt, cheese and jalapenos to medium mixing bowl. Bread flour gives the best texture and rise for this bread, and I find shredding my own cheese helps it melt better.
- Add warm water and yeast to large mixing bowl – then add flour mixture. The water should be warm to the touch, but not hot. Like a baby’s bath water.
- Stir together and fold dough in on itself. Fold the dough from the outside of the bowl towards the center, turning the bowl a little each time, until you’ve folded the dough in on itself 8-10 times.
- Cover and let rise 1 hour. Picture 4 is what the dough will look like after this first rise.
- Fold dough in on itself again. Same method as before, although you’ll notice the dough looks and feels a bit more elastic, like in picture 5.
- Cover and let rise again for 1 hour. Picture 6 is what the dough will look like after this second rise. A little looser and more wobbly than the first time.
- Halfway through this rise time, preheat oven to 450°F with your dutch oven inside it. Let it preheat the full 30 minutes.
- Turn out dough and shape into a rough ball. Lightly flour your surface and your hands, then flip dough over and fold the corners of the dough in towards the center, about 6-8 times, until a rough ball is formed. Flip the dough over onto the piece of parchment paper.
- Use a sharp knife to score the dough, spray with cooking spray (so the toppings stick), then add more shredded cheese and sliced jalapenos.
- Use parchment to transfer dough to dutch oven.
- Bake dough with the lid on for 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake 20 minutes. This creates a steamy environment for the bread to bake and rise, then when the lid is off, it let the bread brown and crisp nicely. Picture 8 is right when I removed the lid, after it had been baked 30 minutes.
- Remove bread from pot and parchment paper and let cool for 1-2 hours.
ADDITIONAL COOKING TIPS
- FLOUR – All purpose flour may be used instead of bread flour, but may result in a denser loaf.
- PEPPERS – Canned or jarred jalapenos may be used instead of fresh.
- YEAST – Active dry yeast may be used instead of instant, but when you add the yeast to the warm water, you want to stir to dissolve it and let it sit a few minutes before adding the flour mixture.
- POTS – Other sizes of dutch ovens can be used, although I wouldn’t go any smaller than 3.5 quarts, as this bread will be right up to the top of the dutch oven. Keep in mind, the wider the dutch oven, the wider and flatter your loaf of bread will be. It will spread out to be the size of the bottom of the pot.
VARIATIONS OF THIS RECIPE
- MILDER – for a jalapeno flavor, but very mild spice level, try using pickled jalapenos. The jar I buy from the store says “tamed” jalapenos.
- SPICIER – feel free to add additional jalapenos to this bread, or even mix in some serrano peppers.
- CHEESES – I opted for a classic sharp cheddar, but you can use any shreddable cheese you like. Colby, PepperJack, mild cheddar, etc.
- GARLIC – sometimes I like to add a teaspoon of garlic powder to this bread to give it a different flavor profile.
MAKING DUTCH OVEN BREAD AHEAD OF TIME
Freshly baked breads, like this one, taste best when they are fresh. While your bread will still taste good 1-2 days after it’s baked, it will always best the day of.
STORAGE
Bread should be kept at room temperature. Refrigerating bread actually causes it to go stale quicker (at least with homemade breads), so keep it out of there for best results.
I like to store my baked bread that hasn’t been sliced, just out on the counter.
Once it’s been cut, I like to add the bread, cut side down, to a paper bag.
FREEZING
Baked bread freezes very well! You can either freeze the entire loaf, or pre-slice the loaf and freeze it that way.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT FOR THIS RECIPE
- Dutch Oven – this is the dutch oven I used, and LOVE, but it’s certainly pricey. I’ll link a more affordable one below. Bottom line is, this 3.5 quart size is the PERFECT size for a nice round loaf of bread.
- Affordable Dutch Oven – at more than 1/4th the price of the dutch oven linked above, this one is still a great quality pot, and it’s a 3.5 quart size.
BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT OTHER READERS’ COMMENTS FOR TIPS AND REVIEWS.
AND DON’T FORGET, IF YOU’VE MADE THIS RECIPE, LEAVE A COMMENT AND PLEASE GIVE IT A STAR RATING LETTING ME KNOW HOW YOU ENJOYED IT!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
TO A MEDIUM MIXING BOWL
- 3 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 large jalapeno diced
TO A LARGE MIXING BOWL
- 2 cups warm water
- 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast (1 standard .25oz packet)
FOR THE TOPPING
- 1/3 - 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
- 10 round slices jalapeno (or more, to taste)
Instructions
- ** just a note; this is a high hydration dough, which means it's SUPPOSED to be looser and not nearly as "shape-able" as a traditional bread dough! There are step by step photos and a video in the post above this recipe card. **
- To a medium mixing bowl, add bread flour, salt, 2 cups cheddar cheese, and diced jalapenos. Stir and set aside.
- To a large mixing bowl (pretty large - your bread will be rising in this bowl), add the warm water and yeast. Water should be warm, but not hot (like a baby's bath water). Add flour mixture to the yeast and water, using a rubber spatula to stir it all together until no flour streaks remain.
- Use spatula to fold the dough from the outside of the bowl towards the center, turning the bowl a little each time, until you've folded the dough in on itself 8-10 times.
- Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, use the rubber spatula to fold the dough in on itself again, 8-10 times. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 more hour.
- Halfway through this second rise, add your dutch oven, with the lid on, to your oven and preheat it to 450°F. Let it preheat for a full 30 minutes. Set out a piece of parchment paper large enough to go inside your dutch oven with a bit of overhang.
- Lightly dust a counter or cutting board with flour, and flour your hands as well. Turn out the dough onto the floured surface. Flip the dough over and brush off any excess flour.
- Fold the corners of the dough in towards the center, about 6-8 times, until a rough ball is formed. Flip the dough over onto the piece of parchment paper.
- Use a sharp knife to carefully score the dough (I like to make an "X"). Give the dough a quick spray with some cooking spray (or brush with oil), then sprinkle with set aside 1/3-1/2 cup of cheese and add sliced jalapenos.
- Use oven mitts to remove hot dutch oven from your oven and remove lid. Carefully use the parchment paper to transfer the dough to the dutch oven. Put the lid on, and return to the oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, then remove lid and continue baking another 20 minutes.
- After you've removed the dutch oven from the oven, tilt it slightly and use the parchment to sort of slide the bread and parchment out of the pot. It will come out easily.
- Remove parchment paper and let bread cool on a wire rack for 1-2 hours before slicing. Texture is best when bread is completely cooled before slicing.
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Chef Tips
** Just a note to avoid some confusion; this is a high hydration dough, which means it's SUPPOSED to be looser and not nearly as "shape-able" as a traditional bread dough! There are step by step photos and a video in the post above this recipe card. **
- All purpose flour may be used instead of bread flour, but may result in a denser loaf.
- Canned or jarred jalapenos may be used instead of fresh.
- Active dry yeast may be used instead of instant, but when you add the yeast to the warm water, you want to stir to dissolve it and let it sit a few minutes before adding the flour mixture.
- Other sizes of dutch ovens can be used, although I wouldn't go any smaller than 3.5 quarts, as this bread will be right up to the top of the dutch oven. Keep in mind, the wider the dutch oven, the wider and flatter your loaf of bread will be. It will spread out to be the size of the bottom of the pot.
- For a nice warm spot, run the microwave for about 30 seconds, then turn it off and add the bowl to the microwave. Preheating the oven for about 2 minutes then turning it off will work as well.
NO DUTCH OVEN?
- Boil about 1 1/2 cups of water.
- Add to a metal or ceramic pan (I like to use my 8x8 baking pan) on the bottom rack in the oven.
- Add parchment paper with shaped and topped dough to a baking sheet, and add to the middle oven rack.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, checking for doneness.
Video
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Recipe tweaked from my own recipe and Tasty’s.
Jean says
Just made this bread and it’s a big hit!! It’s the first time I have used a Dutch oven to bake bread and I’m sold. It’s been requested that I now make Italian Bread with the Dutch oven. Great recipe exactly as written. Helpful hints that are given by the author are a plus. Definitely going to make again.
Andrea says
This was so easy to make and it was so good! My husband loved it too! I will definitely be making this again.
Ruth says
Amazing & so easy! I really appreciated the very detailed recipe accompanied by pictures and a video. It made it really easy to follow the recipe and boy is it good! This one is definitely a keeper.
Dar says
Check after 15 minutes once you remove the lid. I set a 20 minute timer and it was too well done.
Brandie says
I’m attempting 1/2 loaves for Christmas gifts. I’m diving 1/2 the dough, scoring, and adding 1/2 the toppings. I’m trying to figure out the cook time. What would you recommend?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested baking half-loaves, so I can’t say for certain how long they’ll need to bake.
Stacey says
Can a magnalite pot be used? It’s the closet pot I have to a Dutch oven. Magnalite’s can only heat to 350 degrees from what I’m told… is this true?
The Chunky Chef says
I don’t have a magnalite pot, so I can’t say for certain if that’s true, or how well it would work in this recipe. You could also follow the “no dutch oven” instructions in the “chef tips” section of the recipe if you don’t have a dutch oven.
Bethany says
I currently have the bread in the oven now, and it looks fantastic. However, I guess it’s my fault for not reading the instructions through before I started, but the total time really should say more like 5-5.5 hours. It has to rise for 2 hours, bake for almost another hour, and then sit for another 1-2 hours. Plus the time it takes to actually bring the dough together. I have this made to eat with dinner, and I’m not going to wait an extra hour for it to cool completely, so we will just be eating it while it’s still warm.
Alisha Soueidi says
This is a family fav!!! Thank you!!!
Macayla says
Could you make this in a Dutch oven without putting it on parchment paper? Parchment smokes really bad in my oven.
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve never baked this without it, so I can’t say for certain, but you could try adding some cornmeal to the bottom of the dutch oven before adding the dough.
Inna Tacheva says
I do it all the time and as long as yoir dutch oven is hot enough it won’t stick. No need for paper
Chrystal says
Great recipe!! If you actually follow all directions and watch your dough it turns out perfect! I did add some chili powder, garlic powder,and a dash of cayenne powder to the dough. *TIP: put dry rice in bottom of your Dutch oven, just enough to cover the bottom, before putting parchment paper to keep bottom from browning too much.
Stacy says
I baked it without parchment paper. What I used was a silicone mat with handles. They’re heat resistant and they’re less than $8 on Amazon. It’s circular, perfectly fits my sized Dutch oven and the handles on them make it super easy to pull the bread out of the Dutch oven when it’s done! Cleans so well with dish soap and water because it’s silicone 🙂
Norma Mont says
What am I doing wrong if my dough is too sticky? Do you have a gram weight for the flour.
The Chunky Chef says
The dough is a high hydration dough, so it’s supposed to be sticky and lose (compared to traditional bread doughs). Did you check out the step by step photos in the post above the recipe? Those show the texture and consistency it should be.
Gina says
Hi,
Has anyone made it with out the cheese?
I wanted to try it with roasted garlic and the jalapeños but omit the cheese.
Brian says
If I were to modify this delicious loaf which I made four times now to walnut currant instead, do you think I’d need to adjust the water content?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested this recipe using those ingredients, so I can’t say for certain. If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
Brittany says
This is the recipe I used to make my FIRST ever homemade bread, and I am so glad I did. It was delicious.
Grace says
It looks amazing!
ZFinn says
Just made this! My house smells so GOOD! It’s going to be so hard to wait 2 hours for it to cool!
Jayme says
I’ve made this about 4x now. Always a hit and gone way too fast.
Wayne Christiansen says
I made two loaves of the jalapeno cheddar cheese.
They came out outstanding. It was so easy also
Will be making these regularly
Thank you
Kristin says
Oh my was this ever good! So easy to make – will definitely be making this again and again! Definitely going to try adding some garlic to it next time!
Christine says
Holy Jalapenó!!! This was absolutely delicious!!! Made exactly as written. Bold jalapeno and cheese flavor. Couldnt be any easier. Thank you for this new ‘go-to’ recipe. Wish I could have uploaded a picture, its beautiful too!!!
Laura M. Nelson says
Wonderful results! I’m wondering if it freezes well. If anyone knows, please comment. Thank you!
Virgil says
It freezes very well. I bake 2 small loaves(2 smaller Dutch ovens) and freeze one wrapped in Saran Wrap placed in a freezer bag. Thaw to room temperature then reheat in a 350 degree oven on the oven rack for 5-7 minutes. Wonderful!
Amber says
When you make your smaller loaves, do you adjust your cooking times? I’m going to make this, but I have a 2 qt oven and I’m going to 1/2 the recipe. Any suggestions welcome! Thanks!
Kristen Haux says
I like to cool the bread, slice it and then freeze it wrapped in foil and then placed in a freezer bag. When you want to eat it, I remove it from the bag and place the foil-wrapped loaf in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until warm.