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.
Cecilia says
I would honestly give this recipe a trillion stars if I could! No joke. It’s so easy to follow and easy to make and it’s so delicious. My mom demanded I forward her the recipe and my husband and I both agree that this bread needs to be made often. It’s so delicious. I’ve said this twice but those words do not do it justice. I struggled not to eat the loaf in one sitting. Maybe that’s more appropriate. So thank you for sharing this beauty with the world!
Regina Smith says
What a delicious bread! Your instructions for making the bread was unbelievable! So much clarity! The bread tasted awesome. The top crust was perfect. The bottom crust was perfect. The inside was light but it look like it wasn’t done. It towards the bottom of the bread in a line. It didn’t taste doughy. The one thing that I did was sifted the flour. Maybe I shouldn’t sifted it. One more ? Can you use peppers that already turn red? Thank you again for the recipe! I am going to try it again!
The Chunky Chef says
So happy to hear you enjoyed this bread! Hmm, it sounds like maybe it needed a tiny bit more in the oven, even though it wasn’t doughy, it could be it was just a hair shy of being fully baked. Yes, you can use red jalapeños 🙂
Chrissy says
Did you cut the bread soon after finishing baking it? Sometimes breads, especially high hydration doughs (wet ones like this one) can feel a bit doughy even though they are fully cooked if you don’t let them completely cook down before cutting it. It can also affect the crust if you cut it too early. I usually let higher hydration doughs cool completely, but at least for 2 hours. If you want it warm for serving let it cool completely, then slice it and put it back together and in the oven for about 10 minutes.
Becky says
Hi there I was wondering if this would work without the cheese and jalapeños. I am from the fraser valley in Canada with all of the flooding and need to make bread for me and my neibours
The Chunky Chef says
I hope you and you neighbors are safe! I’ve only tested this recipe as written. So without testing and retesting it myself, I can’t say for certain if that would work. However, I have many other bread recipes, including a no-knead artisan bread that’s pretty similar to the base of this bread https://www.thechunkychef.com/bread/ and https://www.thechunkychef.com/homemade-artisan-no-knead-bread/
Cindy says
I’ve made the Jalapeño bread several times. I now make it for the holidays instead of rolls. Everyone loves it. I also give my kids a loaf as a Christmas present.
Julie says
Such an amazingly simple and quick recipe. No kneading! It smells, looks and tastes great. Thank you for an excellent recipe.
Linda says
My goodness!! It turned out so good!! Thanks for the recipe!!
JoAnne says
SO good! Will make again!
Marsha says
I have made lots of bread over the years, this is wonderful and I will make it many more times.
I did add a lot more flour than what was in the recipe. I may try the recipe as written next time but I can not imagine how it would turn out. Two cups of water sounded like a lot of water for one loaf of bread, and the amount of flour. Anyway the bread was good and I enjoyed it. Thanks
Suzanne says
Made this bread. It was super easy. I have also used it as base and did garlic Parmesan just litter jalapeños and cheddar. Guess you could do same and do cinnamon raisin. Either way it was great!!! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Vacchie says
Family favourite 🥰
Robin says
Love it!
Michelle says
So easy and absolutely delicious 🤤
Steffanie says
I always mess up when I’m baking but this recipe was written out so amazingly that I didn’t actually mess up! That’s a first! I love how organized it was! This recipe is delicious, I can’t believe how great it turned out. Adding the little bit of garlic powder to the recipe was genius too. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Peggi says
OMG this was SO good!!! I love jalapeño bread and this is probably one of the easiest bread recipes I’ve made. This will definitely be in my repertoire from now on! I always have freshly grated Colby jack cheese on hand however next time I will be sure to use sharp cheddar for more of a cheese taste. LOVE this!!
Kelly says
Tasted fantastic, took it to a friends and he didn’t care for heat but wife loved it! We had grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch and they were fantastic. I am making it again today and thinking about putting directly on parchment paper from bowl rather than on counter first.
Steelyfan says
The bread is incredible, easy to make and perfect texture!
Mary says
What if I don’t have parchment paper??
Amanda says
I’ve only made this recipe using parchment paper, since it can be difficult to transfer this dough to the pot without it. Since this is a high hydration dough, it’s pretty wet and will stick without something in the dutch oven. You could try using some cornmeal in the pot, but transferring it will be tough. If I were you I would just pick up a package of parchment paper.
Michele says
I used flagship cheddar- delicious!!
Rita says
OMG this is probably the best bread I’ve ever had. I’ve made it twice (and am going on my 3rd loaf!) and cannot decide which I appreciate more, the amazing taste or the ease of making it. Darn it, I’m going to gain 30 lbs because of this, ha ha. Thanks for sharing!
Peggi says
IKR?!?! This is SO good!!
Rachel Brown says
I don’t have a Dutch oven how can I make this bread
Amanda says
Please see the section titled “No Dutch Oven?” in the Chef Tips area right below the recipe.
Candy says
I don’t have a Dutch oven either… So I used a cast iron skillet! Worked great!