Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Loaf

Wait until you try this Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Loaf using fresh milled flour. I don’t even like jalapeños but the flavors in this loaf are amazing. See below and I’ll show you how I make it.

Why Jalapeño & Cheddar?

The jalapeño is a chili pepper that has great spice. Compared to other hot peppers, this one is pretty tame. It has great flavor and is good in classic guacamole. Cheddar cheese is sharp and creamy. It also pares really well with the Jalapeno. You can keep it pretty mild by removing the seeds and the inner pith or take it up a notch and dice the entire pepper.

Ingredients

Jalapeños – These peppers give this loaf just the right amount of heat. You can keep the seeds for more spice or remove them (like I do) for just the wonderful flavor that the pepper brings.

Cheddar Cheese – I love using a mild or medium cheddar cheese. It has a sharp, tangy and creamy texture. In sayings that, cheddar cheese is perfect at melting and gives this loaf an ooey gooey texture.

How To Make Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Loaf

Day 1

• Mix the Dough:In a large bowl, combine the starter and water. Add the flour and stir until no dry spots remain. It’ll be shaggy and sticky—don’t worry! Cover and let it rest (Autolyse) for 15 minutes. This helps the flour hydrate and kickstarts gluten development.
• Add Salt:After the rest, add the salt. Mix by hand (pinching and folding) or with a spoon until fully incorporated. The dough will feel wet and stretchy. 
• Bulk Fermentation with Stretch and Folds:Over the next 4 hours, let the dough rest. It will rise and be puffy, usually increasing in size by 50%. Timing depends on your starter’s strength and room temp. Now, over the next 2 hours, perform 4 sets of stretch and folds every 30 minutes. To do this, wet your hands, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat for all four sides. This builds strength in the dough.
• Incoporate Mix-Ins: After the second fold, gently mix in 1/3 of the jalapeños and cheddar cheese . Spread them evenly as you fold to avoid clumping. Continue spreading 1/3 of the mix-ins with the third and forth stretch n’ fold (being gentle not to mess with the dough). Basically, you’ll add 1/3 of the mix-ins at each stretch ‘n fold (start with the 2nd one).
• Shape the Loaf:Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently shape it into a round or oval loaf by folding the edges toward the center, like the shape of an envelope. Move the dough back and forth on the counter, in the shape of a ball creating tension. For the final shape, flip it seam-side up, tighten it into a ball (or batard), and place it seam-side up in a floured proofing basket or a bowl lined with a floured tea towel.
• Second Rise (Proofing):Cover and let it proof in the refrigerator overnight (12-15 hours) for a slower ferment and deeper flavor. It’s ready when it’s puffed up and holds a slight indent when poked.

Day 2

• Preheat:Turn your oven to 450°F (230°C) with a Dutch oven or baking stone inside for at least 45 -60 minutes.
• Score and Bake:Turn the dough onto parchment paper. Score the top with a sharp blade or lame—a simple slash or “x” score works great. Add a few ice cubes and some water to a tray at the bottom of the oven. Place the dough (with parchment paper) into the hot baking vessel, cover, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 20 minutes until deep golden brown.
• Let the loaf cool on a wire rack for at least 1-2 hours before slicing. This helps the crumb set and keeps it from getting gummy.

Join Our Simple Living Community

Tools I Used

Parchment Paper

Dutch Oven

Bread Baker

Gloves

Bread Lame

Pin For Later

Which Baking Vessel to Use

My go-to for years has been a dutch oven. I’ve used both a cast iron and an enameled one. They both make a lovely loaf. Nice, crispy crust and soft on the inside. They are an investment and you’ll keep them for a very very long time.

I found this bread baker made from pottery and I’m loving it as well. It’s so pretty and looks good sitting on the counter. If you have a love for vintage blue stripe pottery, then you’ll love this one too!

How To Dice The Jalapeños

Let’s figure out how to dice the jalapeños. Firstly, there is no right or wrong way to dice them. If you like the seeds, then just cut them up in circles or into little pieces. It’s really a personal preference. I remove the seeds and the inner pith. Lastly, I just dice them up into small pieces. It makes it really easy to incorporate them in with the cheese.

Learn To Use Mix-Ins In Other Sourdough Loaves

• Cranberry Pecan
• Tuscan
• Blueberry Lemon Maple
• Cinnamon Raisin Pecan

Tips For Making Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Loaf

• When dicing the jalapeños, I suggest wearing gloves. If for some reason, you have an itch on your eye or need to pull your hair out of the way, gloves assist in not burning you. Even if you are keeping the seeds, it’s a good idea to wear gloves.
• Use a fresh block of cheese. Bagged cheese contains caking agents and does not melt as good as the block. I like to grate 1/2 of the block and cut the other half into small cubes. This will allow for even distribution as well as pockets of ooey gooey melted cheese once the loaf has baked.
• Use whatever cheeses you have on hand. You can even mix a few blends together. I’ve used a white cheddar and although you might not notice the color in the loaf, it was delicious.
• Add cooked drained bacon to your loaf. Oh my! It’s so good. Just crumb the bacon into piece and incorporate it during your stretch and folds.

Where To Buy Grains

I’ve been a co-op leader for BreadBecker’s since 2017. If you have a co-op near you, you can buy grains in 6 gallon buckets. Everyone pulls together to save on shipping. They deliver 3x a year. It can be a great way to stock up or if you have a large family. To fill in the gaps, I order from a few other high quality companies. I love both of their vision and mission.

Guardian Grains – (enter code lhsimpleliving for 15% off)

Sunrise Flour Mill – (receive 20% off, no code needed)

• No Tillage:  tillage breaks down the fungal network in the soil which is essential for raising fully self sustaining plants.
• No Fertilizers either organic or synthetic.
• No Seed Treatments
• No GMO
• No Insecticide
• No Fungicide
• No pre-harvest desicant

Blueberry Lemon Maple Sourdough Loaf

A blueberry lemon maple sourdough loaf is a rustic bread that combines the tangy flavor of sourdough with the tart pop of blueberries and lemon and the sweetness of the maple syrup.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 6 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Cold Proofing 12 hours hrs

Total Time 19 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Servings 1 Loaf

Ingredients

  

Dough

• 400 g Fresh-Milled Flour (I use half of hard white wheat and khorasan)
• 100 g Heritage Wheat or Hard White Bread Flour (Unifine or Stone Milled)
• 350 g Water (Room temperature, about 70-75% hydration)
• 100 g Active Sourdough Starter (nice and bubbly)
• 11 g Mineral Salt

Add-Ins

• 1-2 tbsp Maple Syrup (Use the real stuff)
• 1/2 cup Fresh Blueberries (Organic, preferably)
• 1/2 Lemon (Juiced)
• 1 Zest of Lemon

Instructions

 

• Mix the Dough (Autolyse):

  In a large bowl, combine the starter and water. Add the flour and stir until no dry spots remain. It’ll be shaggy and sticky—don’t worry! Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes. This helps the flour hydrate and kickstarts gluten development.
• Add Salt:

  After the rest, add the salt. Mix by hand (pinching and folding) or with a spoon until fully incorporated. The dough will feel wet and stretchy. 
• Bulk Fermentation with Stretch and Folds:

  Over the next 4 hours, let the dough rest. It will rise and be puffy, usually increasing in size by 50%. Timing depends on your starter’s strength and room temp.Next, over the next 2 hours, perform 4 sets of stretch and folds every 30 minutes. To do this, wet your hands, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat for all four sides. This builds strength in the dough.After the second fold, gently mix in 1/4 of the blueberries, lemon and maple syrup. Spread them evenly as you fold to avoid clumping. Continue spreading the mix-ins evenly with the third and forth stretch n’ fold, distributing it throughout each step. Be gentle so it doesn’t mess with the dough. Basically, you’ll add 1/4 of the mix-ins into each stretch and fold (starting the 2nd one).
• Shape the Loaf:

  Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently shape it into a round or oval loaf by folding the edges toward the center, like the shape of an envelope. Move the dough back and forth on the counter, rolling a ball and creating tension. For the final shape, flip it seam-side up, tighten it into a ball (or batard), and place it seam-side up in a floured proofing basket or a bowl lined with a floured tea towel.
• Second Rise (Proofing):

  Cover with a grocery bag and let it proof in the refrigerator overnight (12-15 hours) for a slower ferment and deeper flavor. It’s ready when it’s puffed up and holds a slight indent when poked.
• Preheat and Prep:

  Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) with a Dutch oven or baking vessel of choice, inside for at least 45 -60 minutes.
• Score and Bake:

  Turn the dough onto parchment paper. Score the top with a sharp blade or lame. A simple slash or “x” score works great. Add a few ice cubes and some water to a tray at the bottom of the oven. Place the dough (with parchment paper) into the hot baking vessel, cover, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 20 minutes until deep golden brown.
• Let the loaf cool on a wire rack for at least 1-2 hours before slicing. This helps the crumb set and keeps it from getting gummy.

Notes

• Starter Check: Make sure your starter is at its peak—doubling in size within 4-6 hours of feeding.
• Hydration: If your dough feels too stiff, add a splash more water (5-10g) when mixing. Sourdough can vary based on flour and humidity.
• Baking: After the lid comes off, bump the heat down to 400 allowing your loaf not to burn.
• You can use all-purpose flour but you’ll need to adjust the water amount. Freshly-milled flour absorbs more water. I always start with 350 grams and add more if needed, depending on what wheat I’m using. 

I hope you enjoy this delicious Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Loaf. It’s perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Tag me over on Instagram if you make this loaf. I’d love to see yours!

Wendy Lea Walker, NTP

Nutritional Therapy Practitioner

I’m Wendy. A wife, empty-nester mama, homemaker, homebaker, gardener and small-time farmer. I love sharing wisdom and mistakes I’ve learned along the way. Anyone can garden or homestead, no matter where you live. It’s a mindset. You just have to start somewhere. I believe food is medicine. Feed the body real whole foods and healing will begin.