Homemade bakery-style bread has never been easier. This super crusty no knead jalapeƱo cheddar bread is baked in a dutch oven and requires practically zero hands-on work from you!
One reader, Tina, commented: “One of my favorite bread recipes from you. Iāve made it multiple times over the the past couple of years. Every time it comes out crusty and delicious! The honey butter recipe pairs perfectly with this bread. In fact, I have the dough resting on my counter right now. Canāt wait to eat it! ā ā ā ā ā “
After sharing this no knead cranberry nut bread, many readers asked for another flavor variation. Since then, I’ve also published no knead olive bread, super seeded oat bread, this “plain” homemade artisan bread (anything but plain, so flavorful!), and today’s jalapeƱo cheddar bread. I’ve actually had today’s recipe published for a few years, and just added some new photos and simpler instructions.
Grab some spicy jalapeƱos, a block of sharp cheddar, and lots of self control.
What comes to mind when you think of homemade bread? Unless you’re a seasoned baker, it sounds a little scary, right? This recipe will completely change that thought. You can make bakery-style bread at home and besides stirring the ingredients together, the process requires zero work from you.
How to Make JalapeƱo Cheddar No-Knead Bread
- Stir 6 ingredients together including flour, yeast, salt, cheddar cheese, chopped jalapeƱo, and water. Don’t even break out your mixer.
- Shape into a ball and leave it alone for a day.
- Score an X on top of the dough, let it rest, and then bake it in a dutch oven to obtain a super crisp crust.
- Eat it.
That’s all. This no knead, professional-bread-at-home method has swarmed the internet and kitchens all over the world. It originally came from Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery in NYC. It’s all very basic ingredients, but the method was groundbreaking and includes an 18 hour rise time. This overnight rest gives the dough a chance to ferment. Just set the dough on your counter and forget about it. The magic happens when you’re not looking! Forget how to knead dough; you don’t need to worry about that!
Let’s Talk JalapeƱo & Cheddar
The bread’s base flavor comes from the fermentation over the 18 hour period. But to shake things up and make this a fancy-tasting specialty bread, add 1 diced jalapeƱo and some sharp cheddar cheese.
- Is this jalapeƱo cheddar bread spicy? Sort of. I can tolerate a little spice and I LOVE this bread. The pieces of dough without jalapeƱo helps to cool off your mouth. Feel free to adjust the amount of jalapeƱo based on your heat tolerance. And if you love this combination, make my jalapeƱo cheddar soft pretzels next.
- What is the best cheese to use? For the best flavor and texture, I recommend using a block of cheddar cheese and grating it at home with a box grater (affiliate link to the one I use and love), instead of purchasing a bag of the pre-shredded stuff. I recommend this if you’re making my homemade cheese bread, too.
What to Expect with This No Knead Dough
- Bubbles: The dough will rise for 12-18 hours and be very bubbly when it’s done.
- Strands: As you pull the risen dough off the sides of the bowl, you’ll notice a network of strands forming. See photo above. These strands are a good thing and will produce the chewiest bread ever.
- Stickiness: This will be a super sticky dough. It will stick to your hands, but that’s nothing a quick wash can’t fix!
You can expect the same in my artisan homemade bread dough, too.
Bake the no knead bread at a very high oven temperature, which will produce a golden brown and crisp crust. The crisp on this crust is unparalleled to any bread I’ve ever baked.
No Dutch Oven? No Problem.
While baking the bread in a dutch oven is key to this bread’s texture, you can get around it. Instead, place the rounded dough on a parchment paper lined or generously floured nonstick baking pan. (No need to preheat the pan in the oven like you do the dutch oven.) Score the bread as noted in step 3 below. Preheat the oven (same oven temperature). After the oven is preheated, place scored dough/baking pan on the center rack. Then place a shallow metal or cast iron baking pan or skillet (I usually use a metal 9Ć13-inch baking pan; do not use glass) on the bottom oven rack. Carefully and quickly pour 3-4 cups of boiling water into it, and then quickly shut the oven door to trap the steam inside. The steam helps create a crispier crust. Bake for about 30 minutes. For a more accurate test, the bread is done when an instant read thermometer reads the center of the loaf as 195Ā°F (90Ā°C).
What to Serve with JalapeƱo Cheddar Bread
Between dips, spreads, and main dishes, here are some serving suggestions for jalapeƱo cheese bread.
- Slather slices with homemade honey butter
- Tear apart pieces and dip in roasted garlic bacon spinach dip
- Serve alongside slow cooker chicken chili or creamy chicken noodle soup
- I believe parmesan garlic hummus exists for this very bread
- Serve with super saucy slow cooker BBQ meatballs
- With a big bowl of mac & cheese
- Dunk those slices in spicy nacho cheese sauce! This is what I usually use for soft pretzel bites.
Honestly, just break out the warm loaf, a good hunk of cheese, and a bottle of wine. You’re all set for a satisfying snack!
PrintNo Knead JalapeƱo Cheddar Bread
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 20 hours
- Yield: 1 loaf; 10-12 servings
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Homemade bakery-style bread has never been easier. This super crusty no knead jalapeƱo cheddar bread is baked in a dutch oven and requires practically zero hands-on work from you! If youāre new to working with yeast, reference myĀ Baking with Yeast GuideĀ for answers to common yeast FAQs.
Ingredients
- 3 cups + 2 Tablespoons (390g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for hands
- 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt (I find the flavor lacking using regular table salt)
- 1/2 teaspoon instant or active-dry yeast
- 1 jalapeƱo, diced
- 1 cup (125g) shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water (aboutĀ 95Ā°F (35Ā°C))
Instructions
- *No need to grease the bowl, and do not use a mixer in this step because the dough is too sticky for a mixer.* Stir the first 5 ingredients together in a large bowl, and then stir in the warm water. The dough will be pretty sticky but if it’s extremely wet, add another 2 Tablespoons of flour. Gently shape the dough into a ball as best you can. Cover tightly. Set on the counter at room temperature (honestly any normal room temperature is fine!) and allow to rise for 12-18 hours. The dough will double in size, stick to the sides of the bowl, and have a lot of air bubbles.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and, using lightly floured hands, shape into a ball as best you can. Doesn’t have to be perfect. Transfer dough to a large piece of parchment paper, a piece large enough to fit inside your dutch oven and one that is safe under high oven heat. (I use this parchment and it’s never been an issue.) Place the ball of dough + parchment inside a bowl so the dough doesn’t spread out as it rests. See photo above.
- Using a very sharp knifeĀ or bread lame (you could even use kitchen shears), gently score an X into the top. Cover dough lightly with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- During this 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 475Ā°F (246Ā°C). (Yes, very hot!) Place your dutch oven with the lid OR heavy duty pot inside for 30 minutes so that it’s extremely hot before the dough is placed inside. After 30 minutes, remove the dutch oven from the oven and carefully place the dough inside by lifting it up with the parchment paper and sticking it allāparchment paper includedāinside the pot. Cover with the lid.
- Bake for 25 minutes with the lid on. Carefully remove the lid and continue baking for 8-10 more minutes until the bread is golden brown.Ā How to test for doneness: Give the warm bread a light tap. If it sounds hollow, itās done. For a more accurate test, the bread is done when an instant read thermometer reads the center of the loaf as 195Ā°F (90Ā°C).
- Remove pot from the oven, carefully remove the bread from the pot, and allow to cool on a wire cooling rack for 20 minutes before slicing.
- Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for up to 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The dough takes up to 18 hours to rise, so this is a wonderful recipe to begin 1 day ahead of time. You can also bake the bread, allow it to cool, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving. You can also freeze the dough. Complete the recipe through step 2. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-friendly container. To bake, allow dough to thaw completely at room temperature and then continue with step 3 and the rest of the recipe instructions.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Box Grater | Glass Mixing Bowls | Wooden Spoon | Dutch Oven |Ā Parchment Paper |Ā Bread Lame | Instant Read Thermometer | Cooling Rack
- Dutch Oven: Use a 6 quart or larger dutch oven or any large oven-safe pot with an oven-safe lid. If your dutch oven is smaller than 6 quarts, you can halve the recipe (instructions remain the same, just halve each ingredient) or make the recipe as directed in step 1, shape the dough into 2 balls in step 2, and bake them one at a time in your smaller dutch oven. While the 2nd dough waits, lightly cover and keep at room temperature. The bake times in the recipe above (25 mins and then 8-10 mins) will both be a little shorter for smaller loaves.
- No dutch oven? See post above for alternative.
- Yeast: If you don’t have instant yeast, you can use active-dry. Iāve never had a problem using active dry yeast in this recipeāand with no other changes needed. Works wonderfully!
- Bread Flour or Whole Wheat Flour: I use all-purpose flour here since itās more readily available to most bakers. However, I love baking bread with bread flour and it can definitely be substituted with no other changes needed to the recipe. You can also substitute 1 cup of the flour for whole wheat flour. Do not use all whole wheat flour, as the bread will taste quite dense and heavy.
- Parchment Paper: If your parchment paper can only be heated to a certain temperature, bake the bread at that temperature. Bake the bread a little longer to compensate for the lower temperature.
- Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
- Recipe adapted from Red Star Yeast, method originally from Jim Lahey.
I made the recipe and we loved it. My loaf was maybe under-cooked on the very bottom? Did I not cook it long enough? Only the very bottom seemed to be flat. This is my favorite site and my go-to when I need a no-fail recipe for a work treat. Tonight I am going to put together the Cranberry Nut recipe. Thanks for all of the awesome recipes.
I’m so glad that you loved it! If it was slightly undercooked on the bottom make sure the lid of your pot is on well and try cooking for a few minutes longer next time. I hope you love the cranberry nut bread also!
Hi Sally
My son loves jalapeƱo cheddar bread so Iād like to make this next time he comes into town. Iāve never made bread before but this looks so good Iād like to give it a try. I have a Calphalon Dutch oven that is oven safe to 450 degrees and I have If You Care parchment paper that is oven safe to 428 degrees. How long do you recommend I cook the bread for? How will I know when itās done?
Thanks so much!
Hi Maggie! Your dutch oven will work wonderfully and that parchment paper will be fine to use since the bread will do most of the cooking with the lid on. Bake for about 25 minutes with the lid on. Carefully remove the lid and continue baking for 8-10 more minutes until the bread is golden brown all over. I like a nice toasty crust!
I would caution people about using glass lids in the oven. Most are not safe to use at that high of a temp. If your cookware is only safe to 425 then your lids are only safe to that level or lower. Keep in mind as well that baking dishes (Pyrex type) purchased after the 1980’s may not be safe either. If in doubt check it out.
Thanks, Diane. I made the bread twice using my pan with the glass lid but cooking at the temp limit recommended. Everything went smoothly. However the heat really discolored the sides of the pan and lid. I found a BK dutch oven on sale and used that for the next loaf. It was perfect and no discoloration.
I made this for a dinner party last night. My friends generally donāt like spicy food so I omitted the jalapeƱo. This bread was amazing! Just the right amount of cheddar flavor and so easy. Another great recipe!
What would you recommend if you don’t have anything with an oven-safe lid? Could I bake this in my cast iron pan and tent some tinfoil over it in place of a lid? Because I feel like I need this bread in my life lol
Hi Jennifer! You’re exactly right– the next best option would be to use your cast iron pan with tented aluminum foil over the dough.
Could you use a Pyrex casserole dish to bake?
Hi Shirley! The oven may be too hot for the pyrex, so I would double check it. You also need an oven-safe lid, too.
I love the idea of a no-knead savory bread, but I can’t stand the taste of jalapenos. Would this recipe still work if I used mozzarella cheese and olives or sundried tomatoes?
Hi Ellen! It absolutely would š I’d love to know what you think if you try it!
Made this bread for the first time this weekend and it was fantastic! Great recipe and definitely a keeper. Bread had an excellent texture, soft and moist on the inside with an excellent chewy exterior. I have a couple of hacks that might help people out about this recipe. If people are worried about their parchment with the high temps then try using nonstick foil. Thatās what I did and the bread absolutely slid off the foil with ease. Plus the foil kept the bread is the correct shape with ease. Didnāt seem to affect the bottom texture of the bread at all. Also if someone is worried about damaging their Dutch oven then try this. Ages ago I searched thrift stores until I found an old sturdy and very inexpensive Dutch oven. I use it for high temp cooking and keep my more modern one for regular use. Iām very much looking forward to experimenting with this bread. The options are just endless. I believe my next one will have a variety of mixed olives and caramelized onions. Thanks for the great recipe!
What is the purpose of using a lid? I dont have any pots deep enough . What happens if I don’t use a lid?? Does the bread continue to rise while baking?
Hi Liz! The lid is actually pretty imperative to the bread’s texture. It traps the moisture inside a small enclosed space. The steam gelatinizes the bread’s starches, which creates a golden crispy crust with a voluminous loaf underneath.
I do traditional yeast breads with regularity and have known about no-knead bread for well over a decade, but I finally decided to actually make my first no-knead loaf this weekend. Why did I wait so long???? This is so easy with great results. Will definitely make again.
I’m glad you finally tried it and enjoyed it, Rachel!
Can you use this recipe make it sweet? Like a sugar cinnamon type? I’m not sure how the sugar and yeast will affect each other?
I have a cranberry version that has honey in the dough! https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/no-knead-cranberry-nut-bread/
I also have a cinnamon swirl bread you can try: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/homemade-cinnamon-swirl-bread/
Thank you for the awesome feedback! I made this bread and it was a real hit in my house. Used about 1.5 peppers, and saved the remainder for the topping. I am normally horrible at baking, but with these rustic dutch oven bread recipes, I can do it, and look like a champ!!
So I made this JalapeƱo Cheddar bread for the first time, followed the instructions exactly but mine didn’t rise. It is kind of flat and seems hard. Any suggestions of what I might have done wrong?
Hi Nancy! I’m curious why the dough didn’t rise over 18 hours. What type of yeast are you using? It’s supposed to be super crusty, but the center should be nice and chewy.
I canāt even! This is SO GOOD! I made it to have with your southwest chicken salad tonight for dinner. It will take all my self-control to not eat it before then. The texture is amazing!
Love this bread! So delicious! I am making 4 loaves today . On loaf 3 and my house smells sooo scrumptious!
Hi Sally!
Love your blog š If I left the bread to rise longer than 18 hrs, would anything catastrophic happen? Just realized I will be at work tomorrow when itās ready…
18 hours max is ideal, but a few extra hours won’t do much harm. You can always refrigerate the rising dough if it needs to rise for longer than 1 whole day. Refrigeration will slow down the rise, extending the time.
I made this last weekend and it turned out DELICIOUS! My husband has already asked me to make more š I don’t have a 6 qt. dutch oven so I used my 4 qt. one and it turned out just fine. My parchment paper can only stand up to 420F so I baked mine an additional 10 min. with the lid on and maybe 5 additional min. with lid off.
We made this bread just like the recipe, but with an extra jalepeno. It was perfect! Cheesy, spicy, with a great crust! Two questions:
-we ate most of it the first day… š but I stored the rest overnight in a ziplock bag on the counter and the crust was not near as hard and crispy the second day. Do you have any suggestions for storage?
-also, Iām not super creative with this kind of stuff, do you have a couple other ideas on what might work in this bread? I know you say anything, but maybe one thought of savory additions and one of sweet additions?
Hi Ann! Leaving the bread uncovered overnight will preserve the crispy texture. So happy you tried this recipe and loved it!
I love my cranberry and walnut no knead bread: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/no-knead-cranberry-nut-bread/
You could also add some shredded cheese and corn, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh herbs, olives, etc.
Sally this bread is fantastic! The smell was making me crazy as it baked! I said to my husband if this tastes half as good as it smells I will be happy. It did not disappoint, I am looking for reasons to make it again. We had it with your chicken chili which was also a big hit! Thank you for all your wonderful recipes!
You are welcome, Diana! It pairs wonderfully with chili and I’m so happy that you both enjoyed it!
I am so happy with this recipe! I am bad at baking but this bread turned out amazing. Soft, moist and yummy. Super easy and impressively beautiful. Will be a go to for company.
Hi Sally,
Can I replace the parchment paper with foil?
I fear the bread would stick too much, but you can give it a try!
Hi Sally! I love your blog and successfully made few wonderful desserts. Today My freshly baked bread has a lot of moisture and seems slightly soggy on the bottom. I followed recipe and my cast iron pot was very hot when the bread baked in the oven…it looked good when it came out from oven but after cool down for 30 minutes I found out so much wet on the button…
Hi Meg! I wonder if the bread simply wasn’t baked long enough. Try keeping it in the oven a little longer if you try the no-knead bread again.
What would the changes be if I omit the cheese?
No changes necessary, simply leave it out.
I currently have this loaf in the oven right now with a pot of chili on the stove. My house smells wonderful and we are so looking forward to gobbling this up! Thanks for another amazing recipe
So easy and delicious! I substituted kalamata olives for the jalapeƱos. No question the easiest bread I’ve ever made! Thanks for the great recipes!
Made this last night…BEST and EASIEST bread EVER!!!!!!
Would Kosher salt be a good substitute for the coarse sea salt?
Yep, that should be just fine. Let me know how you like it!
Hi! I have a packet of ActiveDry Yeast and it says to dissolve in water/sugar then proceed to recipe. Am I measuring a 1/2 teaspoon straight from the packet in powder form or after its prepared? I looked all over for some insight on this to no avail. ( next time, instant yeast) thank you!