Jalapeño-Cheddar Sourdough Bread

Ingredients

For the Levain (prepare the night before)

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon ripe sourdough starter

For the Main Dough

• 4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup whole rye flour
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese mix
• 2 medium jalapeños, finely diced
• 2 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 1/2 cups water, divided
• 2 3/4 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• All of the ripe levain

Prepare the Levain and Dough

The night before you plan to bake, mix all the levain ingredients in a container, cover it, and let it ripen at a warm room temperature for about 12 hours.

The next morning, you’ll autolyse the main dough. In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, rye flour, and about 2 1/4 cups of the water. Mix until there are no dry bits left, then cover the bowl and let it rest for about 30 minutes. While it’s resting, you can dice your jalapeños and shred your cheese.

After the rest, add the maple syrup, ripe levain, and salt to the top of the dough. Use a splash of the remaining water to help everything mix in. Knead the dough for a few minutes – either in the bowl or using a slap and fold technique on the counter – for about 5 minutes, until it starts to smooth out.

Transfer the dough to a container for bulk fermentation.

Ferment and Shape the Bread

Let the dough bulk ferment for about 3 1/2 hours at a warm room temperature. You’ll want to give it three sets of stretch and folds during this time.

For the first set of folds, after about 30 minutes, spread about a quarter of your jalapeños and cheese over the top of the dough. Grab one side of the dough, stretch it up and over, then add another quarter of the inclusions. Repeat this process for all four sides until all the cheese and jalapeños are folded in.

Perform two more sets of gentler stretch and folds, spaced out by 30 minutes. After the last set, let the dough rest for the remainder of the bulk fermentation.

When it’s ready, scrape the dough out onto a dry counter and divide it in half. Gently preshape each half into a round and let them rest, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Flour the top of your rounds and your work surface. Shape each one into a boule or a batard, then place them seam-side up in proofing baskets.

Proof and Bake the Bread

Cover the baskets and place them in the fridge to proof overnight.

The next day, get your oven preheating to 450F with a Dutch oven inside.

When the oven is ready, take one of your loaves out of the fridge, score it, and carefully place it on a piece of parchment paper to lower it into the hot Dutch oven.

Bake for 20 minutes with the lid on. Then, remove the lid and bake for another 30 minutes, or until the crust is deeply colored.

Let the loaves cool on a wire rack for at least a couple of hours before slicing.

Jalapeño-Cheddar Sourdough Bread

The key to this bread is layering the jalapeños and cheese into the dough during the stretch and fold process. This distributes them throughout the loaf so you get pockets of spicy, cheesy goodness in every slice. It’s a relatively high-hydration sourdough, which gives it a nice open crumb that works really well with the inclusions.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Rise, Proof, Ferment Time1 day d 4 hours hrs

Total Time1 day d 5 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

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Ingredients

For the Levain (prepare the night before)

• ▢ 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• ▢ 1/2 cup water
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ripe sourdough starter

For the Main Dough

• ▢ 4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 cup whole wheat flour
• ▢ 1/3 cup whole rye flour
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese mix
• ▢ 2 medium jalapeños finely diced
• ▢ 2 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ▢ 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ 2 1/2 cups water divided
• ▢ 2 3/4 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• ▢ All of the ripe levain

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Instructions

• Mix levain ingredients, cover and let ripen at room temperature overnight.
• Mix flours with 2 1/4 cups water, rest 30 minutes.
• Add maple syrup, levain, salt and remaining water. Knead 5 minutes until smooth.
• Bulk ferment 3.5 hours at room temperature with three sets of stretch and folds.
• During first fold (30 minutes in), layer in cheese and jalapeños while folding dough from all sides.
• Complete two more gentle folds at 30-minute intervals.
• Divide dough in half, preshape into rounds, rest 30 minutes.
• Shape into boules, place seam-side up in proofing baskets.
• Refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 450F with Dutch oven inside.
• Score loaf and transfer to hot Dutch oven on parchment.
• Bake covered 20 minutes, then uncovered 30 minutes until deeply colored.
• Cool on wire rack minimum 2 hours before slicing.

Notes

Makes 2 loaves. Second loaf can be baked immediately after the first or held in fridge up to 24 hours.

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