This loaf is a savory showstopper… chewy, crusty sourdough laced with melty cheddar and flecks of jalapeño heat. It’s the kind of bread that makes grilled cheese sandwiches unforgettable and turns a humble slice with butter into a flavor bomb. This is the insane tuna melt I made with this bread! (Pickle-tuna salad and tuna melt recipes are being posted within a couple days!)
For the jalapeno in the bread, we charred two whole peppers over a gas stove using a metal kebab skewer—rotating them until the skins were fully blackened and blistered. Then we transferred them to a small bowl, covered tightly with plastic wrap to trap the steam, and let them sit for 10 minutes. That steam bath loosens the charred skin beautifully, and scraping it off with a grapefruit spoon? Surprisingly satisfying and super easy. After that, we sliced them open, removed the seeds and ribs, and petite diced the flesh.
Why go through all that? The smoky depth adds a subtle complexity. It also softens their texture, making them melt into the dough like little green jewels. But if you’re short on time (or just not in the mood to play with fire), you can skip the charring and go straight to slicing, seeding, and petite dicing them raw. Either way, the spicy flavor payoff is worth it.
⚠️ Glove Alert! This is one of those recipes where kitchen gloves aren’t just a suggestion—they’re a necessity. Jalapeño oils can linger on your skin and make your hands burn, especially during dough handling. I went through more disposable gloves than I care to admit on this one—changing them between each stretch & fold session like I was prepping for surgery. I even cut it down to 3 stretch and folds instead of my usual 4, just to save my glove stash. The cheddar and jalapeños were added at the second fold, and they integrated beautifully.
The disposable, food-grade kitchen gloves I usually use are here.
Yield:
Makes 1 large boule
Approximate finished weight: 850–900g
Equipment:
- Gas stove or grill
- Tongs or metal skewer (for turning peppers)
- Bowl + plastic wrap (for steaming charred peppers)
- Grapefruit spoon or knife (for scraping skins)
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Kitchen gloves
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Kitchen scale
- Large mixing bowl
- Water bottle (optional, for misting dough between stretch & folds)
- Damp cloth
- Bench scraper
- Parchment paper
- 9″ banneton (proofing basket)
- Bread lame or sharp blade (for scoring)
- Dutch oven with lid
- Cast iron pan (optional, for steam)
- Lava rocks (optional)
- Ice cubes (for steam)
- Digital thermometer
- Wire rack
Ingredients:
- 160g levain (from 50g starter, 75g water, 75g flour)
- 335g water
- 475g bread flour (or all-purpose)
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Optional: 1/4 tsp smoked paprika (for added smokiness)
- 16g salt
- 1–3 jalapeños (about 50g each before trimming); 2 is moderately spicy
- 1 cup shredded or grated sharp cheddar cheese (100-115g)
Instructions:
1. Prepare the levain by mixing 50g starter, 75g water, and 75g flour. Cover and let sit at room temperature for about 6 hours until bubbly and active.
2. Skewer jalapeños and char over an open flame (gas stove or grill), rotating frequently until skins are fully blackened and blistered. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and steam for 10+ minutes. Scrape off skins with a grapefruit spoon, slice open, remove seeds and ribs, and petite dice. Alternatively, you can skip the entire charring step. Just dice raw jalapeños after seeding & removing ribs. Always wear gloves.
3. In a large bowl, dissolve levain in 335g water. Add flour, garlic powder, black pepper, optional smoked paprika, and salt. Mix until shaggy and fully hydrated. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 30 minutes.
4. Perform the first set of stretch and folds (around 6-8), then mist the surface of the dough lightly with a water bottle.
5. After 30 minutes, perform the second fold and gently incorporate cheddar and jalapeños. Sprinkle a couple tablespoon each of the diced jalapeno and shredded cheddar, then pull the dough over, and give the quarter turn you would normally do for stretch and folds. Continue adding the extras, a bit at a time, pulling up the dough, covering the inclusions, and turning, until all of it is used up. Mist the dough again.
6. After another 30 minutes, perform the third round of stretch and folds, finishing with one or two gentle coil folds. Return to bowl and mist the dough once more.
7. Cover and let dough rise at room temperature (70–85°F) for 3–4 hours or until nearly doubled.
8. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and let rest for 10 minutes. Lightly flour the dough then shape into a tight boule by pulling the dough towards yourself, turning, and pulling back to the start. Be sure to repeat the process several times, applying pressure to all sides as the dough gets firmer and taller.
9. Lightly flour the dough. Place seam-side up (the side which was previously face down, by carefully flipping it) in a heavily-floured banneton, cover with a dry towel, and proof at room temperature for 2–4 hours until it passes the poke test, or refrigerate for 12–24 hours for cold retard fermentation. When the dough has reached the surface/top of the banneton, or nearly so, it is ready to bake. Or, as a suggestion, it can be placed in the freezer for 20–30 minutes during the final hour of proofing as the oven preheats (see next step) to help maintain its shape when poured out of the banneton and to improve scoring.
10. About an hour before you plan to bake (while the dough is still in the final proof), preheat oven to 485°F (250°C) with Dutch oven inside. Optionally place a cast iron pan with lava rocks on the bottom rack to add ice later and make steam, which improves rise. Allow to preheat for about an hour. (When about 30 minutes remain, the dough, still in the banneton, may be placed in the freezer, as mentioned in the prior step.)
11. When ready to bake. turn dough onto parchment, score the top, and transfer to Dutch oven. Add a few cups ice to steam pan if using. Cut an “X” on the surface of the dough, or other desired scoring pattern, to allow the bread to rise and expand properly.
12. Bake covered for 22 minutes at 485°F, then remove the steam pan (if used) and the Dutch oven lid, reduce oven to 465°F, and bake 20 more minutes until internal temp reaches 205–210°F.
13. Leave bread in oven (turned off, door cracked) for 25 minutes or longer to help set the crust.
14. It is advised to let the bread sit on a raised wire rack (so air can circulate underneath) overnight or for 6-8 hours, so steam can escape, keeping the bread’s delicate texture intact and making cutting easier. A lot of the excess flour can be brushed off using a kitchen brush or even by hand. Store in a paper bag, large ziptop bag, or bread box at room temp.
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