Homemade Jalapeño Cheddar Cheese Artisan Bread

This jalapeño cheese bread is SO good. You get spicy, cheesy, sweet, salty, and a lovely texture similar to focaccia. And it did win me a blue ribbon at the OC Fair this past summer sooo, just sayin’.

Now, this isn’t a gimmicky bread. It’s not no-knead, it’s not ready in 30 minutes. There’s a little kneading and some time needed for bread rise, but I promise, the end result is crusty bread that’s well worth your patience. Plus, letting the dough rise is easy!

The dough recipe is actually the exact same as my pizza dough (although I do have a sourdough bread pizza recipe that is one of the most popular recipes on this blog!), crackers, and pepperoni rolls. Pretty cool huh? Just a few tweaks transform it into this amazing cheesy bread. Use it for breakfast sandwiches, turkey and cheese sandwiches, and so much more! And this homemade bread is also delicious as-is, on its own! It’s all good. So let’s do this!

Disclaimer: this post may contain affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase any of the items linked in this post, I should earn a small commission. This creates no additional cost to you and helps support the work that goes into running The Fig Jar. Thank you! -Becky 

Ingredients

Jalapeno Cheese Bread

• Warm water
• Active dry yeast – you can also use instant yeast, but will skip step one of this recipe if using.
• Sugar
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Garlic powder
• Dried basil
• Dried oregano
• Cheddar cheese, grated – Sharp cheddar works great here to cut through the spice of the jalapenos and give it a really savory flavor.
• Pickled jalapeño peppers – These can be found at nearly any grocery store. But what actually went into the award-winning version of this recipe were the Sweet and Hot Jalapeno peppers from Trader Joe’s, which you can find on Amazon. I explain why I use these below.
• All purpose flour
• Italian dressing – You can make your own (It’s pretty easy!) or use a bottled dressing.

How to make jalapeño cheese bread

STEP 1: Activate yeast

This bread dough starts out like many others. To start, simply empty the yeast packet into a large bowl and add warm water to activate it. The water should be between 100° and 110°F. Allow the yeast to rest like this at room temperature for about 5 minutes. 

STEP 2: Add dry ingredients

Next, add the sugar and stir. Add olive oil, salt, garlic powder, dried basil, oregano and 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese (save 1/2 cup for the top). Stir with a large wooden spoon until it looks about like this (It should look foamy).

STEP 3: Combine flour mixture

Add 3 cups of the flour and stir just until combined. The dough will be sticky, but that’s what you want. It should hold together enough to turn out onto a floured surface in one relative unit. 

If you read the full recipe below, you will notice that it calls for 3 1/2 cups of flour but before turning the dough out to knead you will have only added 3 cups. I use the remaining half cup to flour the board and sprinkle on top of the dough to keep it from sticking to my hands. This will ensure just enough flour gets in. Adding the full 3 1/2 cups, plus flouring the board and your hands can result in too much flour in the dough, which can make it more dense and tough.

STEP 4: Transfer to work surface

Sprinkle 1/4 cup of flour onto a cutting board or other clean, flat surface. Turn the dough out onto your floured surface. Add an additional 1/4 cup to the top of the dough and pat with your hands. (To get some flour on your hands).

STEP 5: Knead bread

At this point, it’s ready to knead! Knead the dough until it is smooth and easily forms into a ball. It shouldn’t take much to come together. Clean out your mixing bowl and coat it with olive oil.

STEP 6: First rise

After kneading, the dough will need to rise for about 1 hour. You could probably get away with 45 minutes of rise time, I won’t tell. 😉 Place the dough back in the bowl, cover it with a clean dishtowel, and place it on the counter. Allow bread to rise for 1 hour.

STEP 7: Second Rise

Next, it’s onto a well-greased baking sheet to let it rise and rest for a second time before being topped with jalapeños, Italian dressing, and more cheese. Line a small (9 in x 13 in) rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper and coat it with oil. Press the dough gently into the pan, not like you’re making a pizza, but just to get it shaped into the pan. Cover with a clean towel and let rise again for 40 minutes.

STEP 8: Prep and cook

Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Gently press your fingertips into the dough to make little craters all over. Brush with dressing. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese, top with jalapeños, pressing them gently into the top of the dough. Bake for 35 minutes in the center of the oven until golden brown and has a bit of a crispy crust on the outside.

STEP 9: Cool, cut and serve!

Allow to cool 15-20 minutes on a wire rack before cutting into desired-sized pieces and serving.

The best jalapeños for Jalapeño Cheese Bread

Let’s talk about a key ingredient in this bread real quick: the jalapeños! I am in love with Trader Joe’s Hot & Sweet Pickled Jalapeños. They definitely pack a punch but have an initial burst of sweetness that I enjoy very much. I need relief every now and then from the spiciness. I’ve also found “tamed” jalapeños at the regular grocery store and enjoyed those as well. Those are more sour than spicy and also very good if you like things mild. Clearly I don’t like the super spicy jalapeños but use whatever suits your fancy. And please make yourself a sandwich on this bread, you will not regret it!

Can I really use store-bought Italian dressing for this recipe?

Yes, store-bought Italian dressing is great in this recipe! It really makes the flavor of this bread out of this world. It’s a little sweet, sour, and savory flavor that plays so well with everything else going on. It’s crazy good!

TRIED THIS RECIPE?

If you try this recipe, please consider leaving a comment/rating below and let me know how it went. I’d love to hear from you! You can also connect with me on instagram and Pinterest.

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Jalapeño Cheese Bread

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Delicious jalapeño cheese bread you’ll want to make again and again! Use for breakfast sandwiches, regular sandwiches or just eat it straight up!

• Prep Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
• Yield: 12 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 1/4 cup very warm water
• 1 packet instant yeast
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
• 3/4 cup pickled jalapeños
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup Italian dressing, store bought is fine!

But if you want to make your own dressing:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/8 tsp salt & pepper, each
• 2 tsp sugar
• sprinkle of garlic powder and basil

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Instructions

1. Empty yeast packet into a large mixing bowl and add warm water. Let this stand for about five minutes. It should look foamy.
2. Add sugar and stir. Add olive oil, salt, garlic powder, dried basil, oregano and 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese (save 1/2 cup for the top). Stir to combine.
3. Add 3 cups of the flour and stir just until combined. The dough should be pretty sticky, but should hold together enough to turn out onto a floured surface in one relative unit.
   
4. Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour onto a cutting board or other, clean, flat surface. Turn dough out onto your floured surface. Add an additional 1/4 cup to to the top of the dough and pat with your hands. (To get some flour on your hands).
5. Knead dough until it is smooth and easily forms into a ball. It shouldn't take much to come together. Clean out your mixing bowl and coat with olive oil.
   
6. Place dough back in bowl, cover with a clean dishtowel, place on counter and let rise for 1 hour.
   

Second rise

1. Line a small (9 x 13) rimmed baking sheet with parchment, coat with oil. Press dough gently into the pan, not like your making a pizza, but just to get it shaped into the pan.
   
2. Cover with a clean towel and let rise again for 40 minutes.

Prep & cook

1. Preheat the oven to 425˚.
2. Gently press your finger tips into the dough to make little craters all over. Brush with dressing. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese, top with jalapeños, pressing them gently into the top of the dough.
   
3. Bake for 35 minutes in the center of the oven.
4. Allow to cool 15-20 minutes before serving.