Delicious Jalapeño Cheddar Twist Bread featuring layers of salted garlic butter and swirls of extra-sharp cheddar cheese and fresh jalapeños!
Buttery, cheesy, garlicky goodness! This Cheddar Jalapeno Bread is begging to be made!
If you're looking for more homemade bread recipes, check out my Mediterranean Babka or Sweet Potato Rolls!
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Why You Will Love This Homemade Jalapeño Cheddar Bread
- Jalapeno + Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese. A match made in flavor heaven.
- The texture is amazing! Super light and soft on the inside and crispy on the edges due to baking in a cast iron pan.
- So easy to make. Homemade bread dough is easier to make than you think. It only consist of 6 simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.
- Freezes so well. I love making a double batch and freezing it to keep on hand. You'll thank your future self later! 😉
- So versatile. You can easily add or swap out the filling for SO many different combinations of toppings.
Ingredient Notes
Here are some notes about all the ingredients used. Quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card below!
The Dough
- Bread Flour - Also known as strong flour. I like to use bread flour as it gives the bread more structure than all-purpose flour.
- Yeast - I like to use dry active yeast, but instant yeast will work too!
- White Sugar - The sugar will feed the yeast and also help the bread brown.
- Warm Water - The water will need to be lukewarm, which is between 105ºF to 110ºF (40.5ºC to 43ºC).
- Egg - Gives structure and helps the bread brown.
- Olive Oil - I used extra-virgin olive oil. Makes the bread really soft.
- Salt - For flavor.
The Filling
- Salted Butter + Garlic - Soften butter is combined with grated garlic to add an extra layer of flavor.
- Cheddar Cheese - Go with extra sharp cheddar cheese for more flavor.
- Jalepeños - I'm using fresh jalapeno peppers, but you can easily sub for pickled jalapenos.
*See recipe card for quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
Here are step-by-step photos and instructions on how to make this Jalapeño and Cheddar Bread! Please find detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Step 1. Make the Dough - To the bowl of your stand mixer, combine bloomed yeast mixture, bread flour, olive oil, egg and salt.
Step 2. Fit your stand mixer with the hook attachment and knead the dough on medium speed for about 15 to 20 minutes or until it passes the window pane test.
Tip! To perform the window pane test, take a small ball of dough and stretch it into a small square. It should be stretched thin enough to let light pass through without tearing it. If it tears, knead for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 3. Form dough into a ball and place into a well oiled bowl.
Step 4. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for about an hour.
Step 5. Prep the Filling - In a small bowl, combine softened salted butter with grated garlic and keep on the counter until needed. Then grate your cheddar cheese and cut the jalapeños into thin slices; set in the fridge until needed.
Step 6. Shape the Bread - Gently punch your dough down and roughly roll it into a 12x18 inch (31x46 cm) rectangle. Brush an even layer of garlic butter on top of the dough, followed by the cheese and jalapeños.
Step 7. Tightly roll the dough into a log, lengthwise. With a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the log into 2 pieces right down the middle.
Step 8. Turn the dough pieces on its back to expose the layers upright. Then place 1 piece of dough on top of the other on a slight diagonal. Finally, tightly twist the pieces together into a "rope."
Step 9. Form into a round loaf and transfer to a cast iron pan or baking sheet. Let the bread rise for 25 to 30 minutes.
Step 10. Once fully proofed, brush with olive oil, melted butter or milk. Bake at 350ºF (176ºC) for 27 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm and enjoy!
Substitutions
- Bread Flour - You can use all-purpose flour, but the structure won't be as strong.
- Olive Oil - I like extra-virgin olive oil for extra flavor, but any oil will work. You can also use melted butter.
- Cheddar Cheese - You can use any cheese of choice, including monterey jack, colby, mozzarella, gruyere, fontina and gouda to name a few.
- Jalapenos Peppers - I'm using fresh, but pickled jalapeños would work too. You can also use, Thai chile, serrano peppers, banana peppers or fresno chiles.
Variations
- Add Protein - This bread would be amazing with crispy bacon, pancetta, ham or ground sausage.
- Add Herbs - For even more flavor, think about adding herbs such as, chives, scallions, thyme, oregano or rosemary.
- Add Spices - You can also add additional spices to the butter mixture, like garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper and ranch seasoning!
Equipment
- Stand Mixer – While having a stand mixer is helpful, you can also make by hand. Please see directions in the FAQ section.
- Kitchen Scale – It’s helpful to have when measuring ingredients in grams for best results.
Storage
- Room Temperature – Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerator – Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days in the fridge.
- Freezer – Cool completely and wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap. Store in freezer bags for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or bring to room temperature before enjoying!
Expert Tips
I highly recommend weighing all your ingredients with a kitchen scale to ensure your bake comes out perfectly. If you do not have a scale, fluff and aerate your flour first, then spoon into your measuring cup and finally level off with the back of a butter knife. Do not pack it in as it will add too much flour.
Try to refrain from adding too much flour. It’s normal for the dough to be somewhat sticky. I like to lightly oil my hands to handle the dough after it kneads.
When rolling the dough into a log, make sure to roll tightly.
FAQ
This bread is amazing on its own, however you can serve with cream cheese or butter. It's also perfect with chilli, soup or salads!
Yes! There is no need to activate or bloom instant yeast in warm water. Just combine all of the bread ingredients into the bowl of your stand mixer and proceed with the recipe. Just make sure your water is warm though.
Yes you can! Knead the dough by hand for up to 20 minutes. It can get quite sticky, but refrain from adding too much flour. I like to knead the dough with oiled hands and use a plastic bench scraper to help move the dough around. Don’t forget to perform the window pane test to know that it has been properly kneaded.
Proofing refers to the final rise right before baking the bread. Perform a “poke” test! Gently press your pointer finger into the dough and if it springs back slowly and leaves a slight indentation, then it’s ready for the oven. If the dough bounces back immediately, then it needs more time.
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📖 Recipe
Jalapeño Cheddar Bread
- Total Time: 2 Hours + 25 Minutes
- Yield: 8 Servings
Description
Delicious Jalapeño Cheddar Twist Bread featuring a layer of salted garlic butter and swirls of extra-sharp cheddar cheese and fresh jalapeños!
Ingredients
For the Bread
- ½ Cup (113g) Warm Water
- 2 Teaspoons (6g) Dry Active Yeast
- 1 Tablespoon (12g) White Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons + 1 Teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Whole Large Egg
- 2 ¼ Cups (270 g) Bread Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
For the Filling
- 4 Tablespoons Salted Butter, *see note below
- 2 to 3 Large Cloves of Garlic, finely grated or minced
- 8 Ounces (226g) Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- 2 to 3 Fresh Jalapeño, sliced
Instructions
- Make your dough. In a small bowl, combine warm water (105ºF/41ºC), 1 tablespoon of sugar and active dry yeast. Allow to "bloom" for about 8 to 10 minutes. The yeast mixture should be frothy. **See note below for instant yeast.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, add yeast mixture, egg, olive oil, salt and bread flour. With a spoon or spatula, mix the ingredients together until a rough ball of dough forms (will be shaggy).
- Fit your stand mixer with a hook attachment and knead the dough on medium speed for about 15 minutes. The dough should be elastic and is ready when it passes the window pane test (***see note below).
- Coat your hands with oil and lift the dough out of the bowl and form it into a ball. Then oil your bowl (I use the same one) and place the ball of dough back in. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
- Meanwhile, use this time to prep the filling. In a small bowl, combine softened butter and grated garlic and set on the counter until needed. Then shred your cheese and cut the jalapeños into thin slices and set in the fridge until needed.
- After the dough has doubled in size, gently punch it down to release gas bubbles. Transfer onto a work surface. With a rolling pin, roughly roll it into a 12x18 inch (31x46 cm) rectangle.
- Brush an even layer of the garlic butter on top of the dough, followed by an even layer of shredded cheese and sliced jalapeños.
- Shape your bread. Tightly roll the dough lengthwise, into a log. With a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the log into 2 pieces right down the middle. Turn the dough pieces on its back to expose the layers upright. Then place 1 piece of dough on top of the other on a slight diagonal. Finally, tightly twist the pieces together into a "rope." Starting at the top, coil the rope until it forms into a round loaf. Tuck the end underneath the loaf. Don't worry, it doesn't have to perfect!
- Transfer the loaf to a greased cast iron pan (mine was 9in/23cm) or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Allow to proof for 25 to 30 minutes.
- With 10 minutes left to proof, set a rack in the center of the oven and set it to 350ºF (176ºC).
- Brush the loaf with olive oil, melted butter or milk. Bake for 27 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
*Salted Butter - If you are using unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon (or to taste) of sea salt to the garlic butter mixture.
** Instant Yeast - Combine instant yeast with all the dough ingredients into the bowl of your stand mixer and proceed to step 2. Just make sure the salt and yeast are not touching and that your water is warm.
***Window Pane Test - Take a small (2 tbsp) ball of dough and stretch it into a small square. It should be stretched thin enough to let light pass through without tearing it. If it tears, knead for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
- Prep Time: 25 Minutes
- Rise/Proofing: 1 Hour + 30 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30 Minutes
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