This Dutch oven bread is loaded with spicy jalapeno, cheddar cheese and seasonings with a thick crust and soft interior, easy to make and ready to bake!
Dutch Oven Bread with Jalapeno and Cheddar Cheese - Easy to Make!
We're making a loaf of cheesy, spicy Jalapeno Cheddar Dutch Oven Bread in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen, my friends. You are definitely going to love this recipe.
I first encountered this exact bread at a fair in Madison, Wisconsin, and was instantly hooked on it. Talk about delicious. It's thick, golden crust offers a wonderful crunch, but inside it's soft and filled with the flavors of cheddar cheese and spicy jalapeno peppers.
I'm not much of a baker, but this bread is very easy to make because of two main factors: Instant Yeast and a Dutch Oven.
Instant yeast takes all the hard work out of waiting and rising dough, and the Dutch oven creates the perfect environment for bread baking, while also keeping the shape of bread, allowing it to rise perfectly.
If you've ever had trouble making bread before, Dutch oven bread will make it so much easier for you, and it's also easy to customize once you get the hang of it.
This recipe focuses on the popular combination of jalapeno and cheddar, which I sincerely love, and I think you will, too.
Ingredients
- Instant Yeast. Instant yeast makes this recipe very easy, without any fuss. Mixed with warm water and salt.
- Bread Flour. Bread flour has more protein content than all purpose flour, which is better for baking. All purpose flour usually gives a wetter dough.
- Cheddar Cheese. Shred it yourself for best results.
- Jalapeno Peppers. Offers a nice level of heat and flavor.
- Seasonings. Use garlic powder, paprika, dried basil, chili flakes, and a touch of salt.
- Olive Oil. To help develop a nice brown crust.
NOTE: The full list of ingredients with exact measurements are listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
How to Make Jalapeno Cheddar Dutch Oven Bread
Dissolve the Yeast. In a large bowl, stir the instant yeast and salt into the warm water until dissolved.
Form the Dough. Add the bread flour, chopped jalapeno peppers, 2.5 cups of cheddar cheese, and seasonings. Stir together until a sticky dough forms. If it feels too sticky, mix in up to 1/2 cup extra bread flour.
First Rest. Fold the dough from the outer edges into the center several times, rotating the bowl as you go. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and set in a warm place for 1 hour, until the dough rises.
Second Rest. Fold the dough again from the outer edges into the center, then cover and rest another 30 minutes to 1 hour. Rise time can vary, but this is usually enough time for me.
Warm the Dutch Oven. While the dough is resting, preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Set the Dutch oven with the lid into the hot oven and heat for 30 minutes.
Prep the Dough for Baking. Transfer the dough onto a piece of parchment paper dusted with flour and form into a round loaf. I use a rubber spatula. Score the top of the bread with a sharp knife, then brush the top of the loaf with olive oil.
Top with Cheese and Jalapenos. Top with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese and the jalapeno slices.
First Bake. Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven and remove the lid. Lift the parchment paper and dough and place into the hot Dutch oven. Cover with the hot lid and bake for 30 minutes.
Second Bake. Remove the lid and bake for 20 minutes or longer, until a golden brown crust develops.
Serve the Cheddar Jalapeno Bread. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and rest on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing. 1 hour is preferred.
Boom! Done! Your Dutch oven bread is ready to serve. It's got lots of wonderful cheddar cheese flavor, nice and spicy from the jalapenos and the spices. I love this bread!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Be sure to preheat the Dutch oven with the lid before baking. The lid traps the moisture from the sticky dough in the oven, creating a humid environment, which is ideal for baking bread.
- Spice things up by adding in hotter chili peppers, like serranos, habaneros, or ghost peppers. I'm sure you'd love a slice of extra spicy scorpion pepper bread!
- Swap in other cheeses for an interesting variation, such as spicy pepper jack cheese, Colby, Monterrey jack, or others.
- Change up the spices to your personal preference, such as curry powders, spicy chili powders, or fresh herbs. You can really make it your own.
- Add crumbled bacon for the triple combo of bacon, cheddar and jalapeno - so good!
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Jalapeno Cheddar Dutch Oven Bread Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Dutch Oven 5-6 quart
Ingredients
- 1 packet instant yeast 2-1/4 teaspoons/7 grams
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 3.5 cups bread flour + more as needed - I often need 4 cups
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 3-4 jalapeno peppers chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter
- 1 jalapeno pepper thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir the instant yeast and salt into the warm water until dissolved.
- Add the bread flour, chopped jalapeno peppers, 2.5 cups of cheddar cheese, and seasonings. Stir together until a sticky dough forms. If it feels too sticky, mix in up to 1/2 cup extra bread flour.
- Fold the dough from the outer edges into the center several times, rotating the bowl as you go. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and set in a warm place for 1 hour, until the dough rises.
- Fold the dough again from the outer edges into the center, then cover and rest another 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- While the dough is resting, preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Set the Dutch oven with the lid into the hot oven and heat for 30 minutes.
- Transfer the dough onto parchment paper dusted with flour and form into a round loaf. I use a rubber spatula. Score the top of the bread with a knife, then brush the top of the loaf with olive oil.
- Top with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese and the jalapeno slices.
- Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven and remove the lid. Lift the parchment paper and dough and place into the hot Dutch oven. Cover with the hot lid and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the lid and bake for 20 minutes or longer, until a golden brown crust develops.
- Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and rest on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing. 1 hour is preferred.
Nutrition Information
Serving Ideas
This bread is ideal on it's own as a snack. We love it with a bit of butter spread over the top. Use it to make sandwiches, like a killer grilled cheese.
Serve it alongside your favorite soups or stews to sop up the delicious liquid, like my Cowboy stew recipe, Brunswick stew recipe, creamy potato soup recipe, or my beer cheese soup recipe.
Storage
Store at room temperature in a sealed container or covered in plastic wrap and use within 2 days. It will begin to go stale after this.
You can also freeze it for 2-3 months.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy the jalapeno cheddar bread. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!
Tools Used For This Recipe
Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven - I've been using this brand Dutch oven for years for many dishes, and it works GREAT for making Dutch oven bread.
Amazon Affiliate links, my friends!
Recipe FAQs
Can I use regular flour?
Yes. Bread flour gives the loaf a chewier texture, but all-purpose flour works well too. The bread will be slightly softer but still delicious.
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
NOTE: This post was updated on 3/10/26 to include new testing and information, including serving ideas and FAQs. The recipe was not changed.
Andra Yoshioka says
Fantastic bread! So simple to make, but impressive flavors. We were having the grandkids over who don't eat jalapenos yet, so after the first rise, I cut the loaf in half, added 2 chopped serrano peppers to one half, then decorated the top of that half with jalapenos and returned them to the bowl side-by-side. The second rise was fine. The baked loaf was nicely formed and we could still tell which side was which. None was left for sandwiches, so I will definitely be baking again soon.
Mike H. says
Happy to hear it, Andra. Thank you for the review and enjoy baking more!
Kathleen Sweeney says
can I use regular flour for this recipee?
Mike Hultquist says
Hi, Kathleen! Bread flour gives the loaf a chewier texture, but all-purpose flour works well too. The bread will be slightly softer but still delicious. Let me know how it goes!
Gary Jordan says
Hi Mike-for the jalapeno cheddar dutch oven bread--I do not have a dutch oven,
but I do have a bread machine, would this recipe work in it ?
Gary.
Mike Hultquist says
Hey, Gary. I'm not sure, as I have not tested this exact recipe with a bread maker. I'm really not much of a baker, and I even screwed up bread machine bread. This is the only way I am able to successfully make bread, currently! Sad, but the Dutch oven method really is that easy. If you DO make it in the bread machine, let me know how it turns out so my readers can know.
Kurt Roggenstroh says
What size Dutch oven do you use?
Mike Hultquist says
Kurt, use a 5-6 quart Dutch oven. Enjoy!
Kate says
This recipe is AMAZING! Hubby and his buddy haven't stopped eating it. It looks exactly like Mike's pic and the crust on it is so crispy. Everyone really needds to make this simple and tasty bread!
Mike Hultquist says
I love to hear it! Thanks, Kate! Glad they are enjoying it! I hope they will save some for you, haha.
Scott McNally says
This is one of the best recipes that I have ever made. Not only was the bread amazingly delicious, it was moist, had a great crust and has become a favorite for many of my friends and family!
Mike Hultquist says
Yes!!! Thanks so much, Scott! Very happy it turned out just as you wanted! I love to hear it. Glad it was enjoyed.
Phoenix Robinson says
I made this and loved it! do you think I could I use this as a base recipe and add other things instead of jalapeno and cheddar?
Mike Hultquist says
Phoenix, yes, absolutely! This is a great base recipe you can play with. Enjoy!
Ava b says
I just baked a loaf last night. The aroma is heavenly, and taste is so delicious. This will be one of my go to bread recipes, definitely. I made it exactly as the recipe was written. So easy, and it results in such a great large loaf of bread.
Thank you!
Mike Hultquist says
Glad to hear it, Ava! I need to make myself another loaf soon! It's so good!
Leslie says
Second time I’ve made this. Everyone loves it!! This one is for my daughter’s friend, who requested it.
Great recipe!!
Mike Hultquist says
I love to hear it! Glad you all enjoyed it, Leslie!
Colin says
I made this today, but slightly different. I made a small batch in a small spring loaded / side spring metal cake baker. 4 inch diameter, two inches high to experiment how it was. Apart from prorating the volume of ingredients the only difference to the recipe was bake time of 25 minutes.
It turned out magnificent.
I will be making some more same size for friends next week.
Mike H. says
Fantastic, Colin. Hope you guys enjoy it next week, too!
Danielle Luartes says
I am gf intolerant and egg and cow dairy allergy so bread is challenging. I made this with bobs red mill GF 1-1 2.5cps plus tapioca starch1cp and extra. I think when I proofed it was too warm it ended up wet when it wasn’t when I started. Also I used manchego and it’s a bit softer cheese. It tastes really good but didn’t rise more like a focaccia. It reminds pao de queijo ….. I will try again might need to add a little something for more of a rise. I’d upload a picture if I could:) I really like it sliced and toasted. I’d really like a nice fluffy loaf , maybe next time
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Danielle. I hope you can nail it just right.