Fresh Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Bread with Grated Cheese

This jalapeño cheddar sourdough is one of those loaves that looks impressive but is actually very easy to make, even if you’re newer to sourdough baking. Below, I’ll walk you through the entire process step by step, showing exactly when and how to add the jalapeños and cheese, what to look for during fermentation, and how to handle the dough from start to finish.

Recipe Inspiration

After a beautiful wedding weekend in Point Reyes, California, we wandered into a local bakery and grabbed a loaf of jalapeño cheddar sourdough. It was delicious, but honestly, tt was so greasy that the bag was soaked.

I knew I wanted to recreate those flavors at home, but without the oily mess and with a bit more control over the heat. It can be tricky to add fresh jalapeños without ending up with a gummy center, but this version turned out exactly right—light, spicy, and a huge hit with everyone in my house.

Start With an Active Sourdough Starter

Before you begin, make sure your sourdough starter is active and ready to bake. You’re looking for a starter that has doubled in size, looks light and airy, and is full of bubbles throughout. This tells you that the wild yeast in your starter is strong enough to properly ferment the dough.

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If your starter hasn’t peaked yet, it’s worth waiting. Starting with an active starter sets the foundation for good rise, flavor, and texture in the finished loaf. If you’re unsure whether your starter is ready, I walk through the signs in When Is My Sourdough Starter Ready To Use?

Mixing the Dough

After weighing the active sourdough starter, mix it with the remaining ingredients until a rough, shaggy dough forms. At this stage, the dough will not look smooth or elastic yet, and that’s exactly what you want. This initial mix is simply about bringing everything together before the dough rests and fermentation begins.

If you’re new to sourdough, I walk through the full base recipe step by step in How to Make Sourdough Bread for the First Time.

Bulk Fermentation and What to Look For

After mixing the dough, it will go through bulk fermentation. This is the first rise, where the dough rests at room temperature and begins to develop structure and flavor. During this time, the dough will slowly expand and become more elastic.

As the dough ferments, you’ll notice bubbles forming along the sides and bottom of the bowl. These gas bubbles are a sign that fermentation is happening and that the dough is building strength. This visual cue is often more reliable than watching the clock, especially for beginners.

When to Add Jalapeños and Cheddar

The key to adding jalapeños and cheddar without weighing the dough down is timing. Inclusions are added after bulk fermentation, once the dough has developed enough strength to hold them.

Adding them too early can interfere with gluten development, while adding them too late can cause tearing. At this stage, the dough is strong, stretchy, and ready to handle extra ingredients without losing structure.

Folding In the Inclusions

To incorporate the jalapeños and cheese, gently stretch the dough and fold it over itself, layering the inclusions as you go. The dough should stretch easily without tearing, which is a good sign that the gluten is well developed.

Take your time here. The goal is even distribution, not perfection. A few exposed bits of cheese or jalapeño are completely fine and will bake up beautifully.

Shaping the Dough

Once the inclusions are folded in, shape the dough into a tight round or oval, depending on the shape of your banneton. Creating surface tension during shaping helps the loaf hold its form and rise upward instead of spreading out.

After shaping, place the dough seam-side up into a well-floured, cloth-lined banneton basket.

Cold Proofing in the Refrigerator

Cold proofing is the final rise, and it happens in the refrigerator. Cover the banneton loosely and refrigerate the dough overnight. This slow fermentation improves flavor, strengthens the dough, and makes scoring easier the next day.

Cold proofing is especially helpful for sourdough with inclusions, as it allows the dough to relax and set without overproofing. When you’re ready to bake, the dough can go straight from the refrigerator into a hot oven.

Scoring the Sourdough Before Baking

Just before baking, score the dough using a bread lame or a very sharp blade. Scoring gives the bread a controlled place to expand in the oven, which helps with oven spring and prevents the loaf from cracking unpredictably. Don’t overthink the design here — a simple slash works just as well as anything decorative, especially when you’re first getting started.

p.s. I realized after the fact that I forgot to photograph these steps on this jalapeño cheddar loaf, so the images shown here are from a different sourdough bake without inclusions. 🤦‍♀️ The scoring process is exactly the same either way.

Baking Sourdough in a Bread Cloche or Dutch Oven

Baking sourdough in a bread cloche or Dutch oven creates a steamy environment that helps the loaf rise and form a beautiful crust. The lid traps moisture released from the dough during the first part of baking, which allows for good oven spring before the crust sets.

Whether you use a ceramic cloche or a cast iron Dutch oven, the process is the same. Bake the bread covered for the first portion of the bake, then remove the lid to allow the crust to brown and crisp. This method consistently produces sourdough loaves with great structure and a bakery-style finish, even at home.

Cooling and Slicing Your Sourdough Loaf

When baked, this jalapeño cheddar sourdough has a crisp crust, a soft interior, and just the right balance of heat and cheese. Let the loaf cool completely before slicing, as cutting too soon can make the crumb gummy inside.

If you’re newer to sourdough, don’t overthink the process—focus on how the dough looks and feels at each step, and you’ll build confidence with every loaf, I promise. My very first loaf of sourdough bread looks way different from the loaves I bake now.

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