Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Bread (with Discard)

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This jalapeño cheddar sourdough recipe makes a beautiful loaf of bread even when your active sourdough starter is a little lack lustre. It has a good crust with a spongy chewy crumb that is perfect for toasting and smothering in butter or sopping up a beautiful soup.

This recipe is very similar to my sourdough sandwich loaf bread but the timings and proportions have been adjusted so it can be made with discard as apposed to an active starter, making it perfect for those those days when you were too busy to feed the starter beforehand.

This bread is also great for other add-ins if spicy jalapeños are not what the menus calls for making it very versatile and a perfect recipe to keep in your back pocket.

One of the beautiful things this recipe has taught me is that sourdough is extremely forgivable. This is because it is an incredibly slow process to begin with when you compare it to bread making with conventional yeasts. Because we are using discard instead of starter we have slowed the process even further allowing more time for you to live your life while your bread is busy doing the hard work in the fridge day and night.

The bulk fermentation times are very long carrying the whole process over a 48 hour period but I promise it is worth the wait.

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of flour should be used?

For this particular recipe I prefer a basic all purpose flour, it is simple to its core and for every baker so unbleached all purpose is all you need.

Is it a spicy bread?

This is difficult to answer because it depends on the jalapeños themselves. Some can be very spicy while others quite mild. The spicier the jalapeño the spicier the bread. If you would prefer a milder loaf be sure to remove all the seeds and ribbing before dicing.

What types of cheese are used?

This recipe uses a combination of old cheddar and 2 year aged white cheddar. Both have a bold flavour that can stand up to the jalapeños.

What kind of jalapeños are used?
This is up to you, I prefer to use fresh jalapeño peppers but fermented or pickled can also be used adding each their own unique flavour profile.

How should it be eaten?

Personally I love it with butter dipped in a thick tomato soup, but it also makes a great spicy grilled cheese sandwich or a savoury toast dipped in over easy eggs. The choice is yours!

What you will need

The Tools

• small bowl or proofing basket – you will need these for the ferments. I prefer to use glass bowls over proofing baskets but either will do the trick
• large mixing bowl – the bowl for the stand mixer works well.
• cooling rack -bread is best cooled on a cooling rack allowing air to circulate around the loaves preventing soggy bottoms.
• oven mitts -The immage of pulling pans out of the oven with your apron or tea towels may be appealing you need good oven mitts as the Dutch ovens are heavy and will hold their heat well you don’t want to burn your hands!
• bread bag – plastic or linen, you will want your bread in a bag once you cut it or it has cooled.
• Parchment paper – for moving your dough from the work surface to the dutch oven
• Lame or razor – for venting and cutting beautiful designs

The Ingredients

• sourdough discard – the starter that has risen and fallen again after a feed
• water
• Salt
• Olive oil
• honey – or sugar will provide some flavour to the bread
• Jalapeños – the choice is your fresh, fermented or pickled jalapeños

Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Bread Timeline

Although this bread takes a very long time to come to fruition it is well worth the wait! I hate tossing discard when I miss a feed or two or it’s been a little too long since I have baked.

Day 1

8pm: Combine all the ingredients for the dough in the bowl of a stand mixer and allow it to knead for about 10 minutes. The dough may start to climb the hook or it may not, what really matters is that the dough is well combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and allow it to ferment overnight at room temperature.

Day 2

8am: Punch the dough down and divide in two allowing the dough to rest about a half hour while you prepare the cheese and peppers. The dough will then go through 3 stretch and folds that will be used to fold in the cheese and jalapeños.

While working on the first loaf

For the first stretch and fold first cover the top of the dough with about a half cup of cheese and about a quarter of the jalapeños. This will allow the cheese and peppers to be naturally folded into the dough and dispersed throughout the bread. Allow the dough rest for 30 minutes.

For the second stretch and fold do not top the dough. Just perform a regular stretch and fold. Allow the dough rest for another 30 minutes.

For the 3rd stretch and fold do as you did with the first covering the top of the dough with cheese and jalapeños reserving some to top the final product just before baking.

Finally shape the dough into a round or oval loaf and allow to rest until the next day in a bowl and banneton basket in the fridge. Putting the basket or bowl in a plastic bag allows the bread to no dry out during this final ferment.

Repeat with the second loaf OR use different add ins!

Day 3:

When you are ready for bake the bread start by preheating the oven to 475F.

Fold the shaped dough out onto parchment. Flour the top and score, then place in a covered dutch oven.

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove cover and continue to bake at 400F for 25-30 minutes. Until golden brown.

Other add ins

• Chocolate chunks
• Brown sugar and cinnamon
• Garlic, Herbs and Cheddar
• Cinnamon and apple
• Cinnamon Raisin

Other Breads You Might Enjoy

• Rustic No Knead Roasted Garlic Bread
• Sourdough Rye Sandwich Loaf