Rustic Jalapeno Cheddar Bread -

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Rustic Jalapeno Cheddar Bread

Craving some warm bread fresh out of the oven? Give this Rustic Jalapeno Cheddar Bread a shot!

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Resting Time16 15

Total Time17

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bread, cheddar

Servings: servings

Calories: 155kcal

Author: David

Ingredients

For the Preferment

¾ cup water
1½ cups all purpose flour
pinch instant dry yeast

For the Final Dough

¾ cup warm water
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1¼ tsp salt
2¼ tsp instant dry yeast i.e. one ¼ oz. packet
2 jalapenos seeded and diced
1½ cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded and divided
cornmeal for dusting

Instructions

For the Preferment

The night before you make this bread, just mix all preferment ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir until well combined, cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 12-18 hours.

For the Final Dough

Using a large bowl, add the preferment along with all remaining ingredients. (Note: Only use 1¼ cups of cheese at this stage. The remaining ¼ cup will be sprinkled on top of bread before baking. Note #2: Use a large enough bowl to allow the dough to double in size as it rises.)
Stir for 2-3 minutes, or until all ingredients are well combined.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours.
Remove dough from refrigerator and turn out onto a well-floured countertop. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Shape each piece into a rough round and place on a piece of parchment paper dusted with cornmeal. Sift a small amount of flour on top of rounds. (Note: This dough is sticky. Just do your best in shaping it into a round. This bread is called rustic for a reason!)
Cover loaves lightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 75 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Sprinkle remaining ¼ cup of cheese on top of loaves. Using a sharp knife, make 3 or 4 (½” deep) cuts into top of bread.
Bake at 450°F for 23-25 minutes, or until deep golden brown in color. (Note: If you tap on the bottom of the loaf, it should sound hollow.)
Let bread cool completely before slicing.

Notes

The basic ingredients in bread are simple: flour, water, yeast and salt. As such, it is important to carefully measure each ingredient. I recommend scooping flour into a 1-cup measure, and then scraping the top of the measure with a flat tool (table knife) to level. Alternatively, the most accurate way to measure flour is by using a kitchen scale. If you have access to a kitchen scale, use it whenever baking bread!

A good pizza stone will make a huge difference in the quality of your bread. If you have a stone, place it in the oven while it preheats, and then bake bread (with parchment paper) directly on stone.

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