Mini No-Knead Jalapeño Cheddar Bread
This jalapeño cheddar bread is going to become your new favorite! It's cheesy, spicy, perfectly soft, and the perfect mini size for snacking or serving with a weeknight meal. As a bonus, it can be made in just a few hours—no kneading or overnight wait required. It is just so good, you'll find yourself reaching for slice after slice...after slice—it'll be gone in no time!
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Yield: 1 small loaf
Equipment (Shop on Amazon)
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour (240 g) all-purpose or bread flour
- 1 tsp salt (6 g)
- 1½ tsp honey (10 g)
- 1 cup water; less 1½ tsp
- 1¼ tsp instant yeast (about 3.75 g)
- 2 cups grated Tillamook medium cheddar cheese loosely packed
- ½ cup drained and diced pickled jalapeños plus a few extra slices to decorate the top of the loaf
- Melted butter to brush on the crust once the bread is baked; optional
Instructions
- Stir or whisk together the flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.2 cups flour (240 g), 1 tsp salt (6 g)
- Add the honey to a glass measuring cup. Then fill the cup to the 1-cup mark with water. Microwave until the water reaches 100°-110°. Once the water is warm enough, stir until the honey is completely dissolved.1½ tsp honey (10 g), 1 cup water; less 1½ tsp
- Add the instant yeast to the warm water and honey mixture. Stir well, using the back of your spoon to break up any large clumps of yeast against the side of the cup. Allow the mixture to sit until you see small bubbles forming on the surface, which indicates that your yeast is active—this should take only a few minutes.1¼ tsp instant yeast (about 3.75 g)
- Use a spoon to make a well in your dry ingredients and pour in the yeast mixture. Stir with a spoon or spatula until all wet ingredients have been absorbed and a shaggy dough has formed. You should not see any dry flour.
- Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray and place in a warm place to rise until the dough has just doubled in size (typically 1 hour when using instant yeast).Note: If using active dry yeast, the dough may need an extra 15-20 minutes of rising time to double in size.
- Once your dough has been rising for about 15 minutes, place your Dutch oven on the middle rack of your oven. Place a sheet pan on the rack directly below the Dutch oven—this is important! Allow your oven to preheat to 450° for at least 45 minutes.
- Cut a piece of parchment into a square that will fit your Dutch oven (I use a 12" square). Set aside.
- Now that the dough has risen, shape your loaf. Plop the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Use lightly floured fingers to gently form the dough into a rectangle. Sprinkle on about ⅓ of the grated cheese and ½ the diced pickled jalapeños. Using floured hands and/or a bench scraper, gently fold the four sides of the rectangle toward the center, gently pinching the dough together so they stay in place.Flip the rectangle over, so the seams are down. Now, repeat this process again—flatten and shape the dough into a rectangle, add more grated cheese and jalapenos, and fold in the four sides. Flip the dough over, so the seams are down. Use floured hands to gently shape the dough into a more rounded ball. (Step-by-step photos for shaping the loaf are included in the post above.)2 cups grated Tillamook medium cheddar cheese, ½ cup drained and diced pickled jalapeños
- Place the dough ball in the center of your parchment square and use a bread lame to cut a ½" deep line, X, or other design into the top of the loaf.
- Remove the preheated Dutch oven from your oven and take the lid off. Fold the four corners of the parchment square up to meet each other above the dough and use it as a sling to carefully place the dough (and parchment) in the Dutch oven. Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese and 10-12 pickled jalapeño slices over the top of the loaf. Immediately put the lid back on the Dutch oven and place it back in the oven.
- Bake the bread at 450° for 20 minutes with the lid on. Then, remove the lid and bake for another 7-9 minutes, or until the internal temperature at the center of the loaf has reached 200°-210° and the crust is golden. If the crust browns too much for your liking but the loaf is not yet done in the center, place the lid back on and continue baking.
- Remove the Dutch oven from your oven and carefully tip it over so the loaf rolls out. Using oven mitts, remove the parchment and place the bread on a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool for at least 45 minutes to an hour before slicing.Optional—Brush melted butter all over the crust of the bread when it is just out of the oven and still warm for a soft crust.Melted butter
- Slice and enjoy this mini jalapeño cheddar loaf! Once completely cooled, store any leftovers in an airtight bag or wrapped in tinfoil.
Notes from the Happy To Be Here Kitchen
See detailed notes, tips, and step-by-step photos above, starting here.
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