Jalapeño & Cheddar Bread in a Dutch oven

Ingredients

• 3 ½ cups bread flour and a little more for dusting
• 2 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (250 g)
• 2 jalapeñoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 jalapeño, sliced into rings
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast, or 25g fresh yeast
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Equipment

• Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix the bread flour, 2 cups (200 g) of cheddar cheese, the chopped jalapeños, and salt. Stir.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the warm water and yeast. Pour the flour mixture into the water and use a silicone spatula to stir until the dough comes together.
3. Fold the dough with a spatula around the edges of the bowl toward the center, rotating the bowl each time and fold until the dough is shaped like a ball.
4. Let the dough rest covered in a warm place for 60 minutes, or until almost doubled in size.
5. Preheat the oven to 450˚F (230˚C).
6. Insert the Dutch oven into the oven and let it pre-heat for 30 minutes.
7. Do the folding procedure again with a spatula then cover with a towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
8. Flour a clean work surface and carefully peel the dough out of the bowl and onto the floured surface. Fold the edges of the dough towards the center about 8 times until shaped like a ball, then flip over the dough and transfer to a piece of parchment paper.
9. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup (50 g) of cheese on top of the dough. Ornament the dough with the jalapeño rings on top of the cheese.
10. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and use the parchment to lift the bread into the pot. Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for 20 more minutes.
11. Grab the parchment paper and lift the bread out of the pot and onto a wire rack. Remove the parchment paper and let the bread cool for 1 hour before slicing.