How to Bake the Perfect Jalapeño Bacon Cheddar Sourdough
Welcome back to the “Sourdough Flavor Inclusions” series on Doughn’t Knock It. If there is one wild flavor combination that absolutely everyone agrees on, it’s the holy trinity of spicy jalapeño, smoky bacon, and sharp cheddar.
This Jalapeño, Bacon & Sharp Cheddar Sourdough is a showstopper. We are taking the extreme dough strength from our foundational recipes and testing its limits by loading it up with heavy, savory inclusions. The result? A perfectly fermented artisan loaf where every single slice offers a pocket of melted cheddar, a crunch of salty bacon, and a kick of jalapeño heat.
Mastering Savory Inclusions
When you start folding massive amounts of meat and cheese into your sourdough, you have to be mindful of your dough structure. Here are a few essential tips for this bake:
- Cube, Don’t Shred: It is tempting to buy a bag of pre-shredded cheddar to save time, but don’t do it! Shredded cheese disappears into the dough while baking. Cubing your cheese into 1/4-inch blocks ensures you get those beautiful, distinct melted cheese pockets in the final crumb.
- Drain the Fat: Bacon grease is delicious, but it is the enemy of gluten development. Cook your bacon until it is extremely crispy, then drain and pat it completely dry before adding it to your dough.
- The Lamination Method: To ensure you get bacon, jalapeño, and cheddar in every single bite, we use the lamination technique. Stretching the dough out thin over your counter allows you to evenly distribute the toppings before rolling it all up into a neat package.
How to Serve It
This bread barely needs any dressing up. Toast a thick slice and spread it with a thin layer of butter, or use it as the base for the greatest BLT sandwich of your life.
Jalapeño, Bacon & Sharp Cheddar Sourdough
The ultimate savory, spicy, and smoky artisan loaf. We take a classic high-hydration sourdough and load it up with crispy bacon, sharp cheddar cubes that melt into gooey cheese pockets, and jalapeño slices for the perfect amount of heat. Doughn't knock it until you try it!
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale
- Banneton (Proofing Basket)
- Dutch Oven (Cast iron or enamel)
- Bread Lame or Razor Blade
- Bench Scraper
Ingredients
- 500 Grams Bread Flour
- 375 Grams Warm Water
- 100 Grams Active Sourdough Starter
- 10 Grams Fine Sea Salt
- 100 Grams Bacon Cooked Crisp & Chopped
- 120 Grams Sharp Cheddar Cheese Cubed
- 50 Grams Jalapeños Diced
Instructions
Prep the Inclusions:
- Cook the bacon until crisp. Drain all the fat entirely and pat the bacon dry with a paper towel. Chop into small pieces. Cube the sharp cheddar into 1/4-inch blocks. Dice the jalapeños (pat dry if using pickled). Set all inclusions aside.
Make the Dough:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the warm water and active starter together. Add the bread flour and whole wheat flour. Mix until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes.
- Sprinkle the sea salt over the dough. Dimple it in with wet fingers and perform a series of stretch and folds for about 3-5 minutes until the dough builds initial tension. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
First Fold & Inclusion Lamination:
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly misted counter. Gently stretch the dough out into a large, thin rectangle. Scatter the bacon, cheddar cubes, and jalapeños evenly across the surface. Fold the dough into thirds (like a letter), then roll it up. Place it back in the bowl, cover, and rest for 30 minutes.
Bulk Fermentation:
- Perform 3 more sets of coil folds spaced 30 minutes apart to continue building strength. After the last fold, let the dough rest untouched until it has increased in volume by about 40-50%, shows bubbles on the surface, and feels airy. (Total bulk time: 4-6 hours depending on room temp).
Pre-Shape & Bench Rest:
- Turn the dough onto an un-floured surface. Use a bench scraper to shape it into a loose round. Let is sit uncovered for 20 minutes to relax the gluten.
Final Shape:
- Lightly dust the top of the dough with rice flour. Flip it over and stitch the dough into a tight boule, ensuring the inclusions don't tear the outer skin. Place it seam-side up into a rice-floured banneton.
Cold Retard:
- Cover the banneton securely and transfer to the refrigerator for 12 to 16 hours.
Bake:
- Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C) with a Dutch oven inside for at least 45 minutes. Turn the dough out onto parchment paper, score it, and carefully transfer it to the hot Dutch oven. Drop an ice cube under the parchment for extra steam, cover, and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the lid, reduce the oven temperature to 450°F (230°C), and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes until the crust is deeply caramelized and the cheese on the outside is crispy and browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
- Cheese Tip: Always cube your cheese rather than shredding it. Shredded cheese incorporates too fully into the dough matrix, while cubes create distinct, gooey pockets of melted cheese throughout the crumb.
- Moisture Control: Make sure your bacon and jalapeños are patted completely dry before laminating them into the dough. Excess grease or vinegar will break down your gluten structure.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
