Quick Jalapeno Cheese Bread Recipe

What do you get when you combine bread, jalapeño, and cheddar cheese? One of the best bread recipes that you will ever make! If you haven't made bread from scratch before, don't worry — this recipe is simple, even for beginner bakers. Recipe developer Angela Latimer of Bake It With Love knows a thing or two about making bread, and we're thankful that she's come up with such a delicious recipe for us to enjoy. "This is a SUPER easy-to-make bread that is packed with great flavor! It's hard not to love it!" she raves.

This bread would be perfect on its own, or you can serve it with some warm butter. There are plenty of occasions to introduce the bread at, including at lunch or as a side with BBQ food at dinner. If you'd like, you could even enjoy a slice at breakfast. Trust us when we tell you that the possibilities are endless. If you're ready to make a loaf of simple and flavorful bread, keep scrolling to find out more.

Who's ready to get cooking? The first step in every recipe is to gather the ingredients necessary to whip together this fantastic bread. For starters, you will need all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and ground black pepper. Be sure to check your pantry in case you have any of these things at home already. 

The recipe also calls for some cayenne pepper, grated sharp cheddar cheese, and diced jalapeño. Additionally, you'll need some wet ingredients, including buttermilk, sour cream, butter, and an egg. If you can't find or don't have buttermilk, there are a few other options out there for you to choose from. Once you have all of the items, it's time to begin.

Set all of the ingredients on the counter in front of you so they're ready to go. That way, you aren't scrambling and looking for things as you bake. Before you touch the ingredients, take a trip to your oven and turn the dial to 350 F. This step is super important because you want to ensure the oven is nice and hot before the bread goes in. 

Then, take out a nine-by-five-inch loaf pan and use spray or butter to grease it. This helps ensure that nothing sticks to the bottom.

Now, grab a large mixing bowl and add in the flour first. "Flour should be weighed for best results. Each cup of flour is 125 grams (so 310 to 320 grams total for this recipe)," Latimer notes. "If not, use the spoon and level method after 'fluffing' the flour. Spoon the flour into a measuring cup, then level it using the flat side of a knife."

After the flour, toss in the baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. That should do it for all of your dry ingredients. Then, whisk everything together to combine.

Now, it's time to add in one of the best parts of this bread: the cheese. Let's be honest for a minute. What's better than some delicious cheese? Toss in the cheese with the flour mixture, and break up the cheese so that it's thoroughly coated with flour. Then stir in the diced jalapeños. "The jalapeños can be hot if you leave the ribs and seeds in them. They are medium [heat] if you dice after removing the ribs and seeds. For mild jalapeño flavor, use canned diced jalapeño," Latimer shares.

Be sure to coat each piece of jalapeño with flour so they don't sink in the batter when the bread bakes.

Now, it's time to add in the wet ingredients. Make a well in the center of the bowl with flour. Then, throw in the buttermilk, sour cream, melted butter, and egg. "Room temperature eggs help the bread to bake quickly and evenly," Latimer shares. "To warm your egg in a hurry, place it into a bowl of warm water for five minutes while you gather ingredients."

Mix the batter with a spoon until it's well incorporated and the flour gets moist. When you finish mixing everything, the dough should be thick and heavy. If you need to, you can drizzle a little more buttermilk to make sure all the flour gets moist.

Once the dough is good to go, transfer the bread to the prepared loaf pan. Then, use a spatula to smooth the top. Double-check that your oven has fully preheated, and then place the loaf pan in the center rack of your oven at 350 F. Set your timer for 50 to 55 minutes, and check for doneness by inserting a cake tester or knife. If it comes out clean, it's done, but if there's any batter that sticks, continue to cook it. If you need to cover the top with aluminum foil during the last few minutes of cooking, that's fine, as it will help prevent the top from browning too much.

Once the bread finishes cooking, grab your oven mitts and take it out. Then, serve it however you wish. "Our daughter LOVES jalapeño bread like this, and we served it with my amazing hamburger soup last night," Latimer shares. "Of course, it's great with soups in general and amazing with chili too. Yum!"

As for leftovers? "I would store it at room temperature (refrigerating dries out loaves of bread) wrapped securely in cling film or aluminum foil," Latimer suggests. "Quick bread stores for up to three days at room temp when kept in a cool, dark place." Enjoy!