Gooey pockets of sharp cheddar cheese and spicy jalapeno bits are the most INSANE duo in this incredibly soft and flavorful jalapeno cheddar focaccia bread!
Introducing the end to your January diet cleanse. Obviously the reason is bread.
But not just any ‘ol loaf of bread, guys. I’m talking soft, chewy, deeply flavorful focaccia. With big pockets of melty sharp cheddar. And little bits of spicy jalapeno. In.every.freaking.bite.
I am seriously SO PSYCHED for y’all to try this bread. For real though.
Also excited to incorporate more cheesy, bready goodness into everyone’s lives. You’re welcome.
As with all the focaccia we do around here, the dough for this jalapeno cheddar focaccia is made the night BEFORE in order to develop all those deep flavorful rustic bread flavors. Trust me, the longer this dough can ferment, the better it will be.
The next day? Literally all you’ll be doing is sauteing up some jalapeno pepper. Kneading the pepper + sharp cheddar cheese cubes into the dough. Shaping the dough in a cast iron skillet. Quick rise. Quick bake.
Quick note about the cheese cubes << these are NECESSARY in order to get pockets of cheese. Which heaven knows you want in your life.
With the Superbowl coming right around the corner, you should do yourself a favor and have MANY of these loaves on standby for proper snackage. Making the majority of the dough the night before will make for a SUPER easy prep the next day.
Seriously. Are those cheese pockets even real life??
Jalapeno Cheddar Focaccia
Ingredients
- 4 cups bread flour
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 16 oz water (room temperature)
- 3/4 cup cheddar cheese (cut into 1/2-in cubes)
- 2 small jalapenos, sauteed in 1 tablespoon olive oil until slightly softened
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, reserved
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, honey, and yeast. Drizzle in water and stir dough with a wooden spoon until a slightly-sticky dough forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature overnight or 18-24 hours.
- The next day, preheat oven to 425F. Lightly grease a 9-in cast iron with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Punch risen dough down and gently knead in cheddar cubes and jalapeno pieces. (reserve a few for garnishing)
- Gather dough into a smooth ball and pat into greased pan Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 30 minutes.
- Once dough has risen, lightly brush with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and use your fingers to make little indentations all over bread. Sprinkle with reserved jalapeno pieces and cheddar cubes.
- Bake focaccia at 425F 30-35 minutes until a light golden brown. (if focaccia is browning too quickly, lightly cover in foil) Cool focaccia 10 minutes before slicing into wedges. Enjoy warm!
Aloysius Ochiamu says
This is a cool recipe. I hope I can be able to make this in an instant pot?
Leslie says
Hi there, where does the honey come into the recipe please?
Sarah says
Hi Leslie. Sorry for that typo, the honey should be added with the salt.
Emily says
Is it possible to use all purpose flour instead?
Sarah says
You definitely could! You might need to knead the dough just a bit longer though in order to form more gluten to make up for the additional gluten found in bread flour.
Sandy says
Sounds delish! Would it work to make this in a large sheet pan instead of the round cast iron pan?
Sarah says
Yes, that would work great! You will likely need to reduce the bake time down to 20-25 minutes.
Heather says
Why does the recipe say preheat oven to 425C but bake at 400C?
Sarah says
Sorry about that typo! The correct oven temperature is 400 degrees Farenheit
Carol says
This was very confusing to me; preheat oven to 425, then it says to bake in 400 oven 30 to 35 minutes, so I tried to be logical & baked at 400 for 30 to 35 minutes. Hope it turns out ok. It is in oven as I write.
Carol says
This was very confusing to me; preheat oven to 425, then it says to bake in 400 oven 30 to 35 minutes, so I tried to be logical & baked at 400 for 30 to 35 minutes. Hope it turns out ok. It is in oven as I write.
Sarah says
Hi Carol – so sorry for the confusion. The correct temperature is 425F. Feel free to share how it turned out!
Carol says
At first, it was very crusty, hard to chew. I spread butter over top & let sit. Next day it was quite good. Don’t know what the texture is supposed to be. I ate a piece with salad last night for dinner. Quite good.
Sarah says
Focaccia is typically a chewy, crustier bread. Happy to hear you enjoyed it! 🙂
Stephen says
Thank you so much for such a great recipe, just baked my first one and it is very good. Texture can’t be beat. My guests were highly impressed. I’m making it again tonight, adding more jalapeño as I like it spicy! I also added a 1/4 cup of onion, a little fresh garlic, and a few thin slices of tomato on top.
Sarah says
So happy to hear this bread is a winner, Stephen! Enjoy. 🙂
Sarah V. says
We made this last night and it was amazing! Thanks for the great recipes.