This Jalapeno Chile Sandwich Bread is everything you could ever ask for in a loaf of bread — it’s soft, fluffy and holds the perfect kick with both cheese and jalapeño chile peppers. Perfect for sandwiches or served up with your favorite bowl of soup!
I can’t think of anything better than a fresh loaf of bread – unless…. it’s a fresh loaf of Jalapeño Chile Sandwich Bread. Making bread is one of the most fulfilling activities – and this bread is every bit of worth it.
I first made this Jalapeño Chile Bread when I was looking for a way to use up a bunch of jalapeño peppers that I had from my garden. At the time, I had just picked up a 50lb bag of flour and I was aching to make a spicy sandwich bread. At the time, I had been making (and quite regularly) my all time favorite Hatch Chile Roasted Garlic Artisan Bread.
That no-knead bread is amazing – it tastes like a proper sourdough but is made in a fraction of the time (and without a starter). It is also a great way to stuff “things” into bread – like sun dried tomatoes, walnuts, cranberries, sunflower seeds and more. It’s perfect for grilled cheese and even better dipped into a warm bowl of soup.
But my kids were asking for a sandwich bread – a bread that they could use for grilled cheese.
Jalapeño Chile Sandwich Bread
Every so often the need to switch things up makes room for bigger and better things – like this bread.
This bread starts with simple [weighed] ingredients that rise over the course of an hour or two in a warm kitchen.
Once risen, the dough is punched down, folded like a letter, and carefully placed into a greased loaf dish.
From there, the bread is brushed with an egg mixture, and then topped with a generous helping of jalapeño chiles, followed by shredded cheese.
While the oven preheats, the bread rises briefly a second time before being baked for a solid 25 minutes. Depending on the temperature within your home, the second rise can be up to an hour, or as brief as 20-25 minutes. I keep my home at a consistent 77 degrees F and my bread took about 20 minutes to rise a second time prior to tossing it in the oven.
During that time, I gave it a good brush of egg wash and a topping of peppers followed by cheese.
The result is a soft, fluffy, warm and spicy loaf of fresh sandwich bread. Perfect for a twist on grilled cheese, tuna salad sandwich or, even for enjoying with a bowl of soup.
This bread is clearly one of my favorite recipes to make and is always well received when gifted. My kids absolutely go bonkers over this sandwich bread and they have rated it #1 for making grilled cheese.
Tips for Making the Best Jalapeño Sandwich Bread
- Can I use regular all purpose flour? Bread flour, while suggested, is not required. I usually never have bread flour at home so I always rely on all purpose flour. I would suggest using exact measurements via a scale. If you do not have a scale, I would lightly spoon and level the flour if you are using a measuring cup.
- Fresh or canned diced peppers? Feel free to use canned diced jalapeño chiles, or, purchase fresh jalapeño peppers. I have done both – if I use fresh peppers, I slice off the stem and then I chop the peppers in the blender (seeds and all) for more kick.
- Can I use hatch chiles? Yes — in fact, substitute the jalapeños for diced hatch chiles for an even better variation on this bread.
- When brushing the top of the loaf with your egg wash, take care not to brush too close to the edge of the baking dish or tin – or the bread will “stick” to the brushed egg when rising.
- Grease the loaf pan or baking dish with a generous amount of butter to ensure that the bread slides right out after baking.
One of my favorite variations on this bread is opting for hatch Chile peppers in lieu of jalapeño peppers. When hatch chiles are in season, I will roast my own and dice prior to adding to the mixing bowl.
But if they are not in season, I will pick up canned [diced] hatch chiles and create a variation on this loaf that is extraordinary.
Jalapeño Chile Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
Bread:
- 230 gr lukewarm water 105-115 degrees F
- 1.5 tsp active dry yeast can substitute instant yeast
- 6 gr granulated sugar
- 15 gr unsalted butter room temperature
- 400 gr all purpose flour can substitute bread flour, if needed
- 40 gr jalapeño chile peppers diced
- 8 gr salt
Topping:
- 1 small egg beaten, for the egg-wash
- 40 gr jalapeño chile peppers diced
- 65 gr cheddar cheese grated
Instructions
- Add sugar and water to large mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top. Allow the yeast to activate for 5-10 minutes - there should be a fluffy froth on the top. If not, toss the yeast and begin again with new yeast.
- Add the butter, salt, flour and chopped jalapeño peppers. Use the dough hook and mix on medium for 5-6 minutes until the dough comes together. It will start to pull from the side of the bowl and stick to the hook - continue to mix for up to ten minutes. Form into a ball. Set aside.
- Generously grease the same mixing bowl or a new mixing bowl with a little olive oil or butter. Set the bread "ball" within the bowl and cover lightly with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it proof for up to one hour. The proofing time may take longer or shorter depending on the temperature in your home. If it's cold, then you can preheat the oven to 170 degrees F for 10 minutes, then turn off. Set the bowl of dough within and allow the residual warm temp to help the dough rise.
- Grease a bread tin or a baking dish for quick bread - use a generous amount of butter or oil/shortening. After the dough has finishing rising (until it's double), knock the dough down to force the gas out and turn out on a lightly floured counter top.
- Begin to preheat the oven to 355 degrees F. While it's preheating, shape the dough into a letter -- tuck the ends under, then work it into a log shape and transfer to your greased baking dish. Beat the small egg, and brush the egg wash over the top of the loaf - be careful not to get any egg wash on the lip of the baking tin as the bread may stick when rising.
- Sprinkle the bread with your diced jalapeño peppers. Top with cheese. Loosely cover and allow to rise 20-30 minutes (the time may vary depending on the temperature of your home).
- Once the bread has risen to the lip of the baking dish, place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
- Once the time is up, remove from the oven. At this point, you can top with more cheese/chiles and place back in the oven for a brief 5 minutes. Or you can remove from the oven completely and allow to cool before turning out of the pan/dish.
- Cool thoroughly. Use a serrated knife to slice. Store bread in a tightly sealed bag to preserve the soft, fluffy texture.
Did you try this recipe? If you did, please take a second to rate the recipe and leave a comment as I’d love to know how it turned out.
I’d ask you to tag me on social media but I gave up social media several years ago. It was the best thing I ever did. I still love to read comments and hear from you though – so don’t be afraid to leave comments on this post as I do take the time to read and respond when I can.
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