Cheddar Jalapeño Bread

There’s no shortage of ways to enjoy this no-knead jalapeño cheddar bread. Sidle a slice next to a bowl of steaming vegetable soup. Toast and slather one with butter, then pile it with scrambled eggs. Make a “bread steak” of it and garnish with mushrooms or saucy beans. We could go on.

A combo of Parmesan and sharp cheddar cheese, both mixed into the dough and sprinkled atop the loaf, provides lots of salty, tangy flavor, while fresh jalapeños bring a piquant bite. (For a less spicy bread, you can remove the seeds.) If you’d prefer pickled jalapeños, be sure to drain them well, then pat them dry between two kitchen towels (or paper towels), squeezing to remove excess moisture. You’ll need a heaping ½ cup diced jalapeños to equal three peppers.

Note that this bread dough is wetter than what home bakers may be used to. Resist the urge to add more flour. To make things easier on yourself, let the initial rise happen in the fridge (bread making is much easier when the dough is cold). That hydration creates an airy, tender crumb that’s ideal for sandwiches. In fact, there may be no better move than transforming this loaf into a platter of grilled cheese sandwiches. But you could also just drizzle a warm slice with hot honey. (Really, the ideas are endless.)