Dutch-Oven Jalapeño Cheddar Bread from Tasty

Scrolling around Facebook this week, I kept seeing friends' posts of baked bread: sourdough, cinnamon rolls, English muffins, brioche, croissants. More cinnamon rolls, more croissants.

Then a foodie friend posts Tasty's video on how to make jalapeño cheddar bread in a Dutch oven, serving as my impetus. I have a Dutch oven. I have flour—whole wheat. I have salt. I have packets of yeast. I just need cheddar cheese and jalapeños. I can do this!

So I go to the grocery store during my lunch break to get the stuff I need. This was admittedly my first time baking a loaf of bread from scratch, without using a bread machine. I love the jalapeño cheddar bread from Safeway, therefore, I was pretty excited to make my very own loaf! (Don't ask me how old I am, learning is a lifelong pursuit.)

I starting prepping the loaf in the afternoon, maybe around 3, and waited for it to rise. Then bake. Then cool down.

It was therapeutic kneading and throwing the dough against the floured cutting board. Cathartic, especially. I placed my stress from work and other things into the baking, knowing I can turn negative energy into something positive and useful. I see how there is a technique to it that will eventually develop over time. It was fun basting the dough with olive oil and garnishing with the cheddar cheese and jalapeño slices.

While waiting for it to rise and bake, I proofed pages. Prepared databases. Cleaned. Watched some Netflix. The bread was ready to eat at around 7:30. 

The loaf expanded not only with the yeast, but also as it baked in its Dutch oven. When I tried the slice, I honestly found it a little too salty to my liking. And the bread was a bit over-baked. Other than the type of flour, I followed the recipe to exactness because I am a novice: I have no room to bend rules. I attribute the saltiness and over-baked qualities to the fact that I used just whole-wheat flour. The loaf also did not expand as much as I know it would have had I used white flour. It is still quite palatable, and paired with soup, it's pretty tasty. 

Next time I make this loaf, I will instead use white flour or gluten-free flour (the better choice for me personally). I will also be sure to glaze the entire ball of dough and not just the top, to prevent any burning at the base.

Overall, for my first time baking a loaf of bread that wasn't basic but still easy enough, I did pretty well!

Recipe: Dutch oven Jalapeño Cheddar bread from Tasty

Baked, cooled, and out of both ovens

Before: Mixing and stirring; into the Dutch oven

After: Test slice!