This easy Bread Machine Jalapeno Cheese Bread recipe is slightly spicy, extra cheesy, and made in a bread machine or oven! Perfect for sandwiches, soups, or snacking.
I don't know about you, but bread is my absolute weakness.
My favorite food is sandwiches. The best thing in the world is dipping fresh french bread into broccoli cheese soup. And I adore spicy foods.
As you can see, bread is kind of a favorite around here.
This Jalapeno Cheese Bread was one of the first recipes I made in a bread machine and I was instantly hooked. It was my three favorite things combined into one delicious loaf.
Scroll to the bottom of the post to get to the recipe card for this Homemade Jalapeno Cheese Bread.. Or keep reading for extra tips and tricks!
Can you bake jalapeno cheddar bread in the bread machine?
So you can make this Jalapeno Cheese Bread Machine loaf in two different ways. One is to bake it directly in the bread machine, and the other is to make just the dough in the bread machine and bake it in the oven.
I've done both, and I totally prefer baking bread in the oven myself. The way my machine is designed, the loaf ends up being really tall and oddly-shaped and not good for sandwiches.
See that huge lunk up there? Still delicious, but not all that pretty.
If your bread machine is the same way, you can try laying the loaf on its side and slicing it that way to get regular-sized slices.
Or if your bread machine has a loaf-sized pan, you can definitely bake it in your bread machine. Use the "Light" or "White" setting for it, and it'll take around 3 hours depending on your machine.
But the beauty of the bread machine is you can put in all the ingredients and basically forget about it for 90 minutes. And when you bake bread in the oven, in a regular loaf pan, you get this deliciousness up there.
How do you know when the bread is done baking?
I do an old-fashioned "Hollow test" where I knock on the top of the bread. If it sounds hollow toward the middle, it's done.
If you have a thermometer, you can also test it that way. Most breads are done at 190 degrees.
But if you look at the top of the bread, you'll be able to tell pretty easily. The top will be golden brown and dry. I'm not a bread expert, but I haven't had a bad loaf yet while doing the knock test!
What kind of cheese can you use?
I use shredded cheddar. But even pepper jack cheese would be awesome! This loaf of bread really can't be messed up. Try mozzarella. Or cheddar jack. Or colby jack.
How can you serve this bread?
When I first make a loaf of this, I'll serve it with soup. A nice bowl of chili would be great with it too.
But once the soup's been eaten and there's still bread left, I'll turn it into sandwich bread. Oh yeah, I just took sandwiches to the next level.
Or how about some cream cheese spread on top? Maybe that's weird for some, but next time I make this I'll be toasting some slices and spreading cream cheese on them. It's just like a jalapeño popper!
How to Make Jalapeno Cheese Bread
Ingredient list:
- 3 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup diced jalapeno peppers (Either fresh jalapeños or jarred)
Other tools (Affiliate links may be used here):
- One loaf pan (9x5 inch loaf pans work with this recipe)
- Wire rack for cooling
- Sharp knife for cutting the cooled loaf
Start by placing all ingredients in your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer.
For most, that's usually water first, then sugar and salt, then flour, cheese, jalapenos, and yeast.
So wet ingredients first, then dry ingredients. The yeast always goes last so it doesn't start mixing with the water while you're putting in the other ingredients.
Set the bread machine on the Dough function if you just want it to mix and knead the dough. This usually runs about 90 minutes.
Check after 5 minutes and add one tablespoon of flour or water if the yeast mixture is too wet or too dry.
During this time, you'll see the dough rise, mix, and rise some more until finally it's a huge ball of dough.
After the bread machine finishes, transfer dough onto a floured surface and knead a few times. Place into a greased loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let it rise at room temperature for one hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, then bake for 25 minutes or until the outside is hard and sounds hollow when you tap on the top.
How to Make Without a Bread Machine
Don't have a bread machine? No problem! You can still make this bread by hand and it still turns out amazing.
Start by adding the water and yeast to a large mixing bowl and letting it sit for about 5 minutes.
Using a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment (Or using your hands), add and combine the sugar and salt, then add the flour about a ½ cup at a time until the dough starts pulling off the edges of the bowl.
Add the shredded cheese and jalapenos and stir until completely mixed in.
Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with a towel for about 45 minutes.
Transfer to a floured surface and knead, then form a loaf shape and place in a greased 8x4 inch loaf pan. Cover again with a towel and let rise for 45 minutes.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes until the top is golden brown and sounds hollow when you knock on the top.
How to Store this Bread
Once the bread has cooled to room temperature, store in an airtight container.
On the counter, this will stay fresh for 1-2 days. In the fridge, it'll stay fresh for 5-7 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of jalapenos work best?
I usually use jarred jalapenos because it's easier and faster. But fresh jalapenos work just as well!
How spicy is this bread?
It's not very spicy at all. The ¼ cup of jalapenos gets spread around the bread and lowers the spice factor.
If you want to increase the spice, add more jalapenos, use fresh instead of jarred, or even add a bit of the liquid from the jar.
Can I add other mix-ins?
It depends on what you're adding! I've actually swapped the jalapenos for bacon bits, to make a bacon cheddar bread, and it turned out AMAZING.
More Delicious Bread Recipes
- Bread Machine Whole Wheat English Muffins
- Bread Machine Breadsticks
- Bread Machine Cinnamon Raisin Bread
- Bread Machine Pizza Dough
- Healthy Greek Yogurt Banana Bread
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
Print The Recipe
Bread Machine Jalapeno Cheese Bread
Step up your bread making skills with this Bread Machine Jalapeno Cheese Bread! This easy recipe is slightly spicy, slightly cheesy, but fully delicious!
Ingredients
- 3 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup diced jalapeno peppers
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer.
- Set the bread machine on the "Dough" function if applicable (Usually runs about 90 minutes). Check after about 5 minutes and add water or flour, a tablespoon at a time, if the dough seems too dry or wet.
- After the bread machine is finished, lay the dough on a cutting board sprinkled with flour and knead a few times, then place in a 9x5 or 8x4 greased loaf pan. Cover with a towel and let rise for one hour.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until the outside is hard and sounds "hollow" when you tap on it. Let cool on a cooling rack before slicing.
Notes
You can also bake this directly in the bread machine. Set your machine to the "Basic" or "Large Light" function, which will take about 3 hours from start to finish. The only problem is that depending on your style of bread machine, your loaf could end up being super tall.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 138Total Fat: 2gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 30mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 4g
Jaime is a Nutrition Coach through the ISSA and professional writer. She has 4 years experience coaching and 9 years experience in writing. She enjoys cooking easy meals, running, and learning more about food.
Jaime specializes in helping women with ADHD learn to meal plan and cook healthier meals without getting overwhelmed.
Hey! Interested in this recipe. The links seem to be broken, so could you tell me how much of each ingredient? 🙂
Hi Leah, thanks for pointing this out to me! I've just fixed the recipe. =) I hope you enjoy it!
I have whole wheat all purpose flour, can I use that?
I've never tried it, but it should be fine! Watch it for a few minutes to see if it needs more water. It'll definitely be more dense. =)
3 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup diced jalapeno peppers
Hey Jaime! Just curious, what size loaf does this yield? Thanks!
Hmm, good question!!! I've never baked it outside the bread machine, but I'm assuming if you just made the dough in there and put it in a 9x5 loaf pan, it would fit! You can probably get between 10-12 slices out of it. Hopefully that helps!
@Jaime, would this be the 1 1/2 pound loaf?
I believe that's the one I use on my new bread machine!
@Jaime, 3 cups of flour yields a 1 1/2 lb loaf.
Looking at the ingredient list you'll get a 2lb loaf out of this.
@Mafeesh, thank you! Came to the comments looking for this answer!
I made large rolls out of the dough! My spouse loves this bread for sandwiches. I have a question about how to make this if u don’t have a bread machine. How long should I knead the bread? (My sister likes this recipe but doesn’t have a bread maker or a mixer with dough hooks). Do I need to make any changes if I knead it by hand? Thanks and great recipe!
Thanks, Connie!! To be honest, I haven't made this without a bread machine so hopefully someone else can chime in as well. My guess is between 5-10 minutes? You want to get all the flour mixed in, at least, which will probably take that long. And since the bread machine dough cycle is 90 minutes, maybe let it sit for an hour? This is just a guess; let me know what you find!
@Jaime, you need the dough until it is satiny. Not sticky, not overly dry. Just smooth as a baby"s behind.
Thank you for your recipe. I made it but I did not follow the instruction like you said and my bread sank. Very very good bread. I Love the savory flavor. I doubled the cheese and double the jalapenos so I'm figuring that's why it sank. It made it too heavy... anybody's thoughts? Would be helpful. Thank you
Oh Donna, I'm sorry that happened! I don't think it was the extra ingredients because I've seen others double those as well... unfortunately I'm not much of a bread expert so hopefully someone can chime in as well!
Maybe since you double the cheese and jalapenos. The cheese turned into liquid while baking. Don't forget cheese get hot it got oily. Maybe a drier Dough might work. Good luck.
I had an old bread machine that made tall loaves.
I turned the bread on it’s side and sliced it that way. Slices were sandwich style.
Janet, I think you just blew my mind. Why in the world did I never think of that?? LOL, thank you for posting this!
I am going to try this recipe in my bread machine. When do I put the Cheese and Jalapenos in the bread machine? I am assuming I add it before I put the flour into the container.
I actually added mine last, after the flour. =) And it works fine for my machine; not sure if yours is different. There's a video on this post that goes through step-by-step if you need a visual!
@Sharleyi Hollomon, i mix the shredded cheese & jalapeños in the flour prior to putting in the bread machine. A chef friend of mine bakes all of his bread in a 5 qt Dutch oven, so I ordered one, you line with parchment paper then add the dough, let it sit for one hr to rise prior to baking
The temperature of the water going into the bread machine is critical to the dough properly rising or not. Try exactly 80°. Put the water in first and then the flour and then the yeast on top of the flour. Or mix the flour and the yeast and put it on top of the water. And add the sugar and salt, cheese and jalapenos and turn the machine on to basic.
Thanks for the tip! I'll pay more attention to the temperature of the water. =)
@Chris S, I agree, I've made this particular recipe quite a few times because it's versatile and it's the only one that's worked for me so far and came out perfectly. BUT I made it yesterday and forgot to microwave the water (I do it in the microwave for 1 minute) and my bread didn't rise I finally gave up on waiting for it to rise after 2 hours and just baked it anyway... Super dense!
Thank you for giving me the confidence of trying out my bread machine. I made this recipe and it was perfect my first time. I used your dough method and baked in my loaf pan. I was a little worried in the last rise with the towel over the pan. The bread didn't rise like I thought it would. However, while in the baking process the bread popped right up. Thank you again. 🙂
YAY! I'm so glad it worked out!
@Tami Casey, if you bake in a Dutch Oven, the cheese covers the sides, the whole bread is nice & crusty
After letting the dough rise for an hour in the loaf pan, it was so far over the side and down! I had to scoop it up and dump it back in. It was so much prettier when it first came out of the bread machine
Oh dear! I'm not a bread expert so I can't say exactly what happened; but maybe the room was extra warm, maybe the yeast was strong... I'm not sure, sorry!
I have been making Jalapeno Cheese Bread for years. It completes nicely in my Cuisinart and does not need to bake in an oven.
Perfect! =)
It said to cool on a rack, does this mean inside the pan or take it out after it is done baking?
Take it out of the pan after about 5 minutes, then let it cool completely on the cooling rack. =)
I just made this. It was absolutely delicious! I did add 1tbs of butter and 2 cloves garlic. My bread maker makes regular looking loaves so, I baked the bread in it. Will definitely be making this again. Thank you!!
I have occasionally had a problem with making bread in my machine, in that the loaf falls in the final rise. It still tastes good, but looks yuck. I came across a recipe that has you putting the yeast and warm water in the machine first to let the yeast bloom. Then you put in the rest of the ingredients. What a difference!! Being dense, I have yet to figure out at what point, or how to program the machine to stop before the second rise so I can take it out. YES, definitely, try making your own bread, it is worth your while. A loaf lasts no time here! (We often slice and butter it hot)