Add the bread flour and salt to a large bowl. Mix to combine.
Add warm water to a cup with the yeast and sugar. Let it sit for 10 mins to bloom.
Add the foamy yeast mixture to the flour and mix with a wooden spoon or danish whisk. Make sure all the flour is absorbed. Get in there with your hands if you have to!
Cover and let it rest to hydrate in a warm place for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, add in the cheddar and jalapeño. Stretch and fold the dough repeatedly until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Cover and let it sit for 30 mins.
After 30 mins, stretch and fold the dough 4x around. Let it rise for 1 hour in a warm place.
Place your dutch oven in the oven at 500F while the dough is rising for 1 hour. If you're not using a dutch oven, heat up a pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven instead.
After 1 hour the dough should have doubled in size. Dump it out gently onto a well floured surface. Gently grab the top, bottom and sides and fold them over to the center. Turn the dough over and tuck the edges in gently. Place onto a parchment paper. Cover with the bowl and let it rest for 15 mins.
Using a blade or bread lame, cut a cross on top of the bread to help it expand in the oven.
Have a spray bottle with water ready!
Gently lower the bread into the dutch oven and sprinkle with more shredded cheddar. If not using a dutch oven, sprinkle with cheddar and slide onto the hot pizza stone or place on a baking sheet.
If using a dutch oven, spray the inside of the dutch oven with water to create a steam effect to help with the oven spring and place the cover on. If not using a dutch oven, spray the walls of the oven with water or add ice cubes to the bottom of the oven.
For the dutch oven bake @450℉ for 30 mins covered and 15 mins uncovered. If not using a dutch oven, bake for 30-35 mins at 450℉ or until you have achieved the color on the bread that you desire.
Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. And now for the hardest part of the recipe…letting it cool! Wait at least 30 mins before cutting.
***Freezing – If you would like to have fresh bread on hand all the time , you can cut the bread up and place it into a freezer bag and freeze it.
