3 cups + 2 Tablespoons (390g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled), plus more for hands
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt (I find the flavor lacking using regular table salt)
1/2 teaspoon instant or active-dry yeast
1 jalapeno, diced
1 cup (125g) shredded cheddar cheese
1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) warm water
Instructions
*No need to grease the bowl.* Stir the first 5 ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir in the warm water. The dough will be pretty sticky- don't be tempted to add more flour- you want a sticky dough. Gently shape into a ball as best you can. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Set on the counter at room temperature and allow to rise for 12-18 hours. The dough will double in size, stick to the sides of the bowl, and have a lot of air bubbles.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and, using lightly floured hands, shape into a ball as best you can. Transfer dough to a large piece of parchment paper, a piece large enough to fit inside your dutch oven and one that is safe under high oven heat. Place the ball of dough + parchment inside a bowl so the dough doesn't spread out as it rests.
Using a very sharp knife, gently score an X into the top. Cover dough lightly with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
During this 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 475 F. Place your dutch oven in the oven to heat with the oven. After 30 minutes, remove the dutch oven from the oven and carefully place the dough inside by lifting it up with the parchment paper and sticking it all inside the pot. Cover with the lid.
Bake for 25 minutes with the lid on. Carefully remove the lid and continue baking for 8-10 more minutes until the bread is golden brown. Remove pot from the oven, carefully remove the bread from the pot, and allow to cool on the counter for 30 minutes before breaking/slicing/serving.
Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for 1 week.
