Jalapeño Cheddar Dutch Oven Bread

January in Chicago means: the cold that was always coming has arrived and settled in with the attitude of a guest who did not check the departure date. It means the walk from the car to the school building takes less than thirty seconds and still requires a full winter jacket, gloves, and the particular brace that Chicagoans do when they open a door into the wind. It means I have the slow cooker running on every day Ryan is on shift, filling the apartment with the smell of something warm before anyone comes home.

The twins are eleven months old and their birthday is February 6th and I have been planning a birthday party in the way I plan things I care about, which is to say: obsessively and in list form, with a backup list. The party will be at Steve and Patty's because our apartment is not equipped for a birthday party involving both families plus NICU nurses we invited because they should be there. The NICU nurses are coming. I called and asked. Two of them said yes.

I keep thinking about a year ago. Last January I was on maternity leave still pregnant at forty weeks, making freezer meals and watching the calendar. This January the freezer meals have been replaced by an eleven-month-old who is methodically pulling everything out of the lower kitchen cabinet while I try to do the dishes, and by another eleven-month-old who has decided her primary form of communication is climbing me like a small determined tree.

White chicken chili this week: Aldi chicken thighs shredded, white beans, chicken broth, green chiles from a can, cumin, cream cheese stirred in at the end for richness. Ryan had it for dinner two nights running and called it "the chili that tastes like it was made by someone who knew what they were doing," which is the Ryan Kowalczyk version of a Michelin star.

Ryan called the chili “made by someone who knew what they were doing,” and I will take that compliment and run with it — but honestly, what made the second night even better than the first was that I had time while the babies napped to mix up a Dutch oven loaf, one with sharp cheddar and jalapeños folded in, the kind of bread that fills the apartment with a smell almost as good as the chili itself. In January, with the wind doing what Chicago wind does and a slow cooker already earning its keep, there is something deeply satisfying about pulling a blistered, crackling loaf out of the oven and setting it on the counter to cool — knowing it will be gone before the week is out.

Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus 12–18 hours rise) | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 13–19 hours | Servings: 10–12 slices

Ingredients

3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110°F)
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2–3 jalapeños, seeded and diced (leave some seeds for heat)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

Instructions

Mix the dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the warm water and stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains. Fold in the cheddar and jalapeños until evenly distributed.
First rise. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let it rest at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours, until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough has roughly doubled in size.
Shape. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. With floured hands, fold the edges toward the center a few times to form a rough ball. Place the dough seam-side down on a large sheet of parchment paper. Dust the top lightly with flour, cover loosely, and let rest for 1 to 2 hours.
Preheat the Dutch oven. About 30 minutes before baking, place a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven (with lid) in the oven and preheat to 450°F. The hot pot is what gives the bread its crackling crust.
Bake covered. Carefully lift the parchment and dough and lower it into the screaming-hot Dutch oven. Score the top with a sharp knife or razor blade. Replace the lid and bake for 30 minutes.
Bake uncovered. Remove the lid and continue baking for 12–15 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Internal temperature should reach 200–205°F.
Cool. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and let it cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing — the interior is still setting up inside. Serve warm alongside white chicken chili or any bowl that deserves good bread.

Nutrition (per serving)

Jalapeño Cheddar Dutch Oven Bread — The Only Thing Missing From a Bowl of White Chicken Chili