Jalapeno Cheddar Bread Recipe for the Bread Machine

Make yourself a spicy loaf of homemade bread with this jalapeno cheddar bread recipe designed especially for ease by using the bread machine. 

This simple, flavorful white bread recipe is perfect for adding a bit of a kick to your meals while keeping the actual hands-on work light. 

Grab your machine and make this great recipe to serve alongside spicy foods and mild ones alike!

Fresh Jalapeños

The peppers are what give the bread heat and flavor. I suggest just 1/3 cup of diced peppers in the recipe below. You could add more for more jalapeno flavor and heat.

A good bit of the heat comes from the veins and seeds of the peppers. Leave those in if you want hotter bread, remove them for a more mild heat level. 

Cheddar Cheese

I used sharp cheddar here because that’s the flavor we like best, however, you could use mild or medium. Use what you have in the fridge.

Want to keep it vegan? Keep the jalapenos, skip the cheddar.

Want even more heat? Use pepper jack or some kind of hot pepper cheddar instead.

Yeast Choices

I use instant yeast for ease in every bread machine recipe I test. If you want to use active dry yeast or bread machine yeast, simply follow your manufacturer’s instructions but I can’t say for certainty in what amount.

To Prevent Sticking

I had multiple loaves become hopelessly stuck to my bread pan and had to learn a trick or two to prevent it. Here’s what I do, if you’d like to try it:

After the final kneading cycle (for my machine there’s a 2 second third cycle of punching down), I remove the bread dough quickly from the machine, remove the kneading paddle and then spray the pan with some non-stick spray. Then I put the dough back in, close the lid and let the machine finish its rising and baking.

I use needle nose pliers to remove the paddle.

This very simple step has stopped bread from sticking to the paddle hopelessly and coming out of the pan a broken mess.

My bread machine instructions do not tell me that this is necessary – meaning the bread could bake with the paddle attached but I found it much easier to remove the paddle.

About My Bread Machine

This recipe was originally tested on a Welbilt bread machine and has since been made successfully in a Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso. Both produced a lovely loaf. Every machine is different, so follow your manufacturer’s instructions if anything differs from how this recipe is written.

How to Serve

This is a good loaf to serve alongside soup meals, especially things with a little kick on their own think: taco soup or chili for example.

Use it as a spicy base for your avocado toast. 

I think it’s amazing sandwich bread for things like egg salad for a little extra flavor.  It has a good texture for most any soft, delicious filling. 

Slather it in cream cheese for breakfast toast or snacking that may remind you of a jalapeno popper. 

It’s an excellent recipe to serve alongside simple salad meals as well. 

How to Store

Place any leftover cooled bread into a bread bag or airtight container where it should stay fresh for up to 5 days at room temperature.

For longer term storage, place into a freezer bag or wrap in plastic wrap and freeze. You can freeze the entire loaf or pre-slice and freeze for later. Freezing slices is nice for just grabbing a few now and then as needed.

Let frozen bread thaw on the counter prior to serving. Use up any frozen bread within 6 months for best flavor.

​Don’t have a bread machine? Check out my Jalapeno Cheese Bread Recipe that you can make without one.