Hatch Chilis ‘N Cheddar Sourdough (Exclusive Recipe)
Exclusive alert: This spicy, cheesy sourdough loaf features roasted Hatch chilis and extra sharp cheddar folded right into the dough — no shortcuts, no compromises. You’ve never had a crust like this.
🧾 Ingredients
- 3/4 cup roasted Hatch chilis, peeled and chopped
- 3/4 to 1 cup extra sharp cheddar, cubed
- 3 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1/2 cup bubbly active sourdough starter (fed and bubbly)
- 1 1/3 cups water (filtered)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
🧑🍳 Instructions
- Roast & prep the chilis: Blister Hatch chilis under a broiler or on a grill. Steam in a covered bowl for 10–15 minutes.
- Wear gloves before peeling. No exceptions. These are spicy — one touch to your eye and it’s game over. Peel and dice the chilis carefully.
- Pat dry: Lay diced chilis on a clean towel or paper towel and pat dry. Removing excess moisture helps keep the dough structure strong.
- Mix the dough: In a large bowl, combine flour, water, and sourdough starter. Mix until shaggy. Rest for 30 minutes (autolyse).
- Add salt: Sprinkle in salt and mix well by hand until smooth. Cover.
- Bulk fermentation: Let rise at room temp (4–5 hours), doing stretch-and-folds every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours.
- Add-ins: Gently fold in the roasted chilis and cheddar cubes toward the end of bulk rise.
- Shape: Turn dough onto floured surface. Shape into a boule or batard. Place into floured proofing basket or bowl.
- Cold proof: Cover and refrigerate overnight (8–12 hours).
- Bake: Preheat oven and Dutch oven to 475°F. Score the dough and bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncovered for 20–25 more minutes until deeply golden.
- Cool: Let rest on rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.
🔥 Watch the 1-Minute Reel
💡 Tips
- Wear gloves. Seriously. These chilis are spicy enough to turn one careless rub of your eye into a full-blown pepper spray incident.
- Use cubed cheddar, not shredded — pockets of cheese are everything.
- Dry the chilis! Wet chili = watery dough = no thanks.
- You can rehydrate dried Hatch chilis if fresh aren’t available.
🛠️ Tools I Use
📓 Featured On the Podcast
This recipe is part of the Layer By Layer GO! podcast — where food, music, and life planning come together.