• In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer; measure out the active starter and the room temperature water. Mix this together with your hand, wooden spoon, or Danish dough hook. After it has made a slurry measure in the flour.
• Next, either with the dough hook and stand mixer or by hand mix until it forms a shaggy dough about 1-2 minutes. Let the dough rest, covered for 30 minutes. (This is the Autolyse.)
• After autolyse add in the kosher salt (and jalapenos) and knead on the lowest setting or by hand for 5-6 minutes.
• Grease a large bowl (non-metal mixing bowl) with a dash of olive oil and once the bread is done being kneaded transfer the bread dough to the prepared bowl. Let rest, covered for 35 minutes.
• You will now perform your first set of coil folds. If you are unsure of how to do this, please refer to above or my YouTube video. When you are working with the dough it can be sticky. If you are having issues with it sticking to your hands get a little bowl with some water in it and wet your hands as needed to help prevent sticking. Your wet hands are almost like floured hands without having to use flour which we want to avoid.
• Then…
• coil fold
• 30 min rest, coil fold
• 30 min rest, coil fold
• 30 min rest, coil fold
• 30 min rest, shape
• Before you shape your bread, you are going to want to shred your cheese and dice the jalapeño peppers if you haven’t already added them to your bread.
• Next, remove the dough from the bowl onto a clean work surface with NO flour. (If the dough is sticky use some water in a small bowl to wet your fingers.)
• Using a bench scraper or sharp knife (a chef’s knife works well for this, be careful if you use a knife). Divide the dough in half.
• Take the one half and stretch or laminate the dough by pulling it gently into a rectangle. Sprinkle in the cheddar cheese now and jalapeño peppers if you haven’t already kneaded the jalapenos in. Next fold it in thirds into the middle and roll it up from one end.
• Pull the dough ball toward you with cupped hands to create surface tension. Be sure not to overdo this step as you don’t want to rip the dough.
• Repeat this with the second loaf and let rest for 15 minutes.
• After the rest gently shape the loaves again using the same process as earlier but being gentler with the dough. It doesn’t pull out as far the second time and that is okay.
• Once they are shaped again, flour the top of the dough, and put them in floured bannetons with the seam side up. Put each loaf in a plastic bag and tie.

Bulk Ferment/ Bread Rise:

• Let the loaves sit on the counter for 30 minutes before placing them in the fridge for 8-10 hours. This is where the dough rise will happen the most.

Bake Day:

• The next day once the loaves have been in the fridge for 7 hours; preheat your oven with the Dutch oven inside to 500 degrees.
• At around 1 hour of preheating the oven it should be the correct oven temperature and the Dutch oven well preheated. For the best results you want a hot oven! A hot oven helps with oven spring as well. Take the first loaf of bread dough out of the fridge and flip it out of the banneton onto a piece of parchment paper.
• Do any designs you would like and then slash the dough with a bread lame or razor blade. Remember to do this at a slight angle and a half inch to an inch deep.
• Transfer the bread to the preheated Dutch oven using the parchment paper as a lifter. Return the covered Dutch oven to the oven, reduce the temperature to 450 degrees and bake for 25 minutes.
• When the 25 minutes are over, take the lid off and bake for another 15 minutes. This helps the loaf to finish baking and become golden brown.
• Place the loaf onto a cooling wire rack and put the Dutch oven with the lid back into the oven. Preheat to 500 degrees and then repeat the process over again with the second loaf.
• Allow to cool and enjoy your sourdough loaves! It is delightful!