Chili cheese baguette with cheddar and jalapeños

My chili cheese baguette was actually created out of pure convenience. It all started with a sourdough bread in which I tried the chili-cheddar combination for the first time. It tasted great, but not everyone has a sourdough starter in their fridge. So I thought to myself: Isn’t this quicker? A baguette was the answer. No starter, no machine, and ready for the next barbecue in under two hours. I baked my way through a few attempts until the crumb was set and the cheese melted just right. Today we can hardly get enough of it. If you prefer something hearty, you should try our onion and bacon baguette, and for the classic version, the French baguette is available in 3 hours. When grilled, my chili cheese baguette makes the usual garlic baguette look pretty old. My favorite side effect: cut it open, top it with leftover grilled meat, and you’re done.

Flour, type 550 – The classic choice for baguettes. It has a little more gluten than Type 405, which makes the crumb airier and the crust crispy.

Fresh yeast – 15 grams is enough for three baguettes because the dough should rise quickly. If you only have dry yeast, take a small packet, i.e. around 5 grams.

Cheddar – The ultimate flavor carrier. I grate one part and dice the other, so that in the finished baguette there are sometimes fine strings of cheese and sometimes thick, melted cheese nests.

Pickled jalapeños – Bring spiciness and a slight acidity. Drain well, otherwise too much liquid will soak into the dough.

Cowboy Candy – Sweet pickled red jalapeños, Benni’s homemade version. They provide the red splash of color and the sweet-sharp contrast. If you don’t have any, use store-bought pickled red chilies and add a little more sugar to the dough if you use the unsweetened variety. You can find the recipe for this in our Cowboy Candy.

Sugar – Just a pinch for the yeast. If you use unsweetened chilies instead of Cowboy Candy, add a little more to the dough so that the sweet counterpart is not missing.

The most important lever for a successful chili cheese baguette is moisture in the right place. You don’t want them in the dough, you do want them in the oven. So drain the jalapeños and cowboy candy well before adding them to the dough, otherwise it will be sticky and the baguette will be flat. In the oven, however, steam is your friend. A splash of water on the hot oven floor, quickly close the door, and the crust becomes really crispy. Cut the baguettes sharply beforehand, then they will tear open in a controlled manner at the cuts instead of wildly at the sides.

What makes my recipe different? First, the cheese trick: half grated, half diced. The grated cheddar melts into the crumb, leaving the cubes as little nests of cheese. Secondly, the sweet and spicy duality of jalapeños and cowboy candy, which makes the finished baguette with cheese and chili much more exciting than the typical chili butter version. That’s exactly what I figured out over several baking attempts. If you like the chilli cheese taste liquid, I serve it with our chilli cheese sauce for nachos, burgers and fries.

Grab flour, cheddar and a jar of jalapeños, the rest is almost free. The chili cheese baguette is one of those recipes where we never have any leftovers, and that’s exactly why I bake it at almost every barbecue now. If you’re still looking for inspiration for the grill, take a look at our best dishes for grilling. And when you’ve baked your baguette, show it to us: Tag us @gernekochen on Instagram, we’ll be happy to see every crispy photo.