My fascination with baking bread in cast-iron using the no-knead method continues. Using a covered cast iron pot to bake the moist dough at a high temperature yields the type of bread you purchase in a bakery with a crusty, chewing crust and soft interior texture.

This is a variation that adds one cup of cheddar cheese and a jalapeno pepper. For this first try, I used one chopped fresh jalapeno, however, there was not much pepper taste to the bread (even though the bread was still really, really good). If you want a spicy bread, you may add more peppers.

Jalapeno & Cheddar No Knead Crusty Loaf

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon yeast

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 to 2 chopped fresh jalapenos or several teaspoons of canned jalapenos (depending on your taste)

1 1/2 cups water

Whisk the flour, salt and yeast together. Add the cheese and peppers and mix. Add water and mix into a moist dough.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12-18 hours

Heat oven to 450 degrees. When oven has reached 450, place cast iron pot and lid in oven for 30 minutes. While the pot and lid are heating, remove the dough from the bowl onto a well-floured surface and form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap.

(Tip: use a sheet of floured parchment paper and turn dough out on the parchment paper, form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. When you are ready to cook, you can pick up with parchment with the dough on it and place in the hot pot. Use scissors to cut away excess paper or fold down to make sure you still have a tight fit with the pot lid.)

After heating for 30 minutes, remove the hot pot from oven and place dough in pot (Be careful!).

Cover and place the pot in oven at 450 degrees. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove the pot from oven. The bread should slip from the pot and cool on a rack.

Mixing the dough

The dough after setting for 12-18 hours

Forming into a ball while pan and lid heats in 450 degree oven

Remove from oven

Slice and enjoy!