No-Knead Green Chile Cheese Bread
This no-knead Cheese Bread recipe made with Hatch Green Chiles requires only eight ingredients, most of which are pantry staples. If you want to make delicious artisan bread with a little spice that looks and tastes like it came from a high-end bakery in minimal time, this easy bread recipe is for you!
Roasted Hatch green chiles and shredded white cheese are baked into a no-knead bread dough for a twist on Mexican bolillo bread that is out of this world.
The best part is that kneading is not required, making this easy bread recipe quick and painless. Combine all the ingredients and let it rise — that’s it. How great is that?
This crusty cheese bread gets a smoky heat from the green chiles and creamy saltiness from the addition of mild white cheese.
It’s Hatch chile season, which means any and every recipe with roasted green chile is game. This easy bread recipe is a perfect accompaniment to your favorite soups, stews, or chili.
This no-knead cheese bread is made with a combination of milk and butter and reminds me of my mom’s galletas de suero (buttermilk biscuits). The addition of roasted green chile takes this bread recipe over the top.
I am the first to admit that I am not an expert bread maker. Anytime I work with yeast I get very nervous and intimidated, but there are a few simple tricks that you can do before you begin the baking process that will help eliminate that stress.
Baking breads with confidence starts with learning how to proof yeast. I know working with yeast can be intimidating, but by following the steps below I promise you, it’s not that challenging.
How to activate yeast:
Before you begin, be sure to look at the expiration date on yeast. Ensure that it is still alive before continuing. If it’s past the expiration date, be sure to test it because yeast is a living organism. I have unfortunately made the mistake of using dead yeast and ended up with a brick instead of a delicious bread loaf.
TIP: Keep your yeast in the freezer to extend its shelf life! As long as the yeast bubbles and foams after you feed it, it’s alive regardless of the expiration date.
In a small bowl, add ½ cup lukewarm water (105-115 degrees F.). Use a simple meat thermometer to take the temperature of the water. Alternatively, test the water by dripping it over the inside of your wrist. It should feel warmer than your skin, but not hot.
Add package of yeast to water and 1/4 teaspoon sugar. The sugar will give the yeast something to “eat”. Gently give it a stir. The mixture will start to bubble and foam on top. I would recommend waiting 10 minutes to ensure yeast is activated (be sure it’s alive) before continuing on with the recipe.
TIP: Salt can hinder the growth activity of yeast, so you should add it after you have proofed the yeast, and after you have tipped the remainder of the flour into the bowl.
If you would like more information on proofing yeast, check out this awesome post by The Spruce Eats.
How to make this easy no-knead cheese bread recipe
Once yeast is activated, add warm milk, room temperature butter, chopped green chiles, and grated cheese and combine in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix until combined. Dough will be very lumpy at this stage.
Place flour followed by salt into this mixture and mix until well blended. Remember, this is a no-knead bread recipe, so as soon as everything is incorporated, you’re done! This dough will be sticky to the touch.
Place cheese bread dough in a greased bowl and let rise lightly covered until roughly doubled in size, approximately 2 to 4 hours.
Bake in a loaf pan and voila! Your home will smell heavenly.
Give yourself a high five — you are a bread maker.
Butter makes everything better
Before the cheese bread is baked, I drizzled the loaf with warm melted Land O Lakes® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt. When the bread bakes, it gives it a delicious salty and buttery crispy edge with a pretty sheen.
Frequently asked questions and baking tips:
What kind of chile can be used?
Hatch chiles are not available year-round, and may not be available where you live or sold everywhere. That said, Hatch Green Chiles are my favorite pepper for this recipe. The next best chile pepper is Anaheim, which are readily available year-round. For a milder chile pepper, try poblanos.
How should I go about roasting the chile peppers?
If you are unsure how to roast chile peppers, please refer to this blog post: How to roast chile peppers. Be sure to peel the roasted chiles before chopping and adding to dough.
TIP: If you’re pressed for time or cannot find peppers at your store, you can use diced canned green chiles instead. Be sure to drain them first. These will be less spicy than Hatch chiles, but will give you some of the pepper flavor.
What kind of cheese is best for cheese bread?
I selected mild queso Oaxaca, another great alternative is Monterey Jack.
TIP: I would recommend shredding your own cheese vs buying packaged shredded cheese for this recipe.
How do I know if my bread has risen properly?
Let it rise for 2 to 4 hours, or until doubled in size. Bread will rise more quickly in a warm environment. Room temperature (68 to 72 degrees F.) is ideal for proofing your bread.
To check for a perfect rise, gently press in a knuckle about a half-inch deep. If the dough springs back immediately, it needs more time to rise. If it slowly springs back about halfway, you’re ready to bake!
TIP: Be sure to place in a draft-free spot for rising. If your kitchen is cold and dry, you can place it in the oven while it is turned off to protect it from the chill. Place a roasting pan on the bottom of the oven and fill it halfway with boiling water, then close the door. This will simulate the perfect room temperature conditions for rising.
Tips:
- I like to use roasted Hatch chiles. Roasting blisters the skin of the chile and separates it from the flesh, making it easy to peel. Roasting also enhances the flavor.
- Hatch chile comes in mild, medium, and hot, so select the peppers depending on your heat tolerance.
- If fresh chiles are not available, canned whole chiles can be used.
- Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, or mild white cheddar cheese may be used in place of Mexican queso Oaxaca.
How to serve
Once the green chile cheese bread is done baking, remove it from the loaf pan and place it on a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.
This no-knead cheese bread slathered with Land O Lakes® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt is the perfect companion to any meal. It has the rich creaminess of the butter you love with the goodness of olive oil.
More Hatch Chile recipes:
- Chiles Rellenos
- Hatch Green Chile Guacamole
- Chicken Stuffed Hatch Chiles
- Queso Fundido with Mushrooms and Hatch Green Chile
- Grilled Veggie Burrito Bowls with Hatch Green Chile Rice
- Hatch Green Chile and Cheese Empanadas
- Green Chile and Cheese Quesadillas
- Instant Pot Pork and Roasted Green Chile Tamales
Be sure to Pin this recipe for later! You’re definitely going to want to make it.
No-Knead Green Chile Cheese Bread
Ingredients
- 1/4 ounce active dry yeast packet
- 1/2 cup water, warm (105-115 degrees F.)
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup milk, lukewarm
- 1 tablespoon Land O Lakes® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt, room temperature
- 1 cup roasted green chiles, peeled and chopped, (about 4 chiles)
- 1 cup shredded cheese (recommend queso Oaxaca or Monterey Jack)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt, melted
Instructions
- Dissolve yeast in warm water and sugar. Stir until well blended. Let sit for 10 minutes for yeast to activate.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine yeast mixture with warm milk, 1 tablespoon Land O Lakes® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt. Add the green chiles and cheese; mix until well blended.
- Slowly add flour followed by salt into this mixture and mix until well blended. This dough will be slightly sticky.
- Place dough in a greased bowl and let rise covered with a tea towel for 2 to 4 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Transfer the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface. The dough should still be slightly loose.
- Lightly spray loaf pan with cooking spray.
- Gently place dough into the loaf pan so it’s evenly distributed. Place dough in loaf pan and cover it with a tea towel while the oven is preheating or up to 30 minutes.
- Drizzle dough with melted Land O Lakes® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt.
- Bake for about 45 to 55 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown.
- Remove the loaf from the loaf pan and let it cool on a rack before slicing. To keep it warm, cover with a tea towel.
Notes
- I like to use roasted Hatch chiles. Roasting blisters the skin of the chile and separates it from the flesh, making it easy to peel. Roasting, also, enhances the flavor.
- Hatch chile comes in mild, medium, and hot, so select the peppers depending on your heat tolerance.
- If fresh chiles are not available canned, whole chiles can be used.
- Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, or white mild cheddar cheese may be used in place of Mexican queso Oaxaca.
Photography by Jenna Sparks
This post is in partnership with Land O Lakes. As always, thank you for reading and for supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. All opinions are always my own.
9 Comments on “No-Knead Green Chile Cheese Bread”
Your recipe worked very well for me on the first try. Thanks! Also thanks to the commenters for sharing their experiences. I used roasted Hatch green chilis (cultivar “Big Jim”, medium hotness), blotting them thoroughly with paper towels. I grated some smoked Gouda for the cheese (what we had on hand) and used a tbsp of olive oil instead of butter in the dough. Drizzling the 3 tbsp of melted butter over the top before placing in oven is a wonderful touch. For me the recipe made two loaves in ~8.5”x4.5” bread pans (will increase ingredient amounts by about a third next time to better fill the second pan). I routinely incorporate salt with the flour for pizza and breads and never have a problem with dough not rising. Your tip about pressing your knuckle in to determine if dough has risen sufficiently was spot on. Time for first rise was 2 hours, 40 minutes for rise time in loaf pans. 40 minutes bake time (for the smaller loaves). I love this bread!
Can I use rapid dry yeast in this recipe ?
Can I use a bread maker set on the dough setting only and then bake it in a loaf pan in my regular oven? If so, would I need to make any changes to the recipe?
Hi Paul! I don’t see why not. The recipe should stay the same.
I have made this bread 3 times now and am making it again today. It is a wonderful, straightforward recipe! My area only had HOT hatch chilies, so I substituted jalapenos, and the flavor was wonderful. After putting them in chopped, raw, and seeded, I wondered if I should have cooked them, but they were fine. My family all loved, and the first loaf was gone that afternoon. For the next loaf, I added roasted garlic and roasted anaheim chilies. Again delicious, and I really liked the additional garlic flavor along with the chilies. It cooked perfectly. Today I am going to add roasted onions along with the chilies and garlic! I feel this is a no-fail recipe and one that I will be experimenting with different additions. Thank you!
What a catastrophe! I roasted, sweated, pealed, and diced the chiles in the evening in order to bake in the cool hours this morning. (By the way, I think 4 poblanos are too many; unless my poblanos are bigger than your poblanos.) I baked it in a deep cast iron pot which I had successfully used several times with the New York Times No-Knead Bread recipe. When I pulled it out of the oven, it fell like a bashful soufflé. Guess there was too much moisture from the chiles.
Annie, Ajijic, Jalisco Mexico
I’m so sorry to read this. Did you measure the chopped chiles? The recipe says 1 cup chopped (about 4 chiles). Since poblanos are quite larger than Hatch/Anaheim chiles, it’s possible you added too much. And this recipe has not been tested in a cast iron skillet. Did your dough rise before you baked?
What if I do not have a stand alone mixer with a hook? What can I use as an alternative?
You can make this in a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon. Takes a bit more muscle, but the dough comes together nicely. Good luck! Keep me posted.