Soft and pillowy, these Jalapeño Cheddar Burger Buns are the most delicious vessel for any of your burger dreams for the upcoming summer BBQs!

Batman and Robin. Thelma and Louise. Peanut Butter and Jelly. Tequila and lime. There are just some partnerships that cannot be touched, fiddled with, or broken because of how incredibly well they work together. Sure, Batman worked solo for a bit, but think of how much more dynamic he was once he became part of a team - not including the fact he had trusty old Alfred on his side to assist. Peanut Butter is the perfect, nutty counterpart that complements and enhances the sweetness of jelly. To have a jelly sandwich by itself feels incomplete, a little saccherine, and just a little sad. A flavor combination that cannot be touched, in my opinion, is the iconic Jalapeño Cheddar combination. It is savory, with a hint of heat and the earthiness of the pepper, tinged with the sharpness that the cheese brings.

The Jalapeño and Cheddar commination is found everywhere, from fondue dips for giant, soft pretzels, or cheese crisped toasty nachos loaded with a plethora of toppings. Seriously, whether you favor the drippy neon yellow cheddar goo, or the crisped baked on cheddar that clings for dear life to the corn chip, the bite is not complete without a bit of that spicy little jalapeño pepper. There are dozens upon dozens of stuffed Jalapeño recipes that feature cheddar cheese. It is a combination that is truly incredibly difficult to mess up. But for me, one of my favorite ways to eat this delectable combination is in bread form.

While the bread itself has that classic softness that traditional burger buns have, the cheddar flavor sings through and the little poppy seeds crackle between your teeth in each bite.

Home baked bread is one of those things that make your house smell unbelievable. Since my diagnosis of NMO and the different medications I am on to help keep me stable, I found that for me, eating foods that had limited chemicals and preservatives in the ingredient list made me feel better overall. So I started learning to bake a multitude of different styles of staple breads, like this, this, and this. Learning to bake with limited vision has been a challenge in trusting my instincts, as I cannot tell by sight if something has browned properly or not. I have to rely on touch, taste, and smell. And this Jalapeño Cheddar Burger Buns recipe smells INCREDIBLY wonderful as it bakes, and tastes even better.

While the Jalapeño Cheddar Burger Buns are doing their final rise, I get the toppings ready to go to ensure efficiency beofre they go in the oven to bake.

As grilling season is soon to be upon the entire country, these little Jalapeño Cheddar Burger Buns are going to knock your socks off in how ideal they are to shelter a glistening, glorious hunk of grilled deliciousness. The bread structure is sturdy enough to withstand a good amount of condiments and juices, yet has that classic softness you expect from a burger bun. The dough itself is flavored with a good amount of cheddar, so the savory, sharp, distinctive flavor of the cheese sings bright and true in each bite. I wholly recommend using a good quality cheddar in this recipe, as that is the base flavor you have tickling your senses as you eat. After your whole being is enveloped by the lushly gratifying cheese flavor, the Jalapeño aroma and essence comes to the forefront. Depending if you prefer to use the seeds of the Jalapeños in this recipe, you can also get a decent amount of heat creeping along after you finish the mouthful.

** I broil my Jalapeño Cheddar Burger Buns for 2 minutes at 425 when they are done baking, as I prefer the cheese on top to be a little crisp. It is not necessary though, and just an added little thing I do because I like the browned cheese :)

With these perfect little buns, the world of savory delicacies are wide open to your palate. The Jalapeño and Cheddar flavors take ordinary, ho hum creations to the stuff you pay $15 for in a restaurant. The level of difficulty to make the dough is not high, but there is a fair amount of time that is needed to rise the dough twice before baking. The original recipe didn’t call for the additional garnishes I add to the top of the buns, but I feel that they take it from a “good” bread bun to a “bakery” bread bun. In the terms of “Best Partners in Crime”, these Jalapeño Cheddar Burger Buns sing the siren call of being the go to for any type of burger this summer. Now all we have to do is get our grill set up :)

Savory, with that delicious Jalapeño flavor intertwined with the sharp Cheddar, these Jalapeño Cheddar Burger Buns are the perfect base to any burger.

Jalapeño Cheddar Burger Buns

Slightly adapted from this recipe

Servings: 6 very large or 8 regular buns

These Jalapeño Cheddar Burger Buns make an excellent base for breakfast sandwiches, regular sandwiches, and a plain old snack as well. I love, love, love slicing them open and toasting the cut sides with a bit of butter to create a delicate, buttery crunch to contrast the soft bread. I have made them into little sandwiches for my husband’s lunches as well, and they hold up nicely to being in a cooler all morning without the bread getting soggy.

The whole process from start to finish is roughly 3 hours, so I do recommend starting this while you know you have other household chores to do. The majority of the time is spent waiting for the bread to rise, so the process is fairly hands off as you let the yeast do its yeasty thing. I make this in a stand mixer, though you would be able to knead everything by hand - the kneading process would just be a bit more laborious.

Ingredients

1 Cup Warm Water (roughly 110 degrees, or warm to the back of the hand without flinching when placed under the running faucet)
2 1/4 Tsp Active Dry Yeast
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Eggs, divided
3 Tbsp Granulated White Sugar
3 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Tsp Sea Salt
1 1/2 Cups (6 oz) Shredded Cheddar Cheese (I use Extra Sharp Cheddar) + 1/4 Cup more for sprinkling
1/2 Cup (3 Jalapeños) fine diced Fresh Jalapeños (for mild spice, seed the jalapeños, for a good spicy kick, leave the seeds and membranes in, or use a mixture of seeded and whole jalapeños) + 1/2 Jalapeño sliced very thin for topping
Poppy seeds, for sprinkling

Directions

In the bowl of a Stand Mixer fixed with the dough hook attachment, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. It will be foamy and smell very “yeasty” when activated. In the meantime, whisk one egg, the olive oil, and sugar together in a small bowl.
Once the yeast is nice and foamy, put the mixer on speed 2 and stir in the egg mixture. Add in the cheddar cheese, the jalapeños, salt, and slowly add the flour in 1/2 cup at a time. The dough should become a shaggy ball after about 2 to 3 minutes.
Let the mixer continue on speed 2 for about 5 minutes until the dough has come together into a smooth ball and is a elastic and slightly dry to the touch. If the dough seems too wet and doesn’t come cleanly away from the sides of the bowl, add a tbsp more flour at a time until it does.
When the dough comes cleanly away from the side of the bowl increase the mixer speed to 5 and let continue to knead the dough for 5 to 7 additional minutes.
Grease a large mixing bowl and let the dough rest, covered with a damp towel or plastic wrap, for about an hour and a half in a warm environment, or until the dough has doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Once the dough has doubled in size, gently tip it out using a spatula onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 6 or 8 equal pieces, and shape each piece into a tight, round ball, seam sides down. Space the dough balls equally apart on each prepared baking sheet, taking care to make sure there is at least 2 inches between each bun as they rise and spread quite a bit.
Cover the buns with a damp paper towel, and let rise for 20 to 25 minutes.
Make an egg wash with the remaining egg and 1 Tbsp water and gently brush over the top of each bun. Place the sliced Jalapeños on top of each bun, sprinkle the additional cheddar cheese and the poppy seeds.
Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, rotating the baking trays halfway through to ensure even browning. Bread will look golden brown on top, andsound hollow when tapped, which indicates it is done. **See note above. Cool on the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.