Lao Gan Ma Cheese Bread

Lao Gan Ma Cheese Bread

Few condiments have traveled from a rural kitchen in China to pantries around the world quite like Lao Gan Ma. The name translates to “Old Godmother,” a nod to its founder, Tao Huabi, who began selling her chili sauce from a humble noodle shop in Guiyang in the 1980s. Legend has it that customers loved her house-made chili condiment so much they began buying it by the jar. What started as a small operation grew into a national phenomenon and eventually a global pantry staple.

Lao Gan Ma isn’t just heat. It’s complexity. The version I’m using layers dried chiles into soybean oil along with bits of kohlrabi, peanuts, and bean curd, creating a condiment that is as much about texture as it is about spice. The crunch comes not only from chili flakes but from vegetables and nuts suspended in vivid red oil. It delivers warmth, salt, subtle sweetness, and contrast in a single spoonful.

Cheddar already brings sharpness and salt. When you fold this sauce into a dough, something interesting happens. The peanuts echo the natural nuttiness of aged cheese, while the kohlrabi adds delicate texture throughout the crumb. As the bread bakes, the chili oil warms and perfumes the loaf with a gentle toastiness. Cheese-heavy breads can sometimes feel dense, but the heat and crunch keep each slice animated and balanced. The result isn’t a “spicy bread.” It’s a savory, textured loaf with character — familiar yet unexpected.

There’s something compelling about combining a Chinese chili condiment born in Guizhou with a classic American cheddar loaf. It’s not fusion for the sake of novelty — it’s flavor logic. Both ingredients thrive on salt, warmth, and slow baking. A slice toasted, the edges crackling and the cheese re-melting, might be the best argument yet for keeping a jar of Lao Gan Ma within arm’s reach. Served with a small scoop of ricotta on top, it’s just heavenly.

And because I’m sharing this loaf as part of my Lunar New Year recipes in February, it feels especially fitting. Lunar New Year celebrations center on gathering, sharing, and ushering in good fortune around the table. While this cheddar bread is not traditional, the inclusion of Lao Gan Ma nods to Chinese pantry flavors in a way that feels thoughtful and delicious rather than purely symbolic.

It’s a small bridge between cultures — a familiar American-style loaf layered with warmth, texture, and gentle heat from a beloved Chinese condiment — perfect for a season that celebrates renewal, connection, and the joy of sharing food across generations and borders.

Lao Gan Ma Cheese Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

• 365 g unbleached bread flour – plus 2 T. more for sprinkling
• 1/2 t. active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 t. kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups (reserve 2 tablespoons) filtered water, warmed
• 3 T. Lao Gan Ma Hot Chili Sauce (the kohlrabi and peanut version) – plus more for topping
• 5 oz. sharp cheddar, shredded – plus more for topping

Equipment:

This recipe requires a Covered Dutch Oven or Bread Pot. I like the Emile Henry Bread Pot because it is made to heat up while empty in the oven and the compact round shape creates a well formed, plump boule.

Method:

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add in the water warmed to approximately 105°F. Mix until well combined then cover the bowl with a damp towel. (Add remaining tablespoon(s) of warm water only if the mixture is too dry). Cover with a damp towel and let sit at room temperature 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes mix Lao Gan Ma and cheddar into the dough. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Remove from refrigerator, uncover, and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours.

Lift the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface and fold the dough over itself a few times. Shape into a ball with the seam side down. Let the dough sit, covered for 60 minutes. Then start to heat the oven.

Bake:

Place a covered Dutch Oven/Bread Pot in the cold oven. Then bring up the temperature to 450°F. When the oven temperature reaches 450°F immediately begin to bake the bread. Do not overheat the empty Dutch Oven.

Carefully remove the empty hot Dutch Oven from the oven and place the dough ball inside.

Coat the top of the dough with Lao Gan Ma and cheddar. Then with a sharp knife or lame or kitchen shears, cut an X or make 3 slashes in the dough ball.

Replace the lid immediately and put it right back in the oven. Don’t worry if the dough ball is not perfectly centered in the pot.

Bake the bread for 45 minutes. Remove pot from oven then transfer bread to a cooling rack. Let the bread cool down to room temperature.

Enjoy!

Our absolute favorite way to eat Lao Gan Ma Cheese Bread is sliced then toasted in a toaster oven, and topped with a cool creamy scoop of ricotta!

More Lunar New Year Dishes

Char Siu Duck Legs over Braised Cabbage

Vietnamese Hoi An- Style Fried Wontons (Shrimp & Pineapple)

Korean Rice Cake Soup with Brisket – Tteokguk