Crispy cheesy crust with melted cheese in the middle!? Absolute. Perfection. If you want an amazing cheesy experience that pairs PERFECTLY with the tang and flavor of sourdough, look no further :) This recipe makes incredible cheesy sourdough bread, and the bread that melts onto the crust and gets crispy is particularly delicious! This bread would be perfect for sandwiches, grilled cheese, toast, and many many more things! Recently I upgraded my sourdough method, so it is definitely more complicated now but the results have been fantastic! Please search "Sourdough Bread 2" or "Sourdough Bread 3" or YouTube for easier recipes!
Watch this video as a guide before attempting this recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qjmd9uIQwOA
My loaf was 79% hydration, 774 g
The recipe is here, and pictures of the process are below:
Ingredients:
78 g wholegrain rye sourdough starter (or other starter) at it's peak rise
280 g bread flour (mine is Robin Hood brand, 13% protein)
70 g whole wheat flour
8 g uniodized salt
268 g room temperature water (70-80°F)
70 g cubed aged cheddar (you can use more cheese and different cheese(s))
Rice flour for dusting
Directions:
Day 1:
Notes: I fed my starter 2x a day (every 12 hours) at a 1:1:1 ratio for 2 days before starting this recipe. This indicates how long you will need for the feed before making the bread and for the autolyse. My room temperature from step 1 to step 15 was between 68-72°F. Be aware that your fermentation time might change depending on the room temperature. Here are the steps with a tentative time table (feel free to adjust):
6 a.m. Feed your sourdough starter at 100% hydration and a 1:1:1 ratio. I did 30g:30g:30g (I use Rogers brand coarse dark rye flour). Cover and rest, you'll add it to the dough when it's at its peak rise. My room temp was 68°F.
6 a.m. In a medium mixing bowl mix together the 280 g bread flour, 70 g whole grain flour, and 268 g water (mine was ~82°F) until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest, this is an autolyse. Total autolyse and starter rise time: 4 hours. If your starter takes longer to rise you can extend the autolyse or simply feed the starter earlier.
10 a.m. Once the starter is at it's peak, add 78 g starter to the autolyzed flour + water. Then use stretch and folds and (or the Rubaud method if your dough is loose enough) to mix the starter in until completely combined (6 minutes).
Cover and rest 30 minutes at room temperature (mine was 69°F).
10:30 a.m. Sprinkle the salt over the dough. Use wet hands to dimple it into the dough and once folded in mix for 6 minutes until the salt is completely combined. I did a stretch and fold method around the circumference of the bowl.
Cover and rest 30 minutes at room temperature (mine was 69°F).
11 a.m. Take the dough out and do a strong fold (4 folds) on a clean countertop. Then shape back into a ball and put back in the bowl.
Cover and rest 30 minutes at room temperature (mine was 70°F). Now is a good time to prepare the cheese for the lamination.
11:30 a.m. Perform a lamination while also incorporating the cheese (see pictures below as a guide). Take the dough onto a clean surface and stretch in to the largest rectangle you can, stretching out from the inside of the dough, not pulling too hard on the outer edges. This takes time, about 3-5 minutes and be patient. Try not to create areas that tear or are too thin.
Then add about 1/3 of the cheese in the middle, distributing it evenly. Then fold 1/3 of the dough inward (like a letter), covering the cheese, pressing down and removing any air bubbles. Then sprinkle the next 1/3 of the cheese on top of what you just folded over and fold the other third of the dough over, pressing down as before. Finally, sprinkle the last 1/3 of the cheese evenly on top. And fold and tightly roll up the dough while avoiding creating too many airbubbles (see video linked above and pictures below). Place the dough, seam side down, in a clean Pyrex or glass (heavy bottom) dish.
Cover and rest 2 hours at room temperature (mine was 69°F). Note: if your dough flattens a lot after 1 hour do a coil fold at 11:30 am and one again at 12:30 p.m.
1:30 p.m. Do a coil fold (see video linked above).
Cover and rest 2 hours at room temperature (mine was 69°F). If it's raising fast then consider shortening these 2 sets of 2 hour rests.
3:30 p.m. Lightly dust the counter with flour. Flip the glass Pyrex dish upside down and let the dough fall out on it's own. Then shape the dough into a boule or batard. I used this tutorial to shape my batard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_mzSDCT6Kc Place the loaf top side down in a banneton that's been well floured with rice flour.
Cover and rest 2 hours at room temperature (mine was 67-69°F), or until it passes the finger poke test in multiple locations (poke a finger in about 1/2 a cm or 1/4 inch and if it slowly springs back and leaves a slight dent it's ready but if it doesn't spring back it's gone too far and if it springs back quickly and fully it's too early.)
5:30 p.m. Place the covered banneton in a refrigerator on a lower shelf for 12-18 hours (I did 15 hours, my fridge was 37-40°F).
Day 2:
Morning or early afternoon: Place the Dutch oven in an oven on the middle rack. Optional: Cover the oven's heat vent or steam vent (mine's the left back burner) with a heavy cast iron pan to trap in more heat.
Preheat the oven to 500°F. Once it reaches 500°F let it continue heating for 30-45 minutes before you add the loaf into the Dutch oven.
Once the oven is very hot, take the dough out of the fridge and flip top side up onto prepared parchment paper (see picture below). Quickly score the loaf, remove the Dutch oven from the oven, and lower the bread in side. Optional but recommended: use a spray bottle to spray the inside of the Dutch oven several times to create steam, or drop an ice cube in. Quickly cover the Dutch oven with a lid and return to the oven.
Bake 15 minutes.
Quickly remove the Dutch oven lid and if your loaves tend to burn on the bottom place a thick baking tray on the lower shelf to avoid this issue (and also remove steam vent cover if using). Lower the oven temperature to 450°F.
Bake another 20-30 minutes uncovered, and if it browns too much lightly cover it with tin foil. Note: the cheese can burn easily so check the bottom of the loaf every 10 minutes or so. and make sure the loaf isn't sticking anywhere.
Once baked, immediately remove the loaf onto a wire rack and let cool 3-4 hours before cutting into.
Store the loaf in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature or in the freezer for up to 1 month. I like to place it in a large Ziploc bag and suck the air out for both storage methods.
Makes 1 loaf, feel free to double the recipe but split the dough in half before the lamination stage!
Day 1:
Add water to the flours (day 1, step 2)
Mix together, this is the autolyse mixture (day 1, step 2).
Feed your starter (day 1, step 1).
Rest the autolyse mixture and starter together until the starter is at its peak (day 1, step 2).
The starter is at it's peak, next we can add it to the dough! (day 1, step 3).
The autolyse mixture after resting.
Add the starter to the autolyse mixture (day 1, step 3).
And mix until completely combined (day 1, step 3).
After resting 30 minutes (day 1, step 4).
Then add the salt (day 1, step 5).
After completely mixing in the salt (day 1, step 5).
After resting 30 minutes (day 1, step 6).
Take out onto a surface because next we will do a strong fold (day 1, step 7).
After the strong fold (day 1, step 7).
After the strong fold, shape it into a ball and return to the bowl (day 1, step 7).
Prepare the cheese while the dough rests (day 1, step 8).
After resting 30 minutes (day 1, step 8). Next we do a lamination!
Take the dough out (day 1, step 9).
Stretch as thin as you can into a square or rectangle (day 1, step 9).
Add 1/3 of the cheese in the middle (day 1, step 10).
Fold one side over like a letter, squeezing out airbubbles and sealing the cheese in (day 1, step 10).
Add another 1/3 of the cheese (day 1, step 10).
And fold the other side up like a letter (day 1, step 10).
Put the remaining cheese on (day 1, step 10).
And roll it up! Minimizing airbubbles as you go (day 1, step 10).
Place in a clean pyrex dish (day 1, step 10). Then rest 2 hours.
After resting 2 hours. It hasn't grown or flattened a lot (day 1, step 11).
After doing the coil fold (day 1, step 12).
After resting 2 hours (day 1, step 13). Next we will do the final shape.
Flip the container upside down to release the dough (it may need some help) (day 1, step 14).
Before the final shape (day 1, step 14).
After the final shape...mine was a bit awkward looking :D (day 1, step 14).
Side view of final shape, still awkward :)
Place in a well floured banneton and add more flour (day 1, step 14). Next we'll rest it one last time.
After resting 2 hours (day 1, step 15). It passed the poke test, time for the refrigerator!
Day 2:
The next morning the dough looks like this! Slightly puffier. The oven is preheated so it's time to bake!
Scored right before baking.
Midway through baking, after removing the lid.
After baking! Immediately remove it to a wire rack to cool :D
Letting it cool with another loaf I baked the same day. The recipe for the 100% whole wheat loaf is also on this blog!
Once cooled slice into it and enjoy!!!
INCREDIBLE