This cheesy sourdough bread is one of the easiest, most satisfying loaves you’ll ever bake. The tangy, chewy homemade sourdough is crusty on the outside, soft on the inside, and loaded with gooey pockets of melted cheese. Perfect for sandwiches, serving with soup, or just tearing into while it’s still warm.
You can make it all in one day or let it slow-ferment overnight for even more flavor. I typically do the latter, so I mix the dough the first day and bake it the next morning. This makes the bread timeline easier to manage while also giving the dough plenty of time to develop its delicious signature flavor.
The best part? This is a no-knead sourdough bread recipe, so it’s super simple to make. I am extremely confident you’re going to love this bread!
Why you’ll love this cheesy sourdough recipe
- No kneading required. Just stir, stretch a few times, and let time do the rest.
- Cheesy and delicious. Think sourdough bread meets grilled cheese, all in one.
- Flexible timeline. Bake it the same day or let it ferment overnight.
- Beginner-friendly. A great first homemade sourdough bread project.
- Versatile. Enjoy it with soup, slice it for sandwiches, or toast it for breakfast.
Recipe overview
⏱️ Prep: ~10 min active • Bake: 45–50 min • Total: 5–7 hours (same-day bake) or overnight + 2–4 hours (next-day bake). Most of the time is fermentation & proofing.
🍴 Yield: Makes one large loaf/boule
💪 Skill level: Beginner!!
How to make cheesy sourdough bread
1. Mix the dough
Combine starter, water, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in flour, black pepper, and cheese until you have a shaggy dough.
2. Rest, stretch, fold
Let it rest for 45-60 minutes, then perform a few stretch-and-folds over the next couple of hours to build gluten. Plan to do a total of 4 stretch-and-folds, about every 30 minutes or so.
👉 Choose your fermentation timeline
Same-day bake: Shape the dough and let it rise until doubled in size (3–4 hours), then bake.
Overnight bake: Cover the dough and refrigerate overnight for a slower, more flavorful ferment. You can shape it now or choose to shape it in the morning.
How to do the stretch-and-folds:
To stretch the dough, pull dough from one side and give it a long stretch, folding the dough back to the middle. Turn the bowl a quarter turn, stretch again and fold back to the middle. Repeat on all four sides, cover dough back up, and allow to rest again until the next stretch & fold.
3. Shape & proof
Shape into a round or oval, pulling the dough towards you several times to build tension. Place in a floured, towel-lined bowl, cover it, and let it rise until bubbly puffy (or put in the fridge overnight, then bring to room temperature and let rise).
4. Bake
Preheat your oven and Dutch oven to 450°F. Score the dough and place in the Dutch oven. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes, then uncovered for another 18–22 minutes until golden brown.
That’s it! You made delicious sourdough bread! Now for the hardest part – waiting until it cools completely before you cut into it.
Pro baking tips for successful homemade sourdough
Use a scale. When making bread, weighing your ingredients will give the most consistent results.
Watch the dough, not the clock. Rise times can vary widely based on room temperature and starter strength. Don’t rush the proofing process and learn how to tell when bread is properly proofed and ready.
Use a Dutch oven. Baking your homemade sourdough in a Dutch oven will give you the best results. Baking for the first 25 minutes with the lid on traps steam, which helps the loaf rise higher and develop that crispy, golden, bakery-style crust.
Bake it hot. Make sure you have your oven preheated and super hot! This high heat causes “oven spring”, the rapid expansion that gives bread its rise and open airy structure.
Most people also recommend preheating your Dutch oven, letting it heat up fully before putting the bread dough in it. Over the course of months of experimenting, I have personally found that this causes the bottom of my bread to burn and get tough, so I no longer do this. Experiment and see what works for you!
Don’t forget to score your bread. Creating a few deep gashes in the bread dough is essential before baking. This creates a controlled opening for the gases to escape. If you don’t score your bread, it will burst open wherever the weakest point is, causing an uneven (and funky-looking) rise.
Cool before slicing. Let the loaf rest at least 30 minutes to set the crumb and keep the cheese from oozing out.
Why bake homemade sourdough in a Dutch oven?
If you’ve ever wondered why nearly every sourdough recipe calls for a Dutch oven, it’s because it’s an easy way to get bakery-style results at home. A Dutch oven traps steam from the dough, which keeps the crust soft and flexible during the first part of baking (the oven spring phase), so your loaf can fully rise. Once the lid comes off, the crust dries out and becomes beautifully golden and crisp. The heavy cast iron also holds heat evenly, giving you a well-baked loaf.
If you don’t have a dutch oven
No Dutch oven? No problem! You can still bake great sourdough at home. Try this instead:
Use a baking sheet + overturned metal bowl: Place your dough on a preheated baking sheet, then cover it with a large heatproof metal bowl for the first 20 minutes to trap steam.
Variations
Choose your cheese: Go for strongly-flavored, melty varieties like cheddar, parmesan, fontina, asiago, mozzarella, or gouda.
I used a combination of cheddar and parmesan for this bread, but you could use just about any cheese you like. You could even opt to add an extra ounce or two of cheese – this is cheesy sourdough, after all!
Herbs & additional flavorings: If you’re not a fan of black pepper, you could skip it or replace it with a dried savory herb, like thyme or rosemary.
Serving suggestions
One thing I love about this loaf is how versatile it is. My favorite suggestions:
- Serve warm with butter, olive oil, hummus, or pesto.
- Make the ultimate grilled cheese or panini.
- Toast slices for breakfast with a fried egg on top.
- Pair with tomato soup, chili, or a cozy fall stew.
- Slice thick, toast, and serve alongside an entree salad.
If you love savory bread recipes, be sure to check out my Garlic & Herb Sourdough, Rosemary Sea Salt Sourdough, and Nettle Pesto Swirl Bread!
If you make this Cheesy Sourdough Bread, please leave a star rating and comment below. I’d love to hear what you think or answer any questions. Thank you!
Cheesy Sourdough Bread (No-Knead)
Equipment
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 150 grams active, bubbly sourdough starter
- 320 grams warm water
- 10 grams fine sea salt
- 500 grams bread flour
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4-5 ounces cheddar & parmesan cheese, cubed
Instructions
To make the no-knead sourdough:
- Combine sourdough starter, water and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Combine flour, pepper, and cheese; stir into starter mixture.
- Finish mixing by hand, folding mixture until it forms a rough ball. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rest 45-60 minutes.
- Over the next few hours, give the dough a stretch & fold about every 30 minutes or so. Plan to stretch & fold four times.To stretch the dough, pull dough from one side and give it a long stretch, folding the dough back to the middle. Turn the bowl a quarter turn, stretch again and fold back to the middle. Repeat on all four sides, cover dough back up, and allow to rest again until the next stretch & fold.
- Once you've completed all the stretches, put the dough in the refrigerator and allow it to sit overnight.*
The next day:
- The next morning, pull your dough out of the fridge and allow it to warm up slightly.
- Line a large bowl with a tea towel and dust it lightly with flour. Shape your dough into a ball, pinching the bottom together to create a seam. Place dough, seam side up, into the towel-lined bowl.
- Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Allow dough to rest and rise for about 2-4 hours, or until puffy and doubled (the time will vary quite a bit depending on your dough and the temperature).
- Place a dutch oven and lid in the oven and preheat oven to 450° F. When oven comes to temperature, carefully turn your dough onto a piece of parchment, seam side down. Score the dough in any desired pattern.
- Lift the parchment paper with your sourdough and lower it into the hot dutch oven. Cut away any excess parchment paper, put the lid back on, and bake covered for 25 minutes.
- Remove lid from dutch oven and continue to bake uncovered for another 18-22 minutes, or until bread is golden and cooked through. The best way to tell if bread is done is to take its temperature with a meat thermometer – it should be about 205 – 215° F.
- Remove from oven and gently lift bread out of dutch oven, using the parchment paper as handles. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Did you try this recipe?
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