Seriously, what could be better than a homemade loaf of Roasted Garlic Parmesan Sourdough bread? This recipe makes one big sourdough-meets-garlic-bread loaf, with a crispy crackling cheese crust and plenty of garlic flavor throughout.
The loaf is loaded with whole melty cloves of roasted garlic and a fair amount of freshly grated parmesan. It’s intensely savory, a little salty, and a lot satisfying.
But wait – it gets better. This is an easy, beginner-friendly sourdough bread recipe. There’s no kneading or special equipment involved. As long as you have a healthy, active sourdough starter and an understanding of how to maintain that starter, you should be good to go. (Though a dutch oven will help, too!).
Why you’ll love this roasted garlic parmesan sourdough
- Packed with savory flavor. Sweet, mellow roasted garlic and salty parmesan melt right into the dough, giving each slice incredible depth of flavor.
- Crispy, cheesy crust. A final sprinkle of parmesan at the end of baking creates a golden, crispy top crust.
- Soft, chewy interior. Classic sourdough texture with just the right amount of tang.
- Make-ahead friendly. The overnight rest in the refrigerator means half of the work happens while you sleep.
- Versatile. Perfect alongside pasta, soup, or just torn apart and enjoyed warm with butter.
How to make garlic parmesan sourdough bread
This bread comes together over two days: Mix and stretch the dough on day one, then shape, fill, and bake on day two.
Day 1: Mix dough
- Make the dough. Stir together active sourdough starter, water, salt, and olive oil. Add bread flour and mix until a rough, shaggy dough forms. Cover and rest 45–60 mins.
- Stretch & fold. Stretch one side of the dough up and fold it back to the center. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat 3-4 times. Cover and rest again.
- Roast the garlic. Slice the top off a whole head of garlic. Place in foil with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 400°F for 45 minutes, until cloves are soft. Cool, then squeeze garlic into a bowl.
- Grate parmesan and set aside.
- Add garlic & parmesan to dough. On the second round of stretches, fold roasted garlic cloves and grated parmesan into the dough.
- Repeat stretch-and-folds every 45 minutes (four rounds total). The dough should finish smooth, elastic, and full of tension.
- Continue bulk fermentation. Let dough rest and rise another 1-4 hours, or until puffy, aerated, and slightly bubbly. It should rise 30-50% in volume.
- Shape the dough. Line a bowl with a floured tea towel. Shape dough into a ball by pulling it towards you to build surface tension. Place seam-side up in the towel-lined bowl or banneton.
- Rest overnight. Cover and refrigerate dough overnight to ferment.
Day 2: Bake
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Score. Tip dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam-side down. Score with a bread lame or sharp knife. Lower dough into a Dutch oven.
- Bake covered for 25 minutes.
- Uncover and bake another 18–25 minutes, until golden. In the last 5 minutes, sprinkle extra parmesan on top.
Sourdough baking tip
The best way to tell if bread is done is to take its temperature with an instant-read thermometer. Bread is done when the internal temp reaches 205–215°F.
Let your roasted garlic parmesan sourdough cool for about an hour before slicing into it. Then enjoy it fresh and warm, cut into thick slices with salted butter. Yum!
Variations & substitutions
Cheese variations: Try asiago, pecorino romano, smoked gouda, or even sharp cheddar in place of parmesan. Basically, any hard, aged cheese that you love will be delicious in this bread!
Herb addition: Add fresh chopped rosemary, thyme, or chives when folding the garlic and cheese into the dough.
Extra garlic: Use two heads of roasted garlic if you want to go hard on the garlic flavor.
How to store sourdough bread
Keep this loaf of garlic parmesan sourdough at room temperature for best texture. Wrap it tightly in plastic or seal it in a gallon-sized freezer bag.
The texture of the bread will be best for the first 2-3 days. Homemade sourdough should be fine at room temp for up to 5 days, but keep an eye out for any mold developing – especially if your kitchen is very warm.
👉 Want more sourdough info? Find more sourdough baking tips, a recipe for sourdough starter, or the most basic beginner sourdough bread recipe.
More savory sourdough recipes:
- Cheesy Sourdough
- Roasted Tomato Basil Sourdough
- Herb & Garlic Sourdough
- Rosemary Sea Salt Sourdough
- Olive & Feta Sourdough
- Sourdough Caprese Focaccia
If you make this Roasted Garlic Parmesan Sourdough, let me know how it turned out! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. Thank you!
Roasted Garlic Parmesan Sourdough
Equipment
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
Sourdough Bread
- 150 grams active, bubbly sourdough starter
- 11 grams salt
- 20 grams olive oil
- 310 grams water
- 500 grams bread flour
Roasted Garlic & Parmesan Filling
- 1 whole head garlic
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
- 1 cup grated parmesan
- ¼ cup grated parmesan, for top of bread
Instructions
Roast the garlic:
- Roast: Cut the top off a whole head of garlic. Place in a piece of foil in a small oven-safe ramekin. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Bake the garlic at 400° F for about 45 minutes, or until the cloves are super soft.Remove it from the oven and the foil and let it cool, then squeeze the cloves out into a small bowl and set aside.
For the sourdough (day 1):
- Mix dough: Stir together 150 grams sourdough starter, 11 grams salt, 20 grams olive oil, and 310 grams water in a large bowl. Add 500 grams bread flour and mix until it starts to form a rough ball.Cover the bowl and let the dough sit for 45-60 minutes.
- Stretch and fold: Pull dough upwards from one side and give it a long stretch, then fold dough back to the middle. Turn bowl a quarter turn, stretch again and fold back to the middle. Repeat 3-4 times, cover the dough back up, and allow it to rest again.
- Continue stretch and folds: Over the next few hours, you’ll repeat this process of stretching and folding the dough about every 30-45 minutes or so. Plan to stretch and fold a total of four times.
- Add mix-ins: On the second round of stretches, fold the cooled roasted garlic cloves and grated parmesan into the dough.
- Continue bulk fermentation: Once you’re done with all the dough stretching, let the dough rest and rise for 1-3 more hours. You want to see it rise 30-50% in volume. The dough should look lightly puffy, domed, and aerated, with small bubbles on the surface.
- Shape: Line a large bowl with a tea towel and dust it lightly with flour (or use a bread banneton). Scrape dough gently out of its bowl onto a clean countertop. Gently fold the edges of the dough toward the center, working your way around until it forms a rough ball. Flip it seam-side down, then use your hands or a bench scraper to pull it toward you, rotating as you go, until the surface is smooth and taut.Flip dough over, placing seam side up in the towel-lined bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Day 2:
- Preheat oven to 450° F.
- Score & bake: Carefully tip dough out onto a piece of parchment, seam side down. Score dough with a bread lame or very sharp knife in any desired pattern.Lift parchment paper with sourdough, lowering it into Dutch oven. Bake covered for 25 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake, uncovered, for another 18-25 minutes, or until bread is golden and cooked through and internal temperature is 205 – 215° F. In the last five minutes or so of baking, sprinkle the additional ¼ cup parmesan on top.
- Cool: Let bread cool at least an hour before slicing into it.
Did you try this recipe?
Be sure to leave a comment below!
Thoughts on using minced garlic vs roasted?
Minced is totally fine, too! It will just have a slightly different overall flavor, since roasted garlic is a bit more sweet and rich.
You don’t put the dutch oven in to preheat?
I personally don’t. I find I get better oven spring when the dutch oven isn’t already hot, and the bottom of my bread bakes better instead of burning. But if it works for you to preheat it, that’s totally fine!
Hey! Do you use freshly grated Parmesan cheese or the pre-grated in a container (like Kraft brand)??
Thank you!! Can’t wait to try this!
Hi Aleks, freshly grated will give you the best flavor and texture, but you can use pre-grated to save time and it will be fine. However, I would recommend that you use parmesan that’s grated in shreds rather than the fine crumbly texture parm. It will melt butter and leave little cheesy pockets in the bread that are just so good!
Okay great!! Thanks so much for the reply!!
Hi, want to try this delicious recipe this morning but only have sharp mature cheddar cheese…do you think this will work instead?
Absolutely, that will be delicious!
I am making this bread right now and I noticed that you didn’t talk about bulk fermentation. When I’m done with all the stretch and folds and added cheese and garlic it just goes in the fridge until the next day?
Hi Debbie, I often let my bread bulk ferment the following morning before I bake it. I realize some people prefer to do this before refrigerating overnight. You can do it either way, whatever you prefer!
Thank you for answering my question. I just let it bulk ferment on the counter like always. It’s good to know I can try your method if I’m short on time. I baked the bread today and the whole family thought it was great!
Of course! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave this review. I’m so happy that the whole family liked the bread!
This bread is so good!