Cheesy Sourdough Bread (No-Knead)
This no-knead, cheese-filled sourdough bread recipe can be described with two of the best words - it's easy, and it's cheesy.
Servings: 1 loaf
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
- 5 ounces cheddar & parmesan cheese cubed
Instructions
Day 1:
- Mix dough: Combine 150 grams sourdough starter, 320 grams, water and 10 grams salt in a large bowl. Whisk well to combine.Combine 500 grams bread flour, 1 tsp pepper, and 5 ounces cubed cheese; stir into starter mixture. Finish mixing dough by hand, folding mixture until it forms a rough ball. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rest 45-60 minutes.
- Stretch-and-folds: Over the next few hours, give the dough a stretch & fold about every 30 minutes or so. Plan to stretch & fold four total 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.
- Continue bulk fermentation: Once you've completed all the stretches, allow dough to rest and rise for about 1-4 hours, or until puffy and aerated (the time will vary quite a bit depending on your dough and the temperature). The dough should rise by 30-50% and will be jiggly, with some small bubbles along the surface.
- Shape: Line a large bowl with a tea towel and dust it lightly with flour. Gently dump your dough onto a clean work surface. 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.Place dough, seam side up, into the towel-lined bowl.
- Cold ferment overnight: Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.
The next day:
- Preheat oven to 450° F.
- Score & bake: 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 a Dutch oven. Put the lid 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 digital thermometer - it should be about 205 - 215° F.
- Cool: Remove from oven and gently lift bread out of Dutch oven, using the parchment paper as handles. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
*Alternatively, you could bake the same day. Shape your dough after your stretch-and-folds, then let it proof until risen, bubbly, and puffy, 2-4+ hours. Proceed to the baking step!