Ingredients
Dough
- 50 g Sourdough Starter
- 350 g Water
- 500 g Bread Flour
- 10 g Salt
Flavorings
- 150 g Cheese (romano, parmesan, mozzarella, cheddar, or any cheese you prefer)
- 5 g Italian Herbs (dried)
Instructions
- Pre Mix & Autolyse: Weigh out your starter and water in a glass or ceramic bowl and mix them together. Add your flour and salt and mix with a spatula until the dough is shaggy but combined. Cover with cling film or a damp tea towel and let rest for about 1 hour.
- Forming Up Your Dough: Stretch and fold the dough around the bowl about 20-25 times to form a smooth ball. Cover again and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Stretch & Fold – Creating Structure: Perform your first set of stretch and folds on the dough as is. On the second or third set of stretch and folds, add the cheese and Italian herbs into the dough. Complete about 4 sets of stretch and folds with 15 to 30 minutes between each.
- Bulk Ferment: Cover the dough with cling film or a damp tea towel and let it ferment at room temperature until it has risen and shows bubbles, typically a few hours depending on temperature.
- Shaping Your Dough: Shape your dough into your preferred shape (batard recommended). Dust a banneton with rice flour and place the dough seam side up in it.
- Cold Ferment: Cover the banneton loosely with a plastic bag or damp tea towel and refrigerate for a minimum of 5 hours and up to 36 hours to develop flavor and texture.
- Preparing to Bake Your Sourdough: Preheat your oven to 230°C (450°F) with a Dutch oven inside for about 1 hour to ensure it is very hot. Keep the dough in the fridge until right before baking.
- Baking Your Sourdough: Remove the dough from the fridge and gently transfer it onto baking paper. Score the dough with a lame or clean razor blade. Carefully take the hot Dutch oven out, place the dough inside with the baking paper, cover with the lid, and bake for 30 minutes at 230°C (450°F).
- Finishing Bake: Remove the lid and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes at 210°C (410°F) to brown the crust. Optionally, place a baking sheet beneath the Dutch oven to prevent the base from burning.
- Cooling: Remove the bread from the Dutch oven promptly after baking and place it on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- This recipe requires an active sourdough starter fed a few hours before baking; ensure your starter is bubbly and mature.
- During stretch and folds, if performing on a bench top, spray lightly with water mist instead of dusting with flour to prevent sticking.
- A longer cold ferment (up to 36 hours) improves crust blistering and deepens the sourdough flavor.
- Be cautious handling the hot Dutch oven; always use oven mitts.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
