Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Bread
A jalapeño cheddar sourdough bread loaf is the perfect twist on traditional sourdough. Cheddar running through the bread gives a sharpness to the mellow sour taste and the jalapeños give an impeccable flavor with a slight heat.
Ingredients
- 500 grams All-Purpose Flour
- 370 grams Water
- 100 grams Active Sourdough Starter
- 10 grams Salt
- 100 grams Cheddar
- 2 Small Fresh Jalapeños diced
- 4 Cloves Roasted Garlic
Instructions
Mix, Stretch, and Fold (3 ½ hrs)
- Mix flour and water together in a large bowl until it forms a shaggy dough. Let it sit covered for 30 minutes to autolyse.
- Add the active sourdough starter and salt to the bowl, then mix by hand for three minutes making sure everything is well incorporated. Cover and let it sit another 30 minutes.
- After the 30 minutes is complete, do your first set of stretch and folds: Stretch the edge of the dough upwards out of the bowl without breaking it, then lower it down into the middle of the dough. Rotate the bowl 90° and repeat. Do this on all four sides of the bowl to complete one set of stretch and folds. You will eventually do a total of six sets of this.
- Cover the dough and let it rest for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, dice the fresh jalapeños.
- After the dough has rested, add the jalapeños, cheese, and roasted garlic to the middle of the bowl. Complete your second set of stretch and folds. Let it rest another 15-20 minutes.
- Do four more sets of stretch and folds, letting the dough rest while covered 25-30 minutes in-between each set.
First Bulk Rise (6-12 hrs)
- After the final set of stretch and folds, cover the dough and let it rest until doubled at room temperature. It takes my dough 7-10 hours, but the time will vary.
Long Fermentation (12-16 hrs)
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat it into a roundish shape. Cup your hands around the sides and, using small, circular motions, begin to rotate and pull the dough toward you. The goal is to create surface tension by dragging the dough slightly against the counter as you rotate, tightening it into a smooth ball. Keep going until it feels nicely shaped and holds together.
- Flip the dough over. Pull the left and right ends of the dough upwards to meet in the middle and pinch together to create a seam. Repeat this for the top and bottom sides of the loaf. This will help the bread have more spring in the oven.
- Flour a banneton generously to keep the dough from sticking to the cloth. Put the dough in the banneton, seam side up. Stick the whole thing in a plastic bag and tie the end loosely. Be sure to leave room on top for the dough to rise without sticking to the bag. Ferment for 12-16 hours in your fridge.
Baking (1 hr)
- Place your Dutch oven and lid in the oven and preheat the pan in the oven at 485℉ for 15-20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, take your dough from the fridge and put it on a piece of parchment paper. Flour the top of the bread and use a scoring razor to score the top of the loaf.
- Remove the Dutch oven and lid from the oven and carefully place the bread dough and parchment paper into the Dutch oven.
- Bake it covered for 20 minutes at 485℉.
- Next, remove the lid from the Dutch oven and lower the temperature to 475℉. Bake uncovered for another 25 minutes.
- Remove the bread from the oven and carefully take it out of the Dutch oven and parchment paper, placing it on a cooling rack.
- Once it cools enough to eat, slice and enjoy on its own, with your favorite soup, or as a sandwich!
Notes
- If the dough is sticking to your hands during the stretch and folds, wet your hands in the sink lightly before grabbing the dough. This will help a ton!