Cheddar Thyme Sourdough Bread

Ingredients

500 grams all-purpose or bread flour 370 grams water

70 grams sourdough starter

10 grams salt (1¾ teaspoons)

225 grams medium cheddar cheese (8 ounces), divided 2 to 4 tablespoons dried thyme,

divided 1 gram ground black pepper (½ teaspoon) (optional) 9 grams bran flakes (¼ cup) (optional)

Directions

Yield: 1 loaf Suggested Starter: 100% hydration all-purpose flour starter Sourdough Method: Ambient bulk fermentation and ambient or retarded final proof Active Prep Time: 1 hour Time to Completion: 8 to 20 hours Bake Time: 35 to 40 minutes Equipment • kitchen scale • cutting board • knife • medium bowl • stiff spatula or dough whisk ,bench knife • proofing basket • parchment paper • lame • covered baking vessel • thermometer • cooling rack

Mixing and Bulk Fermentation

1. Mix the flour, water, sourdough starter, and salt in a medium bowl. Note the level of the dough and the time. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest on your counter for 30 minutes.

2. With damp fingertips, stretch and fold the dough, lifting the edge of one side of the dough and folding it over to the other side. Go around the bowl two or three times, stretching and folding each side, and stop when the dough feels tighter. Cover and let the dough rest again for 30 minutes.

3. Perform three more rounds of stretching and folding as in step 2, separated by 30-minute rests.

4. When the dough has almost doubled in size and the surface is puffy and bubbly, end the bulk fermentation. Depending mostly on temperature, this will likely be 6 to 10 hours from mixing. Adding the Cheese and Herbs

5. Chop 175 grams of the cheese. The size of the cheese pieces is a matter of preference. We prefer almond-size chunks, but you may like shreds or large cubes.

6. Toss the chunks of cheese in a small bowl with 1 to 2 tablespoons of thyme and the black pepper (if using).

7. Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a well-floured countertop and stretch it into a large rectangle. Add one-third of the cheese-thyme-pepper mixture down the middle of the rectangle, then fold over one side to cover the additions. Add most of the remaining cheese-thyme-pepper mixture to the top of the dough you just folded over, then fold over the final third of the dough to cover the additions. Add the remaining cheese-thyme-pepper mixture to half of the surface of the dough and fold the other half over it.

8. Preshape the square of folded dough into a ball, then cover the dough with your inverted mixing bowl and let it bench rest for about 20 minutes. Final Shape and Proofing Basket Prep

9. Lightly flour the top of the dough and use your bench knife to flip it onto the floured side. Shape the dough into a bâtard or boule.

10. While your shaped dough is resting on its seam, prepare your proofing basket with cheese, thyme, and bran flakes (if using): Cut the remaining 50 grams of cheddar cheese into thin slices and lay them on the bottom and sides of your proofing basket. Then sprinkle the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons of dried thyme over the cheese and throughout your proofing basket. Add the bran flakes if you’d like the additional flavor and to absorb the oil from the cheese.

11. Place the dough seam-side up in your proofing basket.

12. Cover the basket and let the dough rise for another 45 minutes to 3 hours for the final proof. The dough will expand in the basket but not double in size. If you want to bake much later, you can do the final proof in the refrigerator for 10 to 12 hours and bake the dough directly from the cold.

Baking 13. Before the end of the final proof, preheat your oven and baking vessel for 30 minutes at 500°F (or 450°F if that is the heat limit of your baking vessel).

14. Flip your dough out of the basket onto a piece of parchment paper. Score the top of your dough as best you can, maneuvering your blade around the cheese. Note: The parchment paper is especially helpful in this recipe if you don’t want oil to seep into a clay baking vessel (though there is probably no harm if it does).

15. Transfer the parchment and dough to the base of your baking vessel, cover, and return the vessel to the oven.

16. Bake for 20 minutes and then lower the oven temperature to 450°F (if applicable). After another 10 minutes, take off the lid, and after an additional 5 to 10 minutes, remove the bread from the oven. Beware of dripping hot cheese oil. The internal temperature should be 205°F or higher. Cooling and Storage 17. If you can resist delicious melted cheese, let the bread cool on a rack for about 2 hours before slicing.

18. Store the bread cut-side down on your cutting board and cover it with a cloth. Slice and freeze after 3 to 4 days. TIP: You can use the technique explained in step 7 for folding any additions (different cheeses, herbs, and things like diced hot peppers or sun-dried tomatoes) into a dough after the bulk fermentation. While adding these ingredients during the initial mixing often makes them more evenly distributed throughout the final bread, adding them later can keep them from impeding gluten development. In the end, heavy additions, such as chunks of cheese, will prevent your bread from being extremely airy regardless of when they’re added. Like many aspects of bread baking, it is a matter of preference when to do this step.

Notes

This decadent cheddar and thyme bread will disappear off your cutting board in minutes. We always recommend letting bread cool after baking, but we’ve never managed to do that with this loaf. The bread is ideal, with warm cheddar cheese oozing from inside and aromatic thyme and black pepper wafting up from a hot slice. You can slather it with butter or enjoy it plain. It is also good cold, as sandwich bread, or dipped in tomato soup. You may find you prefer some whole grain flour in the dough. As per the tip in the Classic Artisan, add a bit more water in this case. Also, note that shredded cheese is an option if you prefer a more even cheese presence throughout the bread.