Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Loaf
Ingredients
500g unbleached bread flour - 100%
375g water (100°F-115°F) - 75%
115g active sourdough starter - 23%
15g kosher salt - 3%
2 cups sharp white cheddar cheese, cubed
4 jalapaños, diced
Method
Feed your starter 12 hours before baking to ensure it is at its peak for baking. A good tip is that your starter should float in water when it's ready for baking.
In a large bowl, whisk together the water, active starter, and salt until the starter and salt are fully dissolved and incorporated into the water.
Add in the flour and use a rubber spatula to start combining everything. Once a shaggy dough has formed, wet your hands and knead a few times in the bowl to bring the dough together. Cover with a plate or towl and allow it to sit at room temperature for 1 hour, untouched.
After 1 hour, the dough should have relaxed and be ready for the first set of stretch and folds. Wet your hands and pull up on one side of the dough, folding it back over the top. Rotate the bowl and repeat on all four sides of the dough. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, perform another set of stretch and folds, following the same procedure as before. Cover and let rest for another 30 minutes. Once 30 minutes is up, perform the final set of stretch and folds following the same procedure as before. Cover and let the dough rest for 4 hours for the bulk fermentation at room temperature.
Prepare your banneton proofing basket or a small bowl of similar size (about 9 1/2" diameter, 5 1/2" deep) by dusting it with a light layer of all-purpose or rice flour to prevent sticking.
After 4 hours, turn your proofed dough out onto a lightly floured surface and stretch it out into a rectangle. Sprinkle half the cheese and jalapeño onto the dough before folding each side into the middle. Sprinkle the rest of the inclusions on top of the fold before tightly rolling the dough up and using your hands to turn and shape it into a tight boule (shaping video for visual reference). Turn the boule seam side up and place it in the prepped proofing basket or bowl. Pinch the seam closed and cover with an elastic piece of plastic or a tea towel by placing the proofing basket in the middle of the towel and folding each corner over the top. Place the loaf in the fridge to ferment overnight (12-24 hours).
Place a Dutch oven, bread oven, or large heavy-bottomed oven-safe dish of similar size (11" diameter, 5" high) to preheat with the oven at 500°F. Once the oven and Dutch oven are preheated, take the loaf out of the fridge and turn it out onto a piece of parchment paper. Score the top with a scoring tool, a new razor blade, or a really sharp knife. Take the Dutch oven out of the oven, remove the lid carefully, and place the loaf into the pot before placing the lid back on and returning it to the oven to bake at 500°F for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, remove the lid, reduce the oven temperature to 450°F, and bake for another 15 minutes.
Remove the finished loaf from the oven and allow it to cool completely (at least 1 hour) before cutting into it and enjoying!
Notes
All the blue links are items that I used in this recipe and items that I absolutely love! I also link a shaping video for reference if you are unsure on how to shape the loaf.
