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Have you been caught up in the sourdough craze? If you’ve found yourself fervently baking homemade bread, you’re not alone. There’s something deeply satisfying about crafting a loaf from scratch: the slow and methodical process, the aroma that fills your kitchen, and, of course, that first warm slice fresh from the oven.
But what if you could take your sourdough to the next level? Our human resources director Jennifer has shared her sourdough recipe with us, where she includes Renard’s artisan cheese to elevate the flavor! By folding in chunks of your favorite artisan cheese during the final shaping, you can create delicious pockets of melty, savory delight in every bite. It’s the best upgrade for your homemade sandwiches, a hearty companion to your favorite soups, or simply a warm treat to enjoy slathered in butter.
In this post, we’ll guide you through the steps of making sourdough bread with our specialty cheese, and Jennifer’s recipe will help you bring your mouthwatering visions to life!
Basic Sourdough Ingredients
□ 100g active sourdough starter
□ 375g warm water
□ 500g bread flour
□ 12g salt
□ 24g white sugar
□ 1 tbs olive oil
□ 16oz of your favorite Renard’s Cheese
Timeline
7:00 a.m. Feed your sourdough starter
12:00 p.m. Once the starter has peaked, make your dough:
1. Add starter and water to a large bowl and dissolve the starter in the water
2. Add half of the bread flour and sugar and mix well. Let sit for 15 minutes
3. Add salt and remaining bread flour (about 50g at a time)
4. Mix until the dough just starts to come together. The dough should be a bit sticky, so you may need to adjust the amount of flour you add. If the dough is too dry, your loaf will not rise as nicely
5. Grease a large bowl (that has a lid) with the olive oil and put the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with the lid and let the dough sit for about an hour
Perform Your Stretch and Folds
1:00 p.m. First set
1:30 p.m. Second set
2:00 p.m. Third set
2:30 p.m. Final set
Bulk Fermentation & First Rise
Bulk Fermentation: Cover the dough and let it ferment. This step will take between 4 and 8 hours depending on the strength of your starter and the temperature in your house
First Rise: The dough should have grown about 50% in size, it should be “jiggly” when you shake the container, and it should have visible gas bubbles on top and throughout the dough
Shape, Inclusions, and Cold Ferment
1. Pour your dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently stretch the dough into a large rectangle
2. Add about 12-16 oz of Renard’s Cheese (shredded or cubed) and any other inclusions. Sprinkle about half of your inclusions onto the “rectangle,” then fold the right half of the dough to the middle of the rectangle, then add a quarter of the remaining ingredients, then fold the left half of the dough over top, and then add the remaining ingredients
3. You should now have a rectangle of dough that is about a third of the width that you started with. Roll this rectangle tightly (like a burrito) with all of the inclusions on the inside
4. Seal the edges of your dough and gently shape the dough into a large ball, keeping the inclusions inside the dough
5. Put the dough into your Batard, cover with plastic, and refrigerate overnight
6. You can cold ferment for up to 48 hours
Flour, Score, and Bake
1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees
2. Place a 6-quart Dutch Oven with the lid on into the preheated oven for about 30 minutes
3. Take your dough out of the Batard by dumping it out onto a lightly floured surface or a bread sling
4. Flour the top of your dough and score the dough using a sharp knife or a Bread Lame
5. Place the dough into the hot Dutch Oven and spray the dough with water
6. Bake the dough for 25 minutes at 450 degrees with the lid of the Dutch Oven on
7. Lower the temperature of your oven to 425 degrees and bake the dough with the lid of the Dutch Oven off for an additional 20-40 minutes, until the internal temperature of the dough reaches between 200-205 degrees
Cool and Slice
1. Let your bread cool on a rack for at least two hours before slicing
2. Enjoy on a sandwich or as a snack!
