Cheese and Garlic Sourdough Bread: A delicious cheese and garlic sourdough bread . Makes the most amazing toast as well as sandwiches. This bread is made using my master sourdough bread recipe. 

The Perfect Dipping and Dunking Bread

I’m on a real sourdough baking craze lately, Sally, my sourdough starter was woken up from her lazy festive slumber a few weeks ago, and a freshly baked sourdough loaf has graced our table at least twice a week. Following on from my last (and very successful) recipe for Cheese, Fennel and Sun-Dried Tomato Sourdough  and proved so popular with “him outdoors”, that he asked me to develop another cheesy sourdough creation, and so today I present my latest recipe for Cheese and Garlic Sourdough Bread. 

As you can see from the photos, the crumb in this Cheese and Garlic Sourdough Bread is fabulous, and despite the fact that there’s lots of cheese added, it holds up well with a chewy crumb and crusty crust. It is very important to use reduced-fat cheese to achieve this texture and crumb, as normal Cheddar cheese has too high a fat content, and will render the loaf very wet and seep oil on baking, as well as giving a close and wet crumb. I have tested this loaf FIVE times with different cheeses, and reduced fat (30% reduced fat) Cheddar cheese works like a dream. 

Use a very mature or vintage Cheddar – I used Waitrose Extra Mature Cheddar Cheese which has a taste strength of 6, and has enough flavour to add that essential cheesiness that is needed. The other tip is to use dried garlic granules, not powder; garlic granules add a bit of extra texture as well as taste. Try not to use fresh garlic, which can make the loaf go mouldy quicker as it releases excess moisture into the crumb. Fried or roasted garlic is okay, but again, the loaf will not last quite as long, which may not be a problem given how quickly this loaf was eaten! 

The base recipe for today’s Cheese and Garlic Sourdough Bread recipe, is my Classic Sourdough made Easy, which is hands on the easiest bread recipe I’ve ever used. I prove my dough (in a banneton) overnight in a cool place, which results in the bread structure having more of those sought after “sourdough holes”, with a chewy and pleasantly sour texture and taste as well as a fabulous crusty crust. Proving the bread overnight means it’s ready for early morning baking too, so there will be a freshly bakes sourdough loaf for breakfast. 

My recipe for Cheese and Garlic Sourdough Bread is shared below in a printable recipe card, and for more bread recipes please see the end of this post for more bready delights! Please let me know if you make this cheesy sourdough, and how it turned out, Karen. 

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Cheese and Garlic Sourdough Bread

Yield: 1 loaf

Prep Time: 18 hours

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 19 hours

A delicious cheese and garlic sourdough bread . Makes the most amazing toast as well as sandwiches.

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Ingredients

• 1 quantity of Classic Sourdough Bread (Recipe posted on Lavender & Lovage)
• 250g grated reduced fat mature Cheddar cheese
• 2 teaspoons dried garlic granules

Instructions

1. Using the ingredients for my classic sourdough bread recipe: 2 to 3 hours before you want to start your sourdough bread, take the starter out of the fridge and feed it with 40g filtered water and 40g strong white bread flour. Mix well, cover with cling film (or a shower cap) and set to one side to start working. After 2 to 3 hours the starter should be frothy and light with lots of bubbles and it may be making a noise, as in singing! It's now ready to use. Put the covered starter back in the fridge until it is needed next time you want to bake.

2. Place a bowl onto some digital scales and set the tare to zero. Add 60g of sourdough starter and set the tare to zero again; then add the salt and water, again, I find it easier to set the tare to zero before adding the flour. Take the bowl off the scales and mix well, it will look rough and lumpy, but never fear it will soon start to look like bread dough. Cover the dough with cling film/shower cap and set to one side.

3. After an hour, uncover it and with your hands, bring the dough from the outside, and fold it into the middle. Do this for about 15 to 20 times - I find it is easier if I rotate the bowl at the same time. Cover it and set to one side.

4. Do the folding and turning action two or three more times over the next few hours, by this time the dough will be smooth, elastic and sticky. I start this at about 3pm to 4pm and the dough is ready at about 8pm to 9pm. At this stage, add the grated cheese and dried garlic granules to the mixture, using your hands mix the ingredients into the dough, by turning the dough over and folding as before.

5. Once the dough is smooth and elastic (see above) and it will have risen by now too, take a 22cm (9") to 24cm (10") banetton basket and dust it with rice flour. Do one more set of folding actions with the dough and then place the ball of dough into the floured banneton basket. Easing the dough up around the sides, sprinkle some more flour around it and then sprinkle some over the top of of the dough. Cover with cling film/shower cap and set to one side in a cool place to prove overnight. (I use my pantry which is about 10 degrees C)

6. In the morning, the dough will have risen overnight and you will have a large, round ball of smooth dough that's ready to bake. Pre-heat the oven to 230C/220C Fan/450F/425F Fan/Gas mark 8 and line a large 30cm (15") cast iron casserole dish (Dutch oven) that has a lid, (OR a round enamel roasting tin with a lid) with grease-proof baking paper.

7. Uncover and invert the dough into the cast iron pot and then score the top with a lame or a razor blade. Place the lid on the pot and bake in the pre-heated oven for 50 minutes until the bread is well-risen, golden brown and with a crisp crust. NB: if you want a darker crust, take the lid off and bake for a further 5 to 10 minutes.

8. Carefully turn the loaf out onto a wire cooling rack and allow to cool for 1 hour before slicing it. Store it in the cooled cooking pot.

NOTE: I have recently experimented with the cold oven method, and it works like a dream. At step 7, place the bread into the pot and into a cold oven, then set the temperature for 230C/450F/Gas mark 8 and bake for 1 hour. Again, if you want a darker crust, take the lid off and bake for a further 5 to 10 minutes extra.

Notes

VERY IMPORTANT: I have used reduced fat Cheddar cheese, and this is very important, as normal Cheddar cheese has too high a fat content, and will render the loaf very wet and seep oil on baking, as well as giving a close and wet crumb. I have tested this loaf FIVE times with different cheeses, and reduced fat (30% reduced fat) Cheddar cheese works like a dream, as you can see from my photos. Use a very mature or vintage Cheddar - I used Waitrose Extra Mature Cheddar Cheese which has a taste strength of 6.

Nutrition Information

Yield 12 slices Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 99Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 21mgSodium 168mgCarbohydrates 4gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 5g

My Classic Sourdough Master Recipe

Classic Sourdough Bread

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Serves	1 x 500g sourdough loaf
Prep time	18 hours, 30 minutes
Cook time	1 hour
Total time	19 hours, 30 minutes
Allergy	Wheat
Dietary	Vegan, Vegetarian
Meal type	Bread
Misc	Child Friendly, Freezable, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold
Occasion	Barbecue, Birthday Party, Casual Party, Christmas, Easter, Halloween
Region	British
By author	Karen Burns-Booth

My recipe for classic sourdough bread which is a winner every time I bake it; and it can be proved overnight in a cool place for early morning baking.

Ingredients

• 60g recently fed sourdough starter
• 5g teaspoon sea salt
• 320ml tepid filtered water (or boiled water)
• 500g strong white bread flour
• Rice flour (for dusting)

Note

My recipe for classic sourdough bread which is a winner every time I bake it; and it can be proved overnight in a cool place for early morning baking.

Directions

Step 1	2 to 3 hours before you want to start your sourdough bread, take the starter out of the fridge and feed it with 40g filtered water and 40g strong white bread flour. Mix well, cover with cling film (or a shower cap) and set to one side to start working. After 2 to 3 hours the starter should be frothy and light with lots of bubbles and it may be making a noise, as in singing! It's now ready to use. Put the covered starter back in the fridge until it is needed next time you want to bake.
Step 2	Place a bowl onto some digital scales and set the tare to zero. Add 60g of sourdough starter and set the tare to zero again; then add the salt and water, again, I find it easier to set the tare to zero before adding the flour. Take the bowl off the scales and mix well, it will look rough and lumpy, but never fear it will soon start to look like bread dough! Cover the dough with cling film/shower cap and set to one side.
Step 3	After an hour, uncover it and with your hands, bring the dough from the outside, and fold it into the middle. Do this for about 15 to 20 times - I find it is easier if I rotate the bowl at the same time. Cover it and set to one side.
Step 4	Do the folding and turning action two or three more times over the next few hours, by this time the dough will be smooth, elastic and sticky. I start this at about 3pm to 4pm and the dough is ready at about 8pm to 9pm.
Step 5	Once the dough is smooth and elastic (see above) and it will have risen by now too, take a 22cm (9") to 24cm (10") banetton basket and dust it with rice flour. Do one more set of folding actions with the dough and then place the ball of dough into the floured banneton basket. Easing the dough up around the sides, sprinkle some more flour around it and then sprinkle some over the top of of the dough. Cover with cling film/shower cap and set to one side in a cool place to prove overnight. (I use my pantry which is about 14 degrees C)
Step 6	In the morning, the dough will have risen overnight and you will have a large, round ball of smooth dough that's ready to bake. Pre-heat the oven to 230C/220C Fan/450F/425F Fan/Gas mark 8 and line a large 30cm (15") cast iron casserole dish (Dutch oven) that has a lid, with grease-proof baking paper.
Step 7	Uncover and invert the dough into the cast iron pot and then score the top with a lame or a razor blade. Place the lid on the pot and bake in the pre-heated oven for 50 minutes until the bread is well-risen, golden brown and with a crisp crust. NB: if you want a darker crust, take the lid off and bake for a further 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 8	Carefully turn the loaf out onto a wire cooling rack and allow to cool for 1 hour before slicing it. Store it in the cooled cooking pot.
Step 9	NOTE: I have recently experimented with the cold oven method, and it works like a dream. At step 7, place the bread into the pot and into a cold oven, then set the temperature for 230C/450F/Gas mark 8 and bake for 1 hour. Again, if you want a darker crust, take the lid off and bake for a further 5 to 10 minutes extra.

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