This is particularly punchy sourdough that is at its best when toasted and slathered with butter!
To say I can’t get enough of this sourdough is something of an understatement!! I ate a version of this bread recently on holiday as mini sourdough rolls. I have since made it several times, mostly in loaf form as I have done here.
I tend to use smoked Red Leicester cheese but smoked Cheddar is also wonderful. I recommend patting dry the pickled jalapeños in a clean cloth or kitchen towel to minimise extra moisture within the dough.
You can either add the cheese in smallish chunks or you can grate it. I love going for chunks, giving more pockets of air in the bread where each piece of cheese has melted, but if you prefer a more uniform crumb use grated cheese. Simiarly, you can cut the apple into larger pieces if you prefer.
For this sourdough, you need to make up the basic dough first and let it have its bulk fermentation.
The ingredients for this loaf kick in once you are ready to shape the dough and pop it into the banneton: this is after stage 6 of my main sourdough recipe.
Recipe: apple, jalapeño & smoked cheese sourdough – makes 1 loaf
- 1 batch of sourdough dough, made up to and including stage 6 of the recipe here
- about 150g smoked cheese, either cut into cubes or grated
- 20-30g pickled jalapeño chillies, drained, chopped and patted dry
- 1 large apple, peeled, cored and cut into small chunks
(1) Carefully turned out the dough onto the lightly floured surface, and lightly stretch it out to a rectangle about the size of an A4 piece of paper or evan a bit bigger.
(2) Scatter most of the cheese, jalapeños and apple over the top and very lightly pat them a little into the dough so they stick there (this helps prevent them from going everywhere when you roll up the dough!).
(3) Lift the top and bottom edges almost over to the middle to give two “flaps” and scatter the rest of the cheese, jalapeños and apple over one of the exposed flaps – as in the photos below:
(4) Fold the exposed surface of dough over this to give a rough cylinder of dough. Give the dough a quarter-turn, so the shortest edge is closest to you, and roll up gently – as in the photos below:
(5) Gently roll up the dough:
(6) Place in well floured bannetons, cover and leave to proof at room temperature for just a few hours or until risen a little: I go for a rise of just 2-3 ridges up the banneton, which gives enough rise overall without over-proofing and risking the dough collapsing when I turn it out later.
(7) Place in the fridge, covered, to chill right down: this can be for a few hours or, for a better flavour and more tang, overnight (or even 24 or so hours).
(7) Just before you are ready to bake the sourdough, place a Dutch oven or cast iron casserole with lid into the oven and preheat the oven to its highest setting for about 45 minutes or so.
(8) Invert the chilled dough into the Dutch oven: this is easiest placing a sheet of greaseproof on top of the dough as you invert into the Dutch oven so that the greaseproof ends up on the bottom on the Dutch oven, with the dough sitting on top.
(9) Score the dough with a sharp knife or razor, place the lid on and bake for about 40 minutes. Remove the lid and turn the oven down to 200C and cook a further 15-20 minutes.
