Italian Herbs and Cheese Sourdough Bread
This Italian Herbs and Cheese Sourdough Bread is a deeply flavorful, artisan-style loaf studded with fragrant dried herbs and two kinds of melted cheese. Long cold fermentation builds a complex tangy crumb while the Dutch oven bake creates a crackling, golden crust that looks as stunning as it tastes. Perfect for breakfast, alongside soups, or as a standout addition to any table.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Dutch oven (5 to 7 quart)
- Banneton proofing basket or bowl with towel
- Bench scraper
- Lame or sharp knife for scoring
- Parchment paper
- Wire cooling rack
- Kitchen scale
Ingredients
- 100 g active sourdough starter fed and bubbly, at peak activity
- 375 g warm water 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit
- 500 g bread flour plus extra for dusting
- 10 g fine sea salt
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried rosemary lightly crushed
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella divided, low-moisture whole milk preferred
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan for topping
- 1 tbsp olive oil for drizzling before baking
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine 100 g of active sourdough starter with 375 g of warm water. Stir until the mixture looks milky and the starter is dissolved. Add 500 g of bread flour and mix with your hands or a dough spatula until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest for 30 minutes (autolyse).
- Sprinkle 10 g of fine sea salt over the rested dough along with the dried oregano, rosemary, basil, and garlic powder. Using wet hands, squeeze and fold the dough repeatedly for 2 to 3 minutes until the salt and herbs are fully incorporated and the dough feels cohesive.
- Perform 4 sets of stretch and folds over the first 2 hours, spacing each set 30 minutes apart. To stretch and fold, grab one side of the dough, stretch it upward, then fold it over to the opposite side. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat until you complete a full rotation. During the third set, scatter half of the shredded mozzarella over the dough and fold it in to distribute the cheese evenly through the dough.
- Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap and allow the dough to bulk ferment at room temperature (around 75 degrees Fahrenheit) for a total of 4 to 5 hours from when you first mixed the dough. The dough is ready when it has grown by 50 to 75 percent, looks airy with visible bubbles on the surface and sides, and has a domed top.
- Gently turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using a bench scraper and your hands, shape it into a tight round (boule) or oval (batard) by folding the edges inward and building surface tension. Place the shaped loaf seam-side up into a well-floured banneton basket or a bowl lined with a floured linen towel.
- Cover the banneton with plastic wrap or a shower cap and refrigerate for 10 to 16 hours. This cold proof slows fermentation and develops the complex sour flavor that makes this Italian herb and cheese sourdough bread so distinctive. Do not skip this step.
- When you are ready to bake, place your Dutch oven (with its lid) inside the oven and preheat to 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 degrees Celsius). Allow the Dutch oven to preheat for a full 45 to 60 minutes. Do not rush this step, as a fully preheated vessel is essential for oven spring and crust development.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit your Dutch oven and place it on your work surface. Flip the cold dough directly onto the parchment so the smooth side faces up. Using a sharp lame or serrated knife, score the top of the loaf with one deep slash or a decorative pattern. Scatter the remaining mozzarella and all of the Parmesan evenly over the surface, then drizzle lightly with olive oil.
- Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven. Using the parchment paper as a sling, lower the dough into the Dutch oven. Place the lid on and bake at 500 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. The trapped steam during this phase creates the crackling, blistered crust.
- After 20 minutes, carefully remove the lid. Reduce the oven temperature to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (230 degrees Celsius) and continue baking uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is a deep golden brown and the cheese is caramelized and spotty. The internal temperature of the loaf should read 205 to 210 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant-read thermometer.
- Use oven mitts to carefully lift the bread out of the Dutch oven using the parchment sling and transfer it to a wire cooling rack. Allow the loaf to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. Cutting too early causes the interior crumb to become gummy as the starches inside are still setting. Patience here is rewarded with a perfect, open crumb.
Notes
Starter tip: Your sourdough starter must be active and at peak before mixing. Feed it 4 to 8 hours before you plan to start and look for it to double in size with a domed top. Room temperature matters: Bulk fermentation timing depends heavily on the temperature of your kitchen. Warmer kitchens (78 to 80 degrees) will ferment faster, around 3.5 to 4 hours. Cooler kitchens (68 to 70 degrees) may need 5 to 6 hours. Watch the dough, not the clock. Cheese placement: Adding half the mozzarella inside the dough and saving the rest for the top gives you cheesy pockets throughout the crumb AND a spectacular caramelized crust. Do not add all the cheese to the outside or it may burn. Storage: Store wrapped in linen at room temperature for up to 2 days, or slice and freeze for up to 3 months. Refresh in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes.