Sourdough cheese and chili bread

I’m very fond of cheese.
Cheese can lift a mediocre dish to something heavenly.
Take mozzarella, for example. You can’t fail with it.
Any ordinary pasta gratin looks delicious if you add some mozzarella on top.

Then we have Parmesan, Cheddar, Chevre, Feta, and not to mention the Swedish Västerbotten cheese.
If you ever visit Sweden, don’t forget to sample Västerbotten cheese.
You won’t be disappointed.

I tried a new cheese recently called Manchego. Manchego is a Spanish cheese made from sheep’s milk, named after the province, La Mancha, where it is made.

Some people say that Manchego is Spain’s equivalent of Italy’s Parmesan cheese, but I don’t agree.
Manchego has a milder taste and is not as salty. In other words, it is not as dominant as its Italian cousin.

That’s why I chose Manchego instead of Parmesan cheese for this sourdough cheese and chili bread.
Don’t get me wrong. I love Parmesan cheese.
But sometimes, it’s fun to try something new, and I also think the milder Manchego is a better companion to the Jalapeno.

It won’t steal the show.

ABOUT FLOUR AND OTHER INGREDIENTS FOR SOURDOUGH CHEESE AND CHILI BREAD

FLOUR	PROTEIN CONT. %	WEIGHT gram	BAKER’S%
Wheat flour (Bread flour)	12.5	350	100
LEVAIN		80	23
WATER		260	74
SALT		7	2
CHEESE		50	14

The levain has a hydration of 100%.

The hydration of the final dough is 74%.

ABOUT THE CHILI

I grow my own Jalapenos, and this year I got them just perfect.
Hot, but just enough.
The amount and type of chili is, of course, a matter of taste. So feel free to adjust the recipe to your liking.

I also chose to use polenta instead of flour in the banneton for the final rise. There is something special when chili and corn come together.

MIXING THE LEVAIN

So, let’s start baking some sourdough cheese and chili bread. As usual, I mixed a levain with the ratio of 1:2:2.
That means 1 part sourdough starter + 2 parts water + 2 parts flour.
Or in this recipe, 20 grams of starter and 40 grams of flour and water.
Because my starter has a hydration of 100%, the levain will have the same with this ratio.

I let it ferment for 8 hours at room temperature, about 72°F/22°C.
By the time it was time to bake, it had tripled in volume.
Be aware that your levain may need a longer or shorter time depending on ambient temperature and the strength of your starter.

MIXING THE DOUGH

I mixed flour and water and let it autolyse for an hour. You can read about that process in one of my previous articles if you are not familiar with it.
It’s not necessary to autolyse the dough so you can skip it. I do so myself sometimes when I’m short of time.
There are, however, lots of benefits to this process, so I do recommend it.

After the autolyse, I added salt and the levain. It can be a bit tricky to incorporate the levain at this stage. It’s probably the only drawback I can think of with the autolyse process.
I use to fold the dough over both the levain and salt and knead it for at least 5 minutes, sometimes longer.

1st RISE

After that, I let the dough rest for 30 minutes before it was time for the first set of stretch and fold. I also added cheese and minced chili.

But what are stretch and fold?

Well, you grab one side of the dough, stretch it a bit, and fold it over the rest of the dough. You can do it in the bowl where you are fermenting the dough. Repeat the process 3 or 4 times or until the dough doesn’t feel slack anymore.

I repeated the stretch and fold process two times with 30 minutes of resting time in between.
After that, I left the dough to ferment for an additional 3 hours. At that time, the dough had increased by about 70% in volume. Try to find a warm place, preferably at 80°F/27°C.

SHAPING THE DOUGH

Pre-shaping the dough is good for several reasons.
But like autolyse, it’s not always necessary.
For this bread, however, I do recommend it. My dough felt a bit slack, so adding some extra strength felt like a good idea.

I almost always pre-shape the dough if the first rise is a bulk fermentation. Bulk fermentation and 1st rise are the same things. The only difference is that when you bulk ferment, you divide the dough into smaller pieces. A pre-shape makes it easier when it’s time for the final shape.

My preferred method is to use a bench knife and push around the dough.
Here is a video showing how to do it.

Before it’s time for the final shape, I usually let the dough rest for a while.
How long depends entirely on the dough.
If it’s very proofy (proofing fast), I’ll give it a short bench rest, 10 minutes or so.
Otherwise, I use to let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes.
When the dough starts to lose its tension from the first shaping, it’s time for the final one.

The final shape depends on what kind of shape on the bread you want.
I decided to shape this bread into a batard. Here is a video showing how I use to do it.

After that, I placed the dough with the seam side up in a lined banneton with lots of polenta.

FINAL RISE

Now it’s time to make a choice. You can let the dough proofing at room temperature, or you can retard it in the refrigerator.
The loaf will get more taste with longer proofing in the fridge. But it will also become sourer.
It’s a matter of taste ( and if you are in a hurry or not).
This chili and cheese bread was proofed for about 1 hour at a temperature of 73°F/23°C.

Be aware, though, that your dough may need a longer or even shorter time.
The temperature during proofing and the health of your starter is just a few factors.
You always have to be flexible when baking sourdough bread.
Remember, recipes are only guidance.

The finger dent test can be helpful at this stage. It’s not foolproof, but it’s the best method I know of when deciding if the dough is ready.

If you decide to retard the dough, it will need from 8 up to 16 hours.

BAKING

Always turn on and pre-heat the oven in good time before baking. Don’t forget the dutch oven, clay baker, or baking stone.
If you don’t have any of the above items, It works fine with a baking sheet.
I use to pre-heat everything to 480°F/250°C.

Before you shuffle the loaf into the oven, it’s time to score the loaf.
Dump the loaf into whatever you are planning to bake it in with the seam side down.

Score the loaf into the desired pattern with a lame or a razor blade.
It can be a bit tricky if you are not used to it. Here is a video with some good advice.

Finally, it’s time for baking. I use to bake in a dutch oven or combo cooker, removing the lid after 15 minutes. That gives the loaf enough time to expand with the steam trapped inside.

If you are baking with a baking stone or sheet, it’s a good idea to add some steam.
The easiest way is to pour some water on an extra pre-heated baking sheet.

This bread needed 45 minutes in the oven. You may have to turn down the heat a bit after 30 minutes to prevent the bread from being burnt.

TASTING NOTES FOR CHEESE AND CHILI BREAD

I really like this sourdough cheese and chili bread. I seldom bake with wheat flour only, but the cheese adds great flavors backed up with some spiciness from the chili.
The polenta-covered crust adds an extra dimension and crispiness to the taste. I think this bread is the perfect companion to all kinds of flavorful food. Perhaps some BBQ or a rich chili con carne.