Dill and White Cheddar Sourdough Bread

This dill and white cheddar sourdough bread combines two of my favorite flavors, herby fresh dill, and nutty, creamy white cheddar.

This dill and white cheddar bread is such a savory treat. We loved slicing and eating it without any adornment on the day it was baked. It's also excellent toasted and buttered the next day. It's also fabulous served with soup.

One of my favorite herbs is fresh dill. I love it in eggs, with salmon and cream cheese on bagels, in potato salad, and in salad dressings. I'm also such a huge fan of adding dill to bread.

I also love cheese. Luuurve cheese.... and when cheese and dill get married and live in a loaf of sourdough bread, it makes me "jump-up-and-down-I-can't-believe-how-good-this-is" happy.

This dill and cheese bread is not the first time I've added dill to bread. I'm so lucky enough to have access to fresh dill year round. and have several bread recipes on this blog with added dill, including:

• Pull-apart Dill Bread (I love the look of the dill in this loaf). 
• Buttermilk Cottage Dill Bread. 
• Potato Onion Dill Bread.
• Cottage Cheese, Dill, and Caramelized Shallot Bread. 

Pro Tips for making this sourdough bread: 

Tip #1: There are three tablespoons of chopped fresh dill in this loaf. I wish you could see the little flecks of dill in there (I'll have to get closer next time). If you prefer a more "dilly" taste, as well as for the dill to be more visible, feel free to double that amount. 

The white cheddar cheese in this bread is shredded rather than cubed, so you can't really visibly detect it. Instead, you get the taste of melty cheese in every bite. 

This bread is delicious. Enjoy it unadorned the day the bread is made. It's also out of this world dipped in marinara sauce or olive oil and balsamic. It also makes fabulous BLTs, and believe it or not, grilled cheese. While it takes two days to make, you will be rewarded with an amazing sourdough bread. 

Tip #2: For the cheese, I used Cabot Alpine Cheddar cheese. It has a nice grainy texture, melts perfectly into the crumb, and reminds me of a sharp Gruyère. If you can't find it, any sharp white cheddar will do, or if you want to really splurge, use Gruyère with a tablespoon or two of Parmigiano-Reggiano mixed in. 

Tip #3: on timing: Before making this bread, be sure to get your starter nice and bubbly. Once your starter is ready, you will need two days to make this bread. "Two days????" you ask! Yes, but most of the time is inactive. With patience, you will be rewarded with one of the most wonderful sourdough loaves.

Tip #4: on the recipe: This recipe was inspired by one of my new favorite sourdough cookbooks, Artisan Sourdough Made Simple. It's a great beginner's guide to making sourdough bread. 

Did you know that June 4th is National Cheese Day? Pretty much the most important day of the year as far as food holidays go. After the recipe, be sure to check out over a dozen food bloggers' amazing recipes using cheese, hosted by Camilla, of Culinary Adventures with Camilla.

bread, cheddar, dill, sourdough

Bread, sourdough

American

Yield: 1 loaf

Dill and White Cheddar Sourdough Bread

ingredients

• 50 grams (1/4 cup) active 100% hydration sourdough starter
• 400 grams (1 2/3 cups) lukewarm water
• 500 grams (4 cups + 2 tablespoons) bread flour
• 9 grams (1 1/2 teaspoons) fine sea salt
• 10 grams (3 tablespoons) chopped fresh dill (see note #1)
• 100 grams (1 cup) grated sharp white cheddar cheese (see note #2)

instructions

Morning of Day One:

1. Whisk the starter and water together in a large bowl or dough rising bucket. With your hand or a dough whisk, mix the flour and salt until combined. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let sit for an hour. 
2. Add the dill and cheese to the dough by folding and gently kneading it in. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes. 
3. Do four stretch-and-folds, 15 minutes apart, covering the dough with a damp towel or plastic wrap between each "stretch-and-fold." 
4. Cover the dough and let it rise for for about 8 to 10 hours at room temperature, until doubles in size. 
5. Gently scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Shape it into a boule without deflating the dough, and let it rest for about 10 minutes, seam side down. 
6. Line a 9 inch bowl with a tea towel and generously sprinkle it with a 50/50 mixture of wheat and rice flour. 
7. Tighten up the dough by gently scooting it across the work surface to increase surface tension. Place the dough, seam side up, into the towel lined bowl. Cover and place into the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours. 

Morning of Day Two:

1. Heat your oven to 500 degrees F with a covered Dutch oven on the middle rack. Remove the shaped loaf from the refrigerator while the oven is heating. 
2. Place the parchment over the dough and place a place over the parchment. Invert the bowl and remove the bowl and tea towel. Score the dough in the middle. Carefully move the Dutch oven out of the oven, and transfer the dough, using the parchment as a sling, to the Dutch oven. Cover and return the pan to the center rack of the oven. 
3. Reduce the heat to 450 degrees F and bake the loaf for 20 minutes, covered. Remove the pan from the oven, uncover, and move the loaf to a baking sheet. Return the loaf to the oven, and bake until the interior temperature reaches 210 degrees F and the crust is dark brown, about 30 minutes. 
4. Cool the loaf on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing. 

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2018/06/dill-and-white-cheddar-sourdough-bread.html

This recipe was adapted from the book Artisan Sourdough Made Simple

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