Parmesan, Paprika and Black Pepper Sourdough

This parmesan, paprika and black pepper sourdough loaf has a unique cheesy crust – similar to that of a grilled cheese. The paprika and black pepper give it a hint of warmth. The flavor is subtle, yet complex. I enjoy this sourdough toasted with butter. Feel free to adjust the parmesan, paprika and black pepper seasoning to your own taste preferences.

Ingredients

• 180 g sourdough starter
• 750 g water
• 1100 g bread flour
• 20 g salt
• Shaved parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)
• paprika (about 1 tablespoon)
• freshly ground black pepper ( about 1 teaspoon)

Mix the leaven

Mix together in a large bowl or plastic container:

• 180 g sourdough starter
• 500 g water
• 500 g bread flour

Let the mixture sit out at room temperature or in the refrigerator until it is very bubbly.

Mix the dough

Once the leaven is bubbly, mix in:

• 250 g water
• 600 g bread flour

Let the mixture absorb the water for about 20-30 minutes. Then add the 20 g salt and mix in.

Cover the dough and put it in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. Stretch and fold it occasionally. Alternatively, you can keep it at room temperature for about 5 hours (stretch and fold every 30-45 minutes). It will be very soft and billowy when it is ready.

Shape the dough and add the parmesan, paprika and black pepper

Once the dough is soft and billowy, remove it from the container or bowl and place it onto the counter. Divide in two. For each piece, stretch the dough out as much as you can then sprinkle the parmesan, paprika and black pepper on top. Then, fold up the dough to capture the ingredients, and shape into a taut ball. Let rest on the counter for 20 – 30 minutes, then place seam-side up into a floured banneton or bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours. For a demonstration, check out my Instagram page.

View this post on Instagram

Shaping two sourdough loaves! One is an experimental loaf with parmesan, paprika, and black pepper! • • • • • • #realbread #sourdough #naturallyleavened #wildyeast #sourdoughbread #artisanbread #levain #fermentation #bread #homebaking #wildyeastbread #flourwatersalt #sourdoughstarter #thefeedfeed #sourdoughclub #igbreadclub #thebakefeed #freshbread #sourdoughbaking #breadmaking #breadbaking #rusticbread #crustybread #nocommercialyeast #breadstagram #dough #leaven #naturalyeast #bakingbread #sourdoughstarter #timelapse

A post shared by siamesesourdough / Anna Susa (@siamesesourdough) on Jun 9, 2020 at 7:43am PDT

Bake the loaves!

Preheat your oven and dutch oven (if using) to 500 °F. Take the first loaf out if the refrigerator to rest at room temperature while your oven heats. Then, once the oven is hot, slash your dough across the top and place in the dutch oven. Cover and bake for 20 – 30 minutes with the lid on. Then, uncover and decrease the oven temperature to 450 °F. Bake for another 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the loaf from the oven and place it on a cooling rack for a few hours before slicing it.

I hope you enjoy this parmesan paprika and black pepper sourdough loaf. It is one of my favorites!