Caramelized Onion And Gouda Sourdough Bread
You're sure to enjoy the savory combination of caramelized onion and Gouda in this sourdough bread. Each slice features the sweetness of onions and rich, aged Gouda, creating a flavorful loaf.
Ingredients
- 350 g water room temperature
- 100 g sourdough starter active
- 500 g bread flour
- 12 g sea salt coarse
- 1 yellow onion medium-large
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 80 g Gouda shredded
Instructions
Make The Dough:
- In a large bowl, combine 350g of room temperature water and whisk in 100g of active sourdough starter until mostly combined.
- Dump 500g unbleached bread flour on top of the sourdough starter mixture and sprinkle 12 g salt on top.
- Using a danish dough whisk, spatula, or spoon mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead the dough with your hands until all the dry bits are incorporated.
- Cover the bowl and set aside for 60 minutes.
Stretch And Fold:
- Using damp hands, grab the dough and gently pull it until the flap is long enough to fold over itself, then fold the flap, rotate the bowl 90 degrees, and repeat 3 more times, this is considered a set of stretch and folds. Recover the bowl, and set it aside for 60 minutes.
- Repeat the stretch and fold process once more followed by a 60 minute rest.
Caramelize Onions:
- Slice up one medium to large sweet onion and add to a heavy skillet with 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Heat the onions over medium-low heat, stirring often until the onions are browned, sugars have caramelized and they are fragrant.
- Cool in the fridge until ready to use during lamination.
Laminate + Bulk Ferment:
- Lightly flour a working surface and turn the dough out of the bowl and carefully press and stretch into a rectangle. If the dough wants to tear, allow it to rest for a few minutes before trying again.
- Spread about half 120g caramelized onions on the top two thirds of the dough and repeat with 80g shredded Gouda.
- Fold up the bottom third of the dough, spread about half of the leftover onions and Gouda on the dough you folded up. Fold in the bottom right corner one third of width of the dough and then repeat with the left, pressing the dough together to seal it. Spread the remaining onions and cheese across the top of the remaining dough before folding it down to create a tidy package.
- Use a bench scraper to pick up the dough and place it into a large bowl.Cover the dough and bulk ferment for 2 hours.
Pre-Shape and Shape:
- Observe your dough, at this point, the dough should have risen in the bowl, and have a smooth surface with visible bubbles. If the dough is domed in the bowl it is ready to work with, if the dough is flat it may need more time in the bulk ferment.
- Uncover the dough and transfer to a lightly floured work surface or countertop. Gently press and spread the dough into a large rectangle.
- Uncover the dough and transfer to a work surface or countertop. Gently press and spread the dough into a large rectangle. Fold up the bottom third of the dough as though you were folding a letter. Fold in the right side about a third of the way across width wise then repeat with the left. Roll from the folded bottom to the top creating a log. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and rest for 30 minutes.
- Uncover the dough, flip it over and clasp the ends towards the center and press together to hold the dough together. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and clasp the dough together to create a a batard. Press the dough together.
- Dust the dough with rice flour then tuck seam side up into a banneton.
Prove + Cold Retard:
- Prove your caramelized onion and Gouda sourdough loaf in the banneton for 2-3 hours in a warm place before covering and placing in fridge to cold retard for up to 3 days. If you want to bake it right after proving, you’re welcome to, but the flavor is better after resting in the fridge.
Bake:
- Place your dutch oven, cloche, or desired baking dish in the oven and preheat to 450f.
- Once the oven is preheated, invert the banneton onto a sheet of parchment paper. Use a lame, sharp knife, or clean razor blade to score the dough.
- Carefully remove the dutch oven from the oven, and using the parchment paper as a sling, transfer the sourdough loaf from the counter into the dutch oven.
- Bake the dough at 450f covered for 30 minutes and uncovered at 450f for 10-15 minutes, or until the loaf is cooked through and the crust is nicely browned. You can test the doneness of the loaf with an instant-read thermometer. Bread is cooked once it reaches 205 – 210 degrees Fahrenheit internal temperature.
Cool:
- Remove baked bread from the dutch oven and transfer it to a wire mesh cooling rack to cool completely before slicing. I like to leave it for at least 2 hours before slicing, as slicing too soon can affect the crumb and texture of your loaf.
Notes
Expert Tips
- I opted to freshly caramelize onions for this recipe, but if you’re looking to save some time, you can totally try caramelized onion jam!
- My bulk fermentation and dough proofing is done at 70-ish degrees Fahrenheit, but if you're in a warm place, your rising times will need to be shortened.
