Sunday bake: Sourdough twist cheese bread recipe

The weekend is for baking, especially if you have the time to put some love into bread recipes such as the crunchy, chewy sourdough with extra lashings of cheese. 

This sourdough twist cheese bread will be great for dunking in soups, served with butter or alone. 

The recipe is a step-by-step process to help you ace making this sourdough twist cheese bread brushed with herb butter

Sourdough twist cheese bread recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup of milk
• 1/4 cup  of salted butter
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup of sourdough discard
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup salted butter melted
• 1 tsp dried chives
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp granulated garlic

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Instructions

1. In a small saucepan or large microwavable measuring cup, heat the milk and butter until the butter is melted and the milk is warm. You are looking for about 46°C.
2. Add the yeast and sugar and allow to sit for about 5 minutes until the yeast starts to get foamy, then add it to a large bowl along with the sourdough discard.
3. Mix in the salt and flour. Stir until you have a shaggy dough. It should feel sticky without feeling wet. Depending on how hydrated your discard is you may need to add a tablespoon or two of additional flour.
4. Turn the dough out onto a floured countertop and knead the dough for about 10 minutes. As you knead the dough you should notice that it becomes less sticky and starts to feel smooth and stretchy.
5. Form the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and allow to rise for 1-2 hours until approximately doubled.
6. Turn the risen dough out onto a floured countertop or baking mat. Do not punch down or knead the dough.
7. Roll the dough out into a rectangle of about 10×12 inches then sprinkle the shredded cheese over the entire surface.
8. Roll the dough from the long edge to form a log, just as if you were rolling dough for cinnamon rolls.
9. With a sharp knife, cut the roll down the middle lengthwise so you end up with 2 long ropes. You should be able to see layers of dough and cheese.
10. Twist the bread together beginning from the end furthest from you. Bring the right-hand-side rope over the top of the other, then repeat it two more times. Pinch the ends together to help keep them from separating.
11. Place the twisted bread into a lightly greased 9×5 loaf pan. The twisted dough will be a bit longer than the pan. Fit it in by compressing it slightly to fill the pan.
12. Let rise for 30-45 minutes. It should rise to fill the pan.

Herb butter

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F
2. In a small bowl mix the melted butter, parsley, chives and garlic and pour over the top of the loaf.
3. Place the pan on the centre rack of the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is lightly golden and sounds hollow when tapped.
4. Remove the pan to a cooling rack for 10 minutes then tilt the loaf out of the pan. For best results allow to cool completely before slicing.

This recipe can be found on tastesofhomemade.com.