Easy Sourdough Cheese Bread Recipe
This is possibly the best sourdough bread I’ve ever made. It’s a cheesy version my Homemade Sourdough Bread. And everything is better with cheese. Unlike most sourdough recipes that require a starter and weeks to complete, this easy sourdough bread recipe requires neither. The sourdough taste comes from a combination of Greek yogurt and sour cream that ferments the dough rather than using a starter. The longer you let the dough rise (ferment), the more sourdough-ey the bread tastes. In my last sourdough recipe, I fermented for about 6 1/2 hours and this time went 10 hours. The 10-hour version is more sourdough-ey and also is more ‘holey’ with a more open crumb, but I wouldn’t necessarily say the 10-hour dough is ‘better’. Both tasted amazing and it just depends how sourdough-ey you prefer. And if you prefer it stuffed with cheese and yes, I do. If you plan on making this bread, please thoroughly read my first sourdough recipe and post because I went into great detail with tips, tricks, and everything I could think of for optimal sourdough-making success.
If you’ve ever made bread, this homemade cheese bread will be a snap. Much easier than cinnamon rolls, sweet rolls, or dinner rolls, by a long shot. The recipe looks long but I write yeast recipes with as much detail and give as many tips as possible to set you up for success. Read the recipe at least twice before starting, but you’re simply making dough, letting it rise for 6+ hours, stuffing with cheese, letting it rise again for 1+ hour, and baking. The bread is hearty, satisfying, and has a firm crust that gives was to a super moist, soft interior with ample hunks of cheddar. The cheese is a perfect complement to the sourdough and really enhances the tangy factor. It’s so rewarding creating bread in your own kitchen that tastes and looks like something from a bakery. You’re going to be head over heels with it. If there’s anyone on earth who can resist warm, homemade, fresh bread that’s stuffed with cheese, especially after smelling it bake, then I’d like to have a sliver of your willpower. But it’s worth every last bit of cardio.
What’s in Sourdough Cheese Bread?
To make this sourdough cheddar bread recipe, you’ll need:
Bread flour Unsweetened Greek yogurt Salt Instant dry yeast Cheddar cheese
How to Make Sourdough Cheese Bread
To make this homemade cheese bread, you’ll first need to combine the ingredients and knead the dough for 5 to 10 minutes (I give detailed instructions in the recipe card below for kneading with your hands versus using a stand mixer). Once kneaded, place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set in a draft-free place to rise for 6 to 8 hours. Then, turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead gently for a couple minutes. Flatten out the dough and sprinkle with cheese cubes. Turn up the sides to form a mound of dough. Let the dough rise again until doubled (this should take 2 hours or less). While the dough is rising for the second time, place a Dutch oven into the oven to preheat for at least 45 minutes. Once doubled in size, transfer the dough to the screaming hot Dutch oven and bake the sourdough cheese bread until as browned as desired. The homemade cheese bread will need to be placed on a wire rack to cool completely before you can slice into it.
Do I Have to Use a Dutch Oven?
While it’s not imperative to bake the bread in Dutch oven, it really helps develop sourdough’s signature crusty crust because a covered Dutch oven traps in the steam the bread releases while baking, aiding in crust development. If you don’t have a Dutch oven, a cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed skillet will work, although you will sacrifice some of the crustiness.
Can I Use Another Type of Cheese?
Definitely! My family isn’t big on jalepeños but I’d love something like a jalepeño-havarti or brie, or try smoked gouda, or an intense Blue cheese. The bread can really stand up to bold-flavored cheese so don’t be shy using a strong, bold cheese.
Tips for Making Sourdough Cheese Bread
When kneading the dough the first time, note that it will be seem like it’s almost too wet and it’s very heavy, but this is what you want. Err on the side of wetter than drier because flour and yeast love moisture when rising. It’s important that you cover your bowl with plastic wrap when you set the dough aside to rise. A regular tea towel won’t work, you need to use plastic wrap to trap in all the gasses. Your Dutch oven will need to preheat for a good 45 minutes before it’ll be hot enough to bake bread in. I know that seems like a long time, but Dutch ovens take forever to fully heat through.
More Easy Bread Recipes:
ALL OF MY BREAD RECIPES! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes! Easy Sourdough Bread — No sourdough starter required! The bread tastes like it’s from a fancy bakery and you won’t believe how easy it is!
No-Knead Make-Ahead Dinner Rolls with Honey Butter – The easiest dinner rolls ever! No kneading, no fuss & you can make the dough ahead of time! Perfect for holiday meals and parties!
Honey Dinner Rolls – Soft, fluffy rolls brushed with sweet honey butter! Truly the best dinner rolls ever. They disappear so fast at holiday meals & parties!
Soft and Fluffy Sandwich Bread — This sandwich bread is soft, fluffy, light, and moist. It’s made with a secret ingredient that keeps it moist and fluffy — oatmeal! It’s the perfect bread for a PB&J or grilled cheese sandwich!
One-Hour Soft Buttery Breadsticks — Warm and fresh from the oven, these vegan buttery breadsticks are ridiculously good. They’re soft, fluffy, tender, and make your house smell amazing while baking.
Soft Buttery One Hour Pretzels — These are like the soft, fluffy, buttery vegan pretzels you can buy at the mall that you can smell a mile away and they only take one hour to make!
