Sourdough Cheese Bread: Sharp Cheddar, Crispy Crust

Short answer: add 200g cubed sharp cheddar to your basic sourdough at fold 2, with another 50g pressed into the surface before baking. The exterior cheese melts into a crispy crown.

The recipe

For one boule:

• 500g bread flour
• 350g water (70%)
• 100g active starter
• 10g salt
• 200g sharp cheddar, cut in 1cm cubes (mix into dough)
• 50g sharp cheddar, grated (for top crust)
• Optional: 1 tbsp fresh thyme or rosemary

Method

Mix

Combine flour, water, starter, salt. Mix to shaggy. Autolyse 30 minutes.

Bulk

Bulk 4–5 hours at 75°F.

Folds:

• Fold 1 (30 min): standard
• Fold 2 (60 min): add cubed cheese, distribute evenly
• Fold 3 (90 min): standard
• Fold 4 (120 min): standard

Shape

Pre-shape into a round. Rest 30 minutes. Final shape into a tight boule.

Cold retard

12–18 hours in the fridge.

Bake

Preheat Dutch oven to 475°F for 60 minutes.

Score, sprinkle the grated cheese on top of the loaf (it will stick).

Bake covered 18 minutes.

Uncover, bake 22 minutes — the top cheese will melt and crisp.

Internal temp 205°F.

Cheese choice matters

Sharp cheddar is the most accessible and reliable. Aged Gruyère is the upgrade.

Why cubes, not shreds

Cubes:

• Stay distinct in the crumb
• Create cheese pockets you can see and taste
• Don't dissolve into the dough

Shreds:

• Disappear into the dough
• Add overall flavor but no pockets
• Make the dough sticky

For visible cheese pockets, use cubes.

Variations

Jalapeño cheddar

Add 80g pickled jalapeños (drained) at fold 2 with the cheese.

Three-cheese

• 100g sharp cheddar
• 60g Gruyère
• 40g Parmesan
• Layer of complexity

Garlic cheese

Add 4 cloves roasted garlic (mashed) to the dough at mix.

Bacon cheddar

Add 80g cooked, chopped bacon at fold 2 with the cheese.

Pepper Jack + chive

Cubed pepper jack + 2 tbsp chopped chives = brunch bread.

Why fold 2 timing matters

Adding cheese too early:

• Cheese starts to break down in the dough
• Loses its distinct character
• May make dough oily

Adding cheese too late:

• Doesn't distribute evenly
• Hard to fold around

Fold 2 is the sweet spot.

The crust crown

The grated cheese on top:

• Melts at 350°F
• Crisps and browns at 400°F+
• Becomes an addictive lacy crown

Don't skip this step. It's what makes the loaf special.

A loaf-pan version

For sandwich-friendly cheese bread:

Same recipe, but:

• Shape as a log
• Place in a 9x5 loaf pan
• Final proof 90 min
• Bake at 425°F for 35–40 min

The pan gives you sliceable square slices for grilled cheese.

Storage

Cheese bread keeps:

• Counter (cloth bag): 2 days
• Reheat in 350°F oven for 5 min to revive

Don't refrigerate — the cheese gets rubbery.

The best storage is "eat it within a day."

What to serve with

Cheese sourdough pairs perfectly with:

• Tomato soup
• Roasted vegetable soup
• Chili
• Beer
• Hard cider
• Soft eggs

It's a hearty bread that wants hearty companions.

A grilled cheese upgrade

Use this bread for grilled cheese:

• The bread already has cheese
• Add more cheese inside
• Butter outside
• Toast in a skillet

This is the ultimate grilled cheese — cheese inside, cheese on top, cheese in the bread.

Why home cheese bread beats store-bought

Store-bought cheese bread:

• Often uses processed cheese
• Cheese flavor is faint
• Crust is soft (not crispy)
• Stale within hours

Homemade with sharp cheddar:

• Real cheese flavor
• Crispy cheese-crowned top
• Sourdough depth
• Worth the effort

A holiday version

For the holidays, add:

• 1 tbsp dried herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage)
• 4 cloves roasted garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil

This becomes a rustic herbed cheese bread for serving with charcuterie.

A weeknight bake

If you can't do an overnight retard:

• Mix in the morning
• Bulk all day
• Shape after work
• Proof 90 min
• Bake at night

Cheese bread is the easiest sourdough to bake on a tight schedule because the cheese forgives slight under-fermentation.

A final note

The first time you bake this and pull it from the oven, the cheese on top will be crackling, golden, and impossibly fragrant. Tear off a piece while it's hot. This is the platonic ideal of cheese bread.

Once you've tasted it, store-bought cheese bread is forever ruined for you. That's a price worth paying.