Spanish-inspired sourdough is a beautiful combination of savory ingredients: tender potatoes, sweet piquillo peppers, and rich, melting Manchego cheese. The bread itself is airy and chewy, with pockets of oozing cheese that make each bite a delight. Whether served warm as a snack or as part of a tapas-style meal, this bread will transport you straight to Spain.
Reprinted with permission from Advanced Bread Baking at Home by Chef Daniele Brenci. Page Street Publishing Co. 2022.
One of the joys of baking sourdough bread is the ability to experiment with flavors and ingredients that remind us of special places and experiences. For this loaf, I wanted to recreate the vibrant flavors of one of my absolute favorite places: Spain. The inspiration for this Spanish Sourdough came from the variety of tapas I tried on my trip, particularly the Spanish tortilla.
A tortilla in Spain is a thick, savory dish, typically made with potatoes, eggs, and cheese, and it bears some resemblance to an Italian frittata or omelet. One of my favorites was a tortilla layered with potatoes, cheese, and roasted piquillo peppers—comforting, cheesy, and delicious. I wanted to bring those flavors into a bread form, resulting in a rich, satisfying sourdough loaf that’s not only cheesy but also filled with the comforting flavors of potatoes and peppers.
The beauty of this bread lies in how the potatoes and roasted piquillo peppers are incorporated into the dough during the first two folds. This ensures the ingredients are absorbed evenly into the dough, keeping the structure intact.
By adding the Manchego cheese while shaping the loaf, you get that perfect melt-in-your-mouth cheesy goodness, with pockets of oozing cheese inside the bread. For cheese lovers like me, this bread is best eaten warm to enjoy the gooey pockets of melted Manchego cheese.
Spanish Sourdough
Yield: 2 loaves
Levain Ingredients:
- 40 g (1.41 oz) high-protein wheat flour
- 40 g (1.41 oz) water
- 20 g (0.71 oz) mature starter
Final Mix Ingredients:
- 200 g (7.05 oz) yellow potatoes
- 150 g (5.29 oz) jarred piquillo peppers, drained
- 100 g (3.53 oz) 24-month aged Manchego cheese
- 350 g (12.35 oz) high-protein wheat flour
- 100 g (3.53 oz) all-purpose flour
- 340 g (11.99 oz) water
- 100 g (3.53 oz) levain
- 7 g (0.25 oz) salt
- 1 g (0.035 oz) dried oregano
Making Spanish Sourdough
Prepare the Levain
Start by building your levain 6 to 8 hours before mixing the dough. For more details on my sourdough method, see [page 21] of the book (or refer to your preferred sourdough technique).
Cook the Potatoes
Prepare your steamed potatoes before starting the final mix. Place a steamer basket or a colander in a large pot. Add water until it reaches 1 or 2 inches (2.5 or 5 cm) below the basket. Put the potatoes in the basket and bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium, and steam the potatoes for about 30 minutes, or until you can easily insert a knife.
Using tongs, remove the potatoes and set them aside to cool for 5 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes using a clean towel and paring knife. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate them to cool completely.
Prepare the Other Ingredients
While the potatoes cool, dice the piquillo peppers into ¼-inch (6-mm) squares. Cube the Manchego cheese and the cooled potatoes into similar-sized pieces. Keep them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to mix.
Autolyse
Start the autolyse process during the last 60 minutes of your levain’s fermentation. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the high-protein wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and water. Mix on low for about 2 minutes until the flour is fully hydrated and there are no dry bits left. Cover the bowl and let it rest at room temperature until the levain reaches its peak.
Mix the Dough
Add the mature levain to the autolysed dough and switch to the dough hook attachment. Mix on low (speed 2) for 3 minutes. Then, increase the speed to medium-high (speed 5) and continue mixing for 5-8 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and has gained strength. Once it reaches this stage, reduce the speed to low, add the salt, and mix for 2 more minutes.
Turn off the mixer and cover the bowl with a towel. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes before removing it from the mixer.
Bulk Fermentation & Folding
Transfer the dough to a proofing box or large bowl. Begin the bulk fermentation at a temperature between 75°F and 80°F (23°C and 26°C) for 4 hours.
After the first hour of fermentation, perform the first set of folds (lamination) on a damp countertop. Stretch the dough and distribute the diced potatoes, Manchego cheese, piquillo peppers, and dried oregano across the surface. Cover the entire dough with these ingredients to ensure they are evenly spread.
Continue proofing the dough for another 3 hours, performing two additional sets of coil folds, spaced an hour apart.
Preshape & Rest
Once the bulk fermentation is complete, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into two equal portions and preshape each piece into a round shape. Roll the dough using a dough scraper to tighten each ball. Cover them with a towel and let them rest at room temperature or in a proofing chamber for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Shape the Loaves
After the dough has rested, flip each ball top-side down on a lightly floured surface. Proceed with shaping the loaves into batards (use your preferred shaping method).
Dust two 10-inch (25-cm) oval bannetons with flour and transfer the shaped loaves, seam-side up, into the baskets. Cover with a towel and place them in the refrigerator for a final cold proof at 39°F (4°C) for 12 to 16 hours.
Bake the Bread
Preheat your Dutch oven to 500°F (260°C) and line it with a piece of parchment paper. Transfer one of the proofed loaves into the preheated Dutch oven. Score the top of the loaf and bake with the lid on at 500°F (260°C) for 5 minutes.
Lower the temperature to 480°F (248°C) and bake for another 10 minutes with the lid on. After 10 minutes, remove the lid, reduce the temperature again to 450°F (232°C), and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the loaf is dark golden brown.
Cool the Bread
Once the loaf is finished baking, remove it from the Dutch oven and place it on a wire rack to cool. Allow the bread to cool for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before slicing into it. The longer you let it cool, the better the texture of the crumb.
Spanish Sourdough Bread
Spanish-inspired sourdough is a beautiful combination of savory ingredients: tender potatoes, sweet piquillo peppers, and rich, melting Manchego cheese. The bread itself is airy and chewy, with pockets of oozing cheese that make each bite a delight. Whether served warm as a snack or as part of a tapas-style meal, this bread will transport you straight to Spain.
Ingredients
For the Levain:
- 40 g (1.41 oz) high-protein wheat flour
- 40 g (1.41 oz) water
- 20 g (0.71 oz) mature sourdough starter
For the Dough:
- 200 g (7.05 oz) yellow potatoes, steamed and cubed
- 150 g (5.29 oz) jarred piquillo peppers, drained and diced
- 100 g (3.53 oz) 24-month aged Manchego cheese, cubed
- 350 g (12.35 oz) high-protein wheat flour
- 100 g (3.53 oz) all-purpose flour
- 340 g (11.99 oz) water
- 100 g (3.53 oz) levain (prepared above)
- 7 g (0.25 oz) salt
- 1 g (0.035 oz) dried oregano
Instructions
- Prepare the levain 6 to 8 hours before mixing the dough. Mix together high-protein wheat flour, water, and mature starter. Let it ferment until it reaches peak activity.
- Place potatoes in a steamer basket over 1–2 inches of water. Cover and steam for 30 minutes or until tender. Peel while warm, then chill in the fridge.
- Combine high-protein wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and water in a stand mixer. Mix for 2 minutes until fully hydrated. Let rest until the levain is ready.
- Add the levain to the dough. Mix on low for 3 minutes, then increase speed to medium-high for 5–8 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic. Add salt and mix for another 2 minutes.
- Place dough in a proofing box. Let it bulk ferment at 75–80°F (23–26°C) for 4 hours.
- After 1 hour, laminate the dough on a damp surface, adding cubed potatoes, piquillo peppers, Manchego, and oregano. Perform two additional coil folds at 1-hour intervals.
- Divide dough into two portions. Preshape into rounds and rest for 45 minutes–1 hour.
- Shape into batards (long oval loaves) and place in floured bannetons, seam-side up.
- Refrigerate for 12–16 hours at 39°F (4°C) for the final cold proof.
- Preheat your Dutch oven to 500°F (260°C). Place parchment paper in the pot and transfer the proofed loaf. Score the top and bake with the lid on at 500°F for 5 minutes.Lower the temperature to 480°F (248°C) and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, reduce to 450°F (232°C), and bake for another 15–20 minutes until golden brown.
- Let the bread cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Enjoy warm for the best cheesy experience!
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