Rosemary Cheese Sourdough

We love bread! This rosemary cheese sourdough is a favorite of ours. With the piney herb fragrance of fresh rosemary and the crunchy cheesy crust its hard to beat this delicious sourdough loaf.

Rosemary and Cheese

Sourdough starter, rosemary, and a bowl out on a counter

I think the classic combination of rosemary and cheese in a loaf of bread are just perfect. Going out to the garden to pick fresh herbs and enjoying the fruit of your hands is so satisfying.

Not all of us have a garden though and it is quite alright to use store bought or even dried. I’ve tried all of these, and while fresh is my favorite the dried herbs work just fine.

I’ve also tried sprinkling the herbs on with the cheese rather than mixing in with the dough itself. This works just fine but the rosemary flavor really has a chance to work it’s way all through the dough if you mix it in.

Rosemary mixed in a bowl with water and sourdough starter

As for the cheese, we like white cheddar. I have not tried any other kinds with this recipe but I bet any kind you like best will work just fine.

Cheese cut up on a cutting board

I like to cut it into chunks like this but it would work really well to shred it if you prefer that method.

The Sourdough

I just use my simple sourdough that I use for everything! I pull out my starter in the morning, feed it as described in the post linked above and when it’s ready I mix up my dough. Adding the rosemary of course.

Sourdough with rosemary mixed in a  bowl

Then the next morning I pour it out, divide in two, stretch them out and add the cheese.

sourdough spilling over the edge of a bowl with cut cheese next to it
Sourdough with cheese spread out on a counter

I like to fold and shape it as pictured and then let it rise again.

rosemary cheese sourdough folded
Rosemary cheese sourdough folded
Folded sourdough loaf
Rosemary cheese sourdough with cuts on top

I’ve never been very good at the pretty cuts on top but I wanted to try again. This also allows for the cheese to bubble out and get nice and crusty and beautifully brown.

Rosemary cheese bread baked with crusty cheese on top

The cheese kind of covers up all the pretty cuts so a more simple cut design for this recipe is what I will try next time. But that’s what is fun about baking and cooking! You get to experiment and try new things and see what works best and what doesn’t.

Rosemary cheese sourdough cut in half on a cutting board with cheese oozing out

Just look at that beautiful melty cheese oozing out! So good. I hope you enjoy this rosemary cheese sourdough recipe as much as we do!

Yield: 2 loaves

Rosemary Cheese Sourdough

Rosemary cheese sourdough cut in half on a cutting board with cheese oozing out

This cheesy sourdough bread is so tasty it wont last long!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Additional Time 2 days
Total Time 2 days 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fed sourdough starter
  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 3 tsp salt
  • rosemary to taste
  • 6 cups flour
  • 10 oz. cheese cut in chunks or shredded

Instructions

Mix sourdough starter, water, salt and rosemary in a large bowl.

Add flour and mix until well combined.

Cover and let rise. If you want to do a couple stretch and folds as it sits that is fine.

Once you are happy with the texture, cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let it sit over night or until double in size.

The next morning, or when it is double in size, pour out on a lightly floured surface and divide in two. Set one section aside and stretch out the other.

Add cut cheese to 2/3s of the dough. Fold over in thirds and then thirds again the long way and press into a round loaf. (see youtube video linked in post for example)

Set on baking sheet and let rise again. When ready add simple cuts on top as desired and bake at 400 degrees for 40 to 50 mins.

Let cool and enjoy!

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