When toasted and slathered with butter, each slice of this rich, savory sourdough loaf tastes like a grilled cheese sandwich. Inspired by a loaf that Barb Alpern (the “Sourdough Queen” of the Baker’s Hotline) used to make at Zingerman’s Bakehouse, this aromatic, crusty Parmesan bread is jam-packed with over a half pound of grated and cubed cheese and generously spiced with coarse black pepper. If your family and friends are anything like the bakers in the King Arthur Test Kitchen, they’ll be clamoring over this peppery Parmesan bread.
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The night before you plan to bake: In a medium bowl, mix the levain ingredients until well combined. Cover and set aside at cool room temperature (ideally 70°F or less) for 8 to 10 hours, until bubbly throughout and at least doubled in size. If your house is very warm, make the levain the same day: Mix it first thing in the morning using lukewarm water (80°F to 90°F).
The next day: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater or in a large bowl, combine the levain and water. Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Add the flour to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed until all the flour is moistened. If mixing by hand, use a bowl scraper to fold and chop the dough, incorporating the flour as you work. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 20 to 40 minutes.
After the rest, switch to the dough hook. Add the salt and coarse ground pepper and knead for 3 minutes on low speed. Add the cheese and cheese powder and continue to knead for 1 to 2 minutes, then increase the speed and mix until the cheese is fully incorporated.
Alternatively, if kneading by hand, work in the salt and pepper and knead the dough for about 4 to 5 minutes, still in the bowl. Transfer the dough to a work surface and spread it into a large, flat rectangle and sprinkle all the cheese and cheese powder over the top. Smear the dough and cheese together with the heal of your hand (fraisage), forcing the dough to accept all the cheese. Use a bench knife or dough scraper to release the dough from the work surface, then fold the dough together to enclose the cheese and then knead, smearing periodically as necessary. It will take about 5 more minutes to fully incorporate the cheese.
Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid. (Note: The dough will now rise for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, during which you’ll fold the dough three times.)
Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour in a warm spot (ideally between 75°F and 78°F).
Perform a bowl fold: Grab a section of dough from one side of the bowl, then lift it up and press it into the center; repeat this several times until you’ve circled the bowl. Turn the dough over so that smooth-side is up, then remove any protruding hunks of cheese and stick them on the bottom of the dough. Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.
Perform a second bowl fold: Turn the dough over so that the smooth-side is down, then repeat the folding motions, once again moving any protruding hunks of cheese to the interior of the dough. (The idea here is for most of the cheese hunks to end up in the the middle of the loaf, with the top surface fairly clear by the time you get to shaping. Some cheese on top is fine, but it will be easier to score if there isn’t a ton of cheese on top.)
Allow the dough to rise for another 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the dough is puffy (though not necessarily doubled in size).
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, smooth-side down. Fold the dough once more by bringing the edges toward the center. Shape the dough into a taut bâtard. (See our blog post, “How to shape a bâtard” for tips.)
Lightly dust one cloth-lined 11" oval brotform with flour. (This large loaf can also fit into a 12" to 13" long brotform, or one 9" round brotform; see “tips,” below for other choices for brotforms and baking vessels.)
Spread the Artisan Bread Topping on a rimmed baking sheet or piece of parchment. Wet a clean kitchen towel, then wring it out; it should still be pretty damp. Roll the top and sides of the shaped dough over the towel to moisten the loaf, then through the seeds to coat. Transfer the loaf seam-side up to the brotform, then cover.
Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the dough feels light; a gentle poke with a floured finger will result in the indentation filling in slowly. Alternatively, refrigerate the covered brotform for 10 to 24 hours. (If the dough felt sluggish during the initial rise, allow it to sit at room temperature for up to 1 hour before refrigerating.)
At least 1 hour before baking, preheat the oven to 475°F with a baking steel or stone on the center rack and, if adding steam, a cast iron skillet on the rack below. If your dough has been refrigerated, let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes while the oven preheats. Gently transfer the loaf from the brotform onto a sheet of greased parchment (greasing the parchment prevents any melted cheese from sticking). Score the top of the loaf several times with a lame.
Using a baker’s peel or an inverted baking sheet, load the loaf, still on the parchment, onto the hot steel and immediately cover with a baking shell or pour about 1 cup (227g) warm water into the cast iron skillet.
Quickly close the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 425°F. Bake the loaf for 40 to 45 minutes, removing the shell after the first 20 minutes, if using. The loaf should be a rich, reddish-brown color when done.
Remove the bread from the oven, transfer to a cooling rack, and allow it to cool completely before slicing.
Storage information: After the first 24 hours, store the bread securely in a plastic bag, where it will stay moist for several days. For longer storage, wrap in double plastic as airtight as possible and store in the freezer. Thawed bread can be made refreshed in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.
Tips from our Bakers
Too much cheese? Too much pepper? You can reduce the amount of these ingredients to your taste. If you like a lot of spice, you could even add more pepper, but you’ll have a hard time stuffing more cheese into this bread.
To make two smaller bâtards: During shaping (step 8), divide the dough in half (about 700g each) and form the pieces into loose rounds. Place on a floured surface seam-side up, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes before shaping. Transfer to two floured and lined 9" oval brotforms. Proceed with the recipe as written, decreasing the baking time to about 35 to 40 minutes.
To bake in a preheated Dutch oven: Preheat the Dutch oven on the center rack of the oven for 1 hour. Transfer the loaf onto greased parchment, then place in the preheated pot, cover, and return to the oven. Immediately reduce the baking temperature to 425°F. Remove the lid after 20 minutes and continue baking for another 25 minutes.
To bake in a Glazed Long Covered Baker or a Dutch oven: Make sure the vessel has at least a 4.2-quart capacity, otherwise this large loaf won’t fit. Line the vessel with greased parchment paper then grease any exposed parts of the pot. Transfer the shaped dough to the vessel (in step 10), then cover and allow to rise either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, place the vessel in the center of the preheated oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 425°F. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. When the bread is finished, carefully and promptly remove it from the pot to cool completely on a rack before slicing.
