Everything Bagel Sourdough Bread
This. Bread. Just… Everything about it (no pun intended).
I’m one of those people who could eat everything bagel seasoning with a spoon, so once my first successful loaf of sourdough bread had come out of the oven, my natural train of thought was “I need to do this again, but with everything bagel seasoning and cream cheese in it.” And really, that’s all I did.
This loaf is 100% bread flour, and a much simpler process than the whole wheat loaf I posted previously. This is a “mix it all together, stretch and fold a few times, and let it sit” kind of recipe, which was a nice change of pace and a process I enjoyed a little more. I added little chunks of cream cheese and sprinkled everything bagel seasoning over it as I shaped it, and that was that.
As it baked, I just had a good feeling about this one, and the second it came out of the oven, I knew it was a winner. It was tall, and split beautifully. With yummy little crispy pieces of crust covered in seasoning that I struggled not tearing off immediately. I’ve been having a slice of it every morning with a couple of poached eggs on top, and it’s been the highlight of my morning ( I don’t know what that says about me).
My bread classes were my favorite classes in culinary school, and part of me had a tiny dream back then of opening a quaint little bread and cheese shop on a cute and quiet corner of a small town main street (what girl doesn’t dream of that?), and I can feel it waking back up again.
While I don’t actually see a bread shop in my future, I do see lots of bread baking and bread breaking with friends and family, and that is enough to keep my little heart satisfied… For now.
With love,
Your Baker, Hannah
Convinced it’s time for some homemade sourdough bread? Here’s a grocery list of everything you’re gonna need!
Ingredients for Homemade Sourdough Bread:
Active levain/starter
Water
Bread flour
Salt
Cream cheese
Everything bagel seasoning
(To make it even easier, you can hit the “Get Ingredients” button inside the recipe, and these items will be added straight to your shopping cart at the grocery store of your choice.)
Substitute Ingredients:
Instead of bread flour, you can use all-purpose flour, although the texture may be slightly different.
If you don’t have cream cheese, try using ricotta cheese or mascarpone for a different but creamy filling.
For a dairy-free option, you can use vegan cream cheese or leave it out entirely and add olive oil instead for moisture.
What Tools Do You Need for Homemade Sourdough Bread?
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Step-by-Step Summary for Baking Homemade Sourdough:
Start by mixing the water and active starter in a large bowl. Once combined, add in the bread flour and salt, mixing with your hands until you have a shaggy ball of dough. Cover it with a damp towel and let it rest for an hour. After the resting period, perform the first set of stretch and folds to develop the gluten. Continue this process three more times at one-hour intervals, then cover the dough and place it in the fridge for overnight bulk fermentation.
The following morning, allow the dough to rise in a warm spot for 1.5 hours. As it rises, preheat your oven to 425°F with the Dutch oven inside. Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, shaping it into a rectangle and sprinkling everything bagel seasoning and dollops of cream cheese on top. Fold and roll the dough, ensuring the cream cheese is well incorporated.
Finally, let it rest before scoring, then bake in the preheated Dutch oven, first covered, then uncovered until golden brown.
FAQs About Making Homemade Sourdough Bread:
What is sourdough starter, and how do I make it?
A sourdough starter is a mix of flour and water fermented with wild yeast and bacteria. To create one, mix equal parts flour and water, let it sit at room temperature, and feed it regularly with more flour and water.Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour?
Yes, you can, but the bread may not rise as high and could have a slightly different texture.How do I know when my sourdough is ready to bake?
The dough should have risen noticeably and appear puffy. A gentle poke should leave an impression that slowly springs back.
Tips for Creating a Thriving Sourdough Starter:
Feed your starter regularly, ideally every 12 hours, using equal parts flour and water.
Keep it in a warm environment, around 75-80°F, to promote fermentation.
Use a mix of whole wheat and all-purpose flour for stronger yeast activity.
How to Prevent Your Loaf from Being Over-Proofed:
Watch the dough closely during the rise. Look for a puffy, well-aerated texture.
Perform the poke test; if it springs back slowly, it’s ready.
Keep an eye on the time; sourdough can over-proof quickly, especially in warm environments.
How to Freeze or Store Your Sourdough Loaf:
To store, let your loaf cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in an airtight container at room temperature.
To freeze, slice the cooled loaf, wrap each slice in plastic wrap, and place them in a freezer bag. This allows you to take out slices as needed. To thaw, simply leave them at room temperature or toast them directly from the freezer.
Everything Bagel Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the water and active starter.
- Add in the flour and salt, and mix with your hands until a shaggy ball of dough forms.
- Cover with a damp towel, and set aside for 1 hour.
- After one hour, begin your first set of stretch and folds. Take one section of the dough and fold it over on itself until the gluten feels tight. Once again cover with a damp towel, and set aside for one hour. Repeat this stretch and fold process 3 more times, with one hour in between each set.
- Once you have completed your stretch and folds, cover the dough with a damp towel and place in the fridge to bulk ferment overnight.
- The next morning, remove your dough from the fridge, and set in a warm place on your counter to allow it to rise for 1 1/2 hours.
- While your dough rises, pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees F with your empty Dutch Oven inside of it (allow your Dutch oven to pre-heat for 1 hour before placing your dough inside).
- Once your dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and shape it into a rough rectangle. Sprinkle the entire rectangle with a good amount of everything bagel seasoning.
- On the rectangle of dough, place sporadic, bite-sized pieces of cream cheese across the surface. (You should use about half of the cream cheese).
- Fold one third of the dough up length-wise into the middle of the rectangle, and sprinkle the newly exposed dough with more bagel seasoning and cream cheese pieces. Fold the remaining third down over the first third and repeat the process with the seasoning and the cheese.
- Using your hans, roll up the dough length-wise, forming a semi-loaf shape. Using your hands and applying some pressure, push the dough away from you and pull it back towards you, using the stickiness of the dough to form a tight skin across the top of the loaf. (Try not to over shape, as your cream cheese pieces may start to poke out and burst through the top).
- Lightly brush the top of your loaf with water, and sprinkle the whole top with everything bagel seasoning, making sure it sticks.
- Place your loaf face-side-down into a medium sized bowl that has been lined with a flour coated linen or cotton towel. Allow it to rest for 20-30 minutes.
- Once the dough has rested, turn the loaf out onto a piece of parchment so it is face-side-up again, and use a sharp knife or razor to score the loaf.
- Place the parchment and the loaf into your pre-heated Dutch oven (be careful not to burn yourself), and place 2 ice cubes between the parchment and the bottom of the Dutch oven. Cover with the lid.
- Bake the loaf for 20 minutes with the lid on, and then remove the lid and allow it to continue cooking uncovered for 30 minutes. (Or until the crust is golden brown and the internal temp registers at 205 degrees F).
- Remove the loaf from the Dutch oven and place on a cooling rack to cool.
- Once cooled completely, slice into the loaf, serve, and enjoy!
Watch the Video Tutorial Here:
This wonderfully sour loaf of sourdough bread is made nearly perfect with the addition of roasted garlic, mozzarella cheese, and basil and thyme!