French Onion Sourdough

Raw milk Gruyère cheese, organic onions caramelized in beef tallow and fresh chives make this loaf truly memorable.

Yield: 1 loaf

4 cups plus 2 Tbsp organic bread flour

¾ cup active sourdough starter

2 cups plus 2 tsp room-temperature water

½ cup grass-fed beef stock

1½ tsp salt

1½ Tbsp fresh chives

1 small organic onion, sliced thin

1 Tbsp beef tallow

3 oz raw milk Gruyère, cubed

 

To caramelize the onions, heat the beef tallow in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onions and stir to coat. Let them cook, stirring occasionally, until they are deeply browned and caramelized, about 45 minutes to an hour. Keep the onions in the refrigerator until they are ready to be used.

In a large glass bowl, combine the flour, active starter, water, beef stock, salt, chives and caramelized onions. Mix thoroughly. The bulk fermentation process begins as soon as the starter is mixed with the other ingredients, which means that the dough will rise and grow in size while it ferments. Cover the dough with a damp linen kitchen towel and let it rest for 1 hour at room temperature.

Stretch and fold the dough as follows: With lightly wet fingertips, grab a portion of the dough and stretch it upward. Fold the dough over toward the center of the bowl. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the stretch and fold. Continue to turn, stretch and fold until the circle is complete. Cover the dough and let it sit for 30 minutes.

Repeat this stretch-and-fold process two more times, letting the dough rest for 30 minutes in between.

Evenly distribute the cheese over the surface of the dough and perform one more set of stretch and folds.

Continue to ferment the dough for 2 to 4 more hours until it has proofed or domed in the bowl with various sized bubbles visible along the sides of the dough. (The dough will ferment faster on a warm day and slower on a chilly day.)

Once the dough has proofed, turn it out onto a clean work surface and shape it into a ball by hand—this is called a pre-shape. Let it rest for 10 minutes on the counter uncovered.

After this pre-shape, it is time to shape the dough. The goal is to create good tension that will help keep the dough’s shape while it bakes. Prepare a banneton (or extra-large bowl) lined with a linen cloth generously dusted with flour. Turn the dough top side down, then perform a letter fold, folding top to center then bottom to center.

Roll the loaf like a burrito and crimp the sides. Place the loaf into the banneton. If any cubes of cheese are sticking out on the bottom of the dough, tuck them in by pulling a bit of dough over them. This will prevent the bottom of the crust from burning.

Transfer the banneton basket to the refrigerator and let the loaf cold proof for 12 to 24 hours.

Place an oven-safe cast iron Dutch oven with the lid onto the center rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 490° F.

Once the oven has preheated, remove the loaf from the refrigerator and turn it out onto a 12-by-12-inch piece of unbleached parchment paper. Using a bread lame knife (or sharp paring knife), score the loaf down the center. Top with finely grated Gruyère and fresh chives.

Transfer the loaf on the parchment paper into the Dutch oven and seal it with the lid. Bake covered for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes uncovered.

Remove the loaf from the oven and immediately transfer it to a wire rack to cool.

Cut the loaf once it has fully cooled and store it wrapped in a linen kitchen towel at room temperature for up to three days.

 

Recipe courtesy of Emily Harryman.