Sock Sausage + Cheddar Sourdough
Forget sandwiches; this sock sausage and cheddar sourdough is a whole meal in a single slice. The smokey flavor of sock sausage is the perfect sharp cheddar. You can grate the cheese if you prefer, but then you miss out on pockets of melty cheese throughout the crumb. I combine rye with my bread flours to add a rustic texture and warm maltiness to the final loaf. It's so hearty you won't need a single topping, but a green salad with a bright, citrusy vinaigrette would be a delicious compliment.
Ingredients
Sock Sausage from Southall
Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1000 g flour ( I used 175g Carolina Ground 75, 125 g fresh milled rye, 700 g organic King Arthur white bread flour
700 grams warm water
20 g kosher salt
Combine 200 g sourdough starter and 650 g warm water. Add the flours and slowly mix to combine until all flour is incorporated. Cover with a towel and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
Add the salt and 50 g of water remaining to the dough. Mix slowly to combine and then mix on medium-low for a few minutes. Transfer to a clear bowl, cover with a damp towel, and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
Fermentation: Using a wet hand, perform four folds of the dough, bringing each corner to the center. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Do this again twice and then 1 per hour for 2 hours. The dough is ready when stable and doesn’t lose shape after folding.
During the fermentation step, prepare the sock sausage (or any sausage you have on hand) by sautéing the sausage over medium heat. You want this to be room temp during the last shaping step below.
Pre-shaping: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and separate it into two equal-size pieces with a bench scraper. Using floured hands and working with one piece of dough at a time, gently pull all the edges of the dough toward the center to create a round shape. Allow the dough to rest seam-side down for 30 minutes or so. Be sure to lightly flour the dough and cover it with a damp towel.
While the dough is resting, prepare your baskets (or bowls) by dusting them with rice flour. This is also an excellent time to cube your sharp cheddar cheese - you can also grate the cheese, but I prefer pockets of melted cheese in the finished bread.
Final Shape: Start by lightly dusting the tops of each dough ball. One at a time, flip the dough ball over and lightly flatten the dough into a thick disc. Spread the sausage and cheese all over the dough and press down a bit to keep them intact during the shaping. Bring the dough bottom up and over the center and press to secure, stretch the left side up and over the center towards the right and press down to secure the dough, and then do the same on the right side. Stretch the top of the disc down and over the center of the dough and press down slightly to secure. To finish the shape, gently roll the dough from bottom to top and work to create a tight boule by using a circular motion. Dust the boules and place them in the baskets to proof for 2 hours (more if it’s cold and less if it’s warmer in your kitchen). You will know when the boules are ready to bake when the dough bounces back slowly after doing the finger poke test (press a finger 1/2 or so down into the dough).
Bake for 20 minutes at 500 F, remove the top of the dutch oven, lower the temp to 450F and cook for 25 minutes.
