Cheesy Sourdough Pizza Bread

Instructions

The Night Before

1. Start by making a batch of my Chewy Sourdough Pizza Crust. Let it ferment overnight.

The Next Day

1. Prepare your cheese and toppings. Working into two bowls, cut or break the cheese into small cubes and divide in half. Chop toppings into small chunks and divide them into the bowls based on what you want in each loaf. I used roasted artichoke hearts in one loaf and green olives in the other. This is a chance to get creative and use your own favorite toppings!
2. Punch the dough down and turn it out onto your work surface. Divide the dough in half. This recipe makes two loaves (because trust me)!
3. Lightly flour and roll the first half into a large round. Spread toppings evenly over the round. Make your first fold over. Add toppings to the newly exposed dough.
4. Working counterclockwise make the second fold over and add toppings to the newly exposed dough.
5. Working counterclockwise make the third fold over and add toppings to the newly exposed dough.
6. Working counterclockwise make the fourth fold over and add toppings to the newly exposed dough.
7. Make the last and final fold up and over the exposed toppings.
8. With wet hands use a gentle kneading motion to start shaping the dough into a round. Keep the seam side up and stretch the bottom dough tight.
9. Flip the dough seam side down and with wet hands do a little final shaping by gently pulling the dough clockwise and under at the same time. This should help the dough form a tight ball that is sitting on its seam. Let the dough ball rest for 5 minutes on the work surface.
10. Repeat the shaping steps with the second loaf.
11. Using a banneton with a cotton cover (a bowl with flour sack towel will also work) pop the dough in upside down (seam side up) to proof. You shouldn't need flour if you use the cotton cover. Cover the dough loosely and let it double at room temperature.
12. Once the dough has doubled it will be cresting the banneton and is now ready to bake.
13. Preheat your oven to 450°F with one or two Dutch ovens inside.
14. Cut squares of parchment to fit the Dutch oven (if you are baking loaves one at a time, follow the next steps for each loaf just before baking).
15. Turn the risen dough out onto the parchment paper.
16. Spray the dough generously with filtered water. Rub the dough gently to distribute the water.
17. Using a sharp Lame, score the dough.
18. Remove the preheated Dutch oven from your oven and place the dough inside using the parchment as a sling. Cover and return the Dutch oven to the oven.
19. Bake covered for 25 minutes. Remove the Dutch oven lid and continue baking for 15 more minutes.
20. Remove the pizza bread from the oven and cool it completely on a wire rack before slicing.