Sam says: “The Regenerative Eight Grain Flour gives this loaf a gorgeous nutty flavour and slightly chewy crumb. With mature cheddar, honey-caramelised apple, crispy sage and some herbs and black pepper folded through, this loaf is more-ish!”
- Baker: South African Baker
- Website: southafricanbaker.com
- Social Handles: IG: @south_african_baker
- Bake Time: ~40mins
- Prep Time: 24 hours (including resting time)
- Makes: 1 large loaf
- Flour used: Regenerative Eight Grain Flour (will also work with regular Eight Grain)
Apple & Sage Regenerative Eight Grain Sourdough Method:
- Whisk the water, honey and starter together until combined. Tip in the flour and mix by hand until roughly combined. Do about 5 minutes of stretch and folds on a clean work surface until smooth, stretchy and less sticky. Cover and leave to autolyse for around 1hr.
- Sprinkle the salt over the dough and add about a teaspoon of water. Pinch up to incorporate the salt before doing a set of stretch and folds. Tip the dough out onto a clean surface and continue stretching and folding the dough until the salt is fully incorporated and the dough has no slippery spots. Cover and leave to rest for ~30mins.
- Perform another 4 sets of stretch and folds at ~30min intervals. This recipe - like most sourdough - is very forgiving so if you forget a few folds or don’t stick to timings, don’t worry!
- While you’re waiting between folds, make the fillings. Cube your cheese - this one is measured with the heart but I do about 150g! Peel, core and dice your apples and place into a pan over medium heat with about a tablespoon of butter, a pinch of sea salt, a tablespoon of honey and a few sprigs of fresh thyme.
- Cook gently until the apple is soft and lightly caramelised, then place in a bowl to cool. To make the crispy sage leaves, separate the larger leaves from the main stalk. Melt about a tablespoon of butter in a pan (depending on the size of your pan) over a medium heat. You want a nice even layer of melted butter coating the pan. Once the butter starts to foam lightly, drop in the sage leaves and fry on both sides until crispy. Place on a sheet of kitchen towel to drain.
- After the final stretch and fold, gently stretch out the dough to a rectangle ~30x20cm on a clean work surface. This doesn’t have to be exact. Sprinkle your caramelised apple, cheddar and crispy sage leaves over the stretched dough and gently press them into the dough. Sprinkle over some mixed herbs and black pepper (optional).
- Gently shape the dough by folding in one third to the centre and then repeat on the other side. You should now have a ~30x10cm rectangle. Then roll the dough up and use a dough scraper to tighten the roll. Dust with rice flour and place in a lined banneton.
- Rest at room temperature for anywhere between 2-4hrs depending on ambient temperature. Ideally you want the dough to have grown by around 60% before placing it covered in the fridge for 12 hours or overnight.
- Preheat your oven to 230-250C for ~30mins with your Dutch oven. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of baking paper/silicone bread mat and score as you like.
- Place into your Dutch oven and bake for 25mins with the lid on followed by ~12mins with the lid off with the temperature reduced to 210C. Let the bread cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting. Serve warm with herb butter and more cheese!
