Sourdough with Chilli Oil & Cheddar

The team at Farrington Oils have come up with this delightful pumpkin-shaped sourdough, using their delicious Chilli Oil and our very own crunchy Sea Salt Crystals.

This bread is a joy to make at any time of the year, but especially around Halloween when pumpkins reign supreme!

Instructions

1. Place the warm water in a bowl and whisk in the starter until bubbly. Add the flour and mix until no dry bits remain. Place a tea towel over the top and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
2. Add the salt and a drizzle of warm water and mix thoroughly to start activating the gluten, either using a stand mixer or your hands. Cover with a tea towel and leave for a further 30 minutes.
3. Starting with the edge furthest away from you, perform your first set of folds by pulling the dough up and over itself. Turn the bowl 1/4 turn each time until you’ve completed four folds. Repeat this process 3 times more, each set spaced 30 minutes apart and ensuring the bowl is covered with the tea towel between folds. After the last set, leave the bowl in a warm spot with the towel over the top.
4. When the dough has doubled in size and is showing good signs of fermentation (bubbles on the surface, domed in the middle) it’s ready for shaping.
5. Flour your surface and tip the dough out onto the worktop. Use a bench scraper and your hands to fold and pull it into a neat round. Leave to rest on the bench for 30 minutes.
6. Flour your surface a little more, and using floured hands and your bench scraper, flip the dough over, then stretch it out at each side until you have a nice flat piece of dough.
7. Brush the chilli oil over the surface of the dough, then scatter over the cheese. Use your hands to fold the dough like an envelope, sealing the ingredients inside. Then pinch it together at the sides before pulling it into a tight round.
8. Heavily flour a banneton or tea towel lined basket and lift the dough up and over into the bowl so the top is now facing downwards. Place another tea towel over the top and place in the fridge to slow ferment over night.
9. The next morning, place a baking vessel or Dutch oven in the oven to heat up on 240C (or as high as your oven will go). Take your dough out of the fridge and place it in the freezer for 20 minutes (this will help it hold its shape).
10. Sprinkle the base of the dough with semolina, then place the four pieces of string across the dough, equally spaced to achieve the pumpkin shape. Cover with baking parchment and flip the dough over. Gradually release it from the basket.
11. Tie each piece of string into a knot, ensuring it’s close to the surface of the dough but not too tight (it will expand as it bakes). Trim off the ends, and use a bread lame, knife or scissors to make small slashes in the dough (watch Farrington's YouTube video here to guide you!).
12. Lift it into your hot baking vessel and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for a further 15 minutes with the lid off. The bread is ready when the crust is golden and your kitchen is smelling glorious…