Sourdough Mix-in Ideas

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If you love to make sourdough like I do and have been doing it for a while, you may have gotten a little curious about mix-ins. Sourdough Mix-in Ideas can be the addition of a few dried or fresh herbs or chunks of cheese or even meats like pepperoni or bacon. I am by no means an expert when it comes to making sourdough but I have included my full recipe for the basic or plain sourdough boule at the end of this post.

A few things to consider when adding things to your sourdough. First, if you want the flavors to be mixed in all throughout the dough, you need to add it at the start or with the first stretch and fold. Once the dough starts to build it’s structure it is much harder to evenly mix things in. That said if you are looking for a “swirl” or “ribbon” of flavor running through the bread, then you want to wait to add the extras until after the bulk ferment. Second, you need to consider how much moisture and/or fat content will be added by the mix-ins. If there will be a lot of either, you may want to add a little extra flour to the dough so that it doesn’t get too flattened. And third, be prepared as cheese will always make it appear a little burnt on the outside.

One last thing before I get to the mix-in ideas – have a good pot to bake your bread in is essential (unless of course you are open baking, which is not something I’ve done much so these ideas are all for dutch oven recipes). I like to use my stonewear dutch oven with a lid. You can also use a cast iron dutch oven or even an oven safe stock pot with a lid. The lid is crucial for a nice soft inside with a crusty outside.

Roasted Garlic Sourdough – mixing in oven roasted garlic gives an immense amount of flavor. Here is a recipe for making Easy Roasted Garlic. Once you push out the roasted garlic with the tongs into a dish, you will want to use the back of spoon to mash some of it up, while leaving some of it in larger chunks. The roasted garlic will need to be added at the time of the first stretch and fold.

Garlic & Herb Sourdough – this is one of the easiest mix-ins on this list. You will mix together the following dried herbs & spices – One tablespoon each granulated garlic, granulated onion, dried basil and dried oregano along with one teaspoon each paprika, and parsley. Then add that mixture in with the flour at the start of the dough making. Proceed with the recipe as normal.

Pepper Jack Sourdough – depending on your cheese, this can pack a bit of a punch. You will need 12oz pepper jack block cheese cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Add the cubes of cheese at the start of the first stretch and fold. You will be adding this into the dough with the first stretch and fold, the proceed with the recipe normally with one exception. You will want to lower the heat by 15degF and add five minutes to the first bake (lid on).

Cranberry & Orange Sourdough – great for a holiday meal, this mix-in combo is very festive. You will need 1/2 cup brown sugar, 4 navel oranges and 8 oz of fresh or frozen cranberries. Start by zesting and juicing the oranges. Replace half of the water for your sourdough recipe with the fresh orange juice at the start of the recipe, as well as adding the sugar, orange zest and cranberries. Then proceed with the recipe as listed.

Everything Seasoned Sourdough – if you want something a little bit fun, then this mix-in is for you. You will need around half a cup of Everything Seasoning. Add a quarter cup of the seasoning along with the flour at the start of the recipe. Proceed with all of the stretch and folds, as well as the bulk fermentation. On the final forming, just before placing in the preheated dutch oven, sprinkle enough seasoning over the top to get a nice even layer. Bake as usual

Cheddar & Jalapeno Sourdough – this one will be gone within the day! You will need 12oz of block cheddar cheese cut into 1/2-inch cubes as well as a whole jalapeno, cut in half lengthwise and then cut into 1/4-inch slices. You will be adding this into the dough with the first stretch and fold, the proceed with the recipe normally with one exception. You will want to lower the heat by 15degF and add five minutes to the first bake (lid on).

Onion & Thyme Sourdough – another super simple, but flavor packed mix-in option. You need about a third of a cup of dried minced onion and two tablespoons of dried thyme. You want to add a quarter cup of the dried minced onion and one tablespoon of thyme with the flour. You will also want to add an extra 25 grams of water, as the onions will absorb some of it. Then proceed with the recipe as normal. After shaping the dough (right before you put it in the preheated dutch oven), sprinkle the remaining onion & thyme over the top. Bake as usual.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!