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Baking recipe · from the recipe book

Spelt Cheddar Parsley-Garlic Swirl Country Boule

A deeply browned, crackly crust gives way to a nutty spelt crumb laced with a green ribbon of parsley, garlic and thyme and melty pockets of sharp cheddar.

Spelt Cheddar Parsley-Garlic Swirl Country Boule

Ingredients

  • 13½ oz380 gWhole spelt flour
  • 1 cup120 gBread flour
  • 1½ cups350 gWaterabout 80°F (27°C), divided
  • 3½ oz100 gActive sourdough starter (100% hydration)fed and at its peak
  • 1¾ tsp10 gSalt
  • 1 cup shredded110 gCheddar cheesesharp, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, divided
  • ½ cup chopped30 gFresh parsleyleaves finely chopped
  • 4 cloves12 gGarlicminced
  • 2 tsp2 gDried thyme
  • 2¼ tsp10 gOlive oil

Steps

  1. Day 1, about 8 a.m.: feed your sourdough starter at a 1:1:1 ratio by weight as you usually do (this feeding is separate from the recipe amounts) and leave it at about 75°F (24°C); it should peak, doubled and bubbly, in 4 to 6 hours.
  2. About 11 a.m.: in a large bowl, mix the spelt flour and the bread flour with three quarters of the water until no dry patches remain. Cover and rest 45 minutes (autolyse).
  3. Add the peaked sourdough starter and squeeze it into the dough. Sprinkle the salt over the dough, add the remaining quarter of the water, and squeeze and fold until smooth. The dough is about 73% hydration and 2% salt, counting the starter's share.
  4. Bulk rise at about 75°F (24°C) for 4 to 5 hours. During the first 2 hours, do 4 sets of stretch-and-folds 30 minutes apart, scattering half the cheddar over the dough before the second set and the remaining half before the third.
  5. While the dough rises, make the herb paste: stir the parsley, garlic, thyme and olive oil together in a small bowl.
  6. Bulk is done when the dough has grown about 50%, looks domed and jiggly and shows bubbles at the edges. Turn it onto a lightly dampened counter and, with wet hands, gently stretch it into a rectangle.
  7. Spread the herb paste over the rectangle, roll it up from a short side, then tuck and tighten it into a round boule. Place it seam side up in a banneton or a bowl lined with a well-dusted cotton towel.
  8. Cover and cold proof in the fridge overnight, 12 to 16 hours, until it springs back slowly when poked.
  9. Day 2: place a Dutch oven with its lid in the oven and preheat to 475°F (245°C) for 45 minutes.
  10. Turn the cold dough onto parchment, score it with one deep slash, and lower it into the hot Dutch oven. Bake covered for 20 minutes.
  11. Uncover, lower the heat to 450°F (230°C), and bake 25 to 30 minutes more until the crust is deeply browned and the center reads 205°F (96°C).
  12. Cool the boule on a rack for at least 2 hours before cutting it into 12 slices.

Food safety: Don't taste raw dough or batter: raw flour and raw eggs can carry germs.

Contains: Milk, Gluten.

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Saved in the Every Helping recipe book on October 24, 2026.

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