Published: March 25, 2022 | Last modified: August 5, 2023.
Made with nutty, buttery gouda, citrusy dill and freshly cracked pepper, this simple, overnight No-Knead Dill Gouda Artisan Bread is packed with fresh flavours!
Cheesy, herby and wonderfully fragrant, this Dill Gouda Artisan Bread is an absolute pleasure to bake. It’s soft and chewy on the inside with a delicious crusty exterior, and pairs perfectly with grilled salmon, roast chicken or your favourite soup. Or let it take centre stage at your next brunch served with a couple of jammy eggs and crispy bacon. Sooo so good.
The cubed Gouda is added just prior to the second rise to create the most deliciously melty, cheesy pockets.
Much like my no-kneadRosemary Parmesan Artisan Bread, I find that 1½ cups Gouda is just enough. Adding more will make your loaf a little too dense and compromise the rise.
Oh, and trust me when I say do NOT forget to add the freshly cracked pepper. Something magical happens when you combine it with the dill and Gouda to produce an out-of-this-world-amazing flavour!
More favourite bread recipes:
Everyday Artisan Bread
Rosemary Parmesan Artisan Bread
Olive Artisan Bread
Easy Small Batch Ciabatta Rolls
No-Knead Dill Gouda Artisan Bread
Makes 8-10 servings; prep time 20 minutes plus 8-24-hour rise, bake time 45 minutes.
Ingredients:
3½ cups (455 grams) bread flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon (6 grams) Kosher salt
½ teaspoon (1 gram) freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups water (360 grams), room temperature
1 teaspoon (3 grams) active dry yeast
187.5 grams (1½ cups) cubed Gouda cheese
2 tablespoons (6.8 grams) fresh dill, finely chopped
Instructions:
Add the yeast to the water and let it sit for 10-15 minutes until the yeast starts to foam. While the yeast is activating, in a large bowl stir together flour, salt, pepper and fresh dill until evenly distributed and set aside.
Add yeast and water to the bowl and stir together just until combined. The dough should look a little sticky and shaggy and there should still be a little flour around the edges of the bowl.
Cover and let rise somewhere warm until it has doubled in size (*see note).
When you're ready to bake your bread, preheat oven to 450ºF (232ºC) with a Dutch oven or covered baking dish inside the oven. At this point your dough should be puffy and have risen to almost level (or higher) with the top of the bowl. It will be sticky and well-hydrated.
While the oven is preheating, flour your hands (or a dough scraper, if using) as well as your shaping surface. Pull the dough away from the edges of the bowl and turn it onto the floured surface. Adding bits of flour if needed to prevent sticking, gently fold the dough into itself several times just until it holds together. Next, using your hands, carefully stretch and smooth out dough into a rectangular shape and press Gouda cubes into dough. Roll up dough into a log shape and fold the ends underneath. At this point the dough will be thick and puffy and a little sticky. Sprinkle with a little more flour and continue to gently shape the dough just until a flour-covered ball is formed. Transfer dough to parchment paper and let it sit until the oven is pre-heated (~20 minutes).
Once the oven is preheated, score your loaf then remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Next, transfer the dough, still on the parchment, into the Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for 15-20 minutes more. Your bread will be done once the top is browned.
Using parchment edges, lift bread from Dutch oven and transfer it to a wire cooling rack to let cool for up to an hour before slicing.
Notes:
Flour: I use a hard wheat unbleached bread flour to get a good crusty, chewy loaf. Hard wheat or ‘strong’ flour is made from hard wheat kernels and is a little more dense and higher in protein than other flours. Other bread or all-purpose flours can be used in all my bread recipes, as can good quality 1:1 gluten free blends, but results will vary in terms of both texture and appearance.
Water temperature: Room temperature water at or near 70°F/21°C is best. If the water is too warm or too cold, the yeast may die and your loaf will not rise.
Cheese: While most cheese loaf recipes call for shredded cheese, cubing the cheese helps to prevent it from reaching the surface of the dough too early which can result in burning. If you don’t have Gouda, cheddar, Fontina, Havarti and Monterey Jack are all delicious alternatives. I do not recommend using soft cheeses in this recipe.
Dill: While I LOVE dill and think it’s the perfect complement to the Gouda, this loaf would also be delicious made with fresh or dried chives, rosemary or sage, or with just the cracked pepper, too!
Rise time and temperature: An ambient rise temperature somewhere between ~70º-75º/20º-23ºC is ideal but even high 60's/18º-19ºC should work if the dough is kept away from drafts. Note that rise times can vary based on temperature, environment and ingredients used. You will know your loaf is ready to bake when it has doubled in size, and this can take a minimum of 8 hours or as long as a full day.
Bakeware: Either a 3 Qt or larger Dutch oven or a 3 litre or larger glass covered casserole dish may be used for this recipe.
Oven temperature: If you feel your oven temperature is unreliable, you can tell your bread is fully baked once it has pulled away from the sides of the baking dish and it sounds hollow when you knock on the top.
Scoring: Scoring isthe process of using a lame, razor blade or sharp knife to score/slash the top of your loaf before baking. Bread dough expands when first placed in the oven (an effect known as “oven spring”) and scoring controls this expansion by allowing steam to escape. While entirely optional, without scoringthe steam will find its own weak point and burst through the crust as it hardens. The advantage of scoring, therefore, is to guide the expansion of the dough to maintain the shape of your loaf and achieve optimal oven spring. When scoring your loaf, aim to cut between 1/4" and 1/2" deep. There is no need to press hard, but the cut does need to be deep enough that it won’t fill back in when baking.
Allow to cool before slicing: You can slice your bread right away if it will be consumed immediately. Letting it cool for at least 45-60 minutes, however, will allow the internal cooking process to complete and seal in moisture to prevent your bread from drying out too quickly.
Storage: This bread is best served warm within an hour after baking. Leftovers can be toasted, re-heated on a baking sheet at 350º for 5 minutes until warmed through or served at room temperature. This loaf will store well covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or frozen in a well-sealed plastic bag for up to 1 month.
