Ready to level up your sourdough? Learn how to add fillings to any sourdough bread recipe with this step-by-step technique and video, plus an easy, olive sourdough bread with thyme, lemon zest & Parmesan cheese.
Adding fillings to bread dough, such as fragrant rosemary, olives, dried fruit (even chocolate chips!) will enhance the flavor and texture of any sourdough bread recipe. It takes about 2 minutes tops, and it’s exceptionally easy to do. You just have to know when to do it.
This tutorial and video will teach you how to add fillings to sourdough, with step-by-step instructions. I’ve also included an easy olive sourdough bread recipe adapted my book Artisan Sourdough Made Simple, so you can practice what you’ve learned right away.
Step #1: Mix the Dough & Let it Rest
Combine the wet and dry ingredients to form a rough dough. Pay attention to the texture at this stage: it should feel stiff and shaggy. The key now, is to let it rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
The technical term for this (first) resting period after the initial mix, is called is called autolyse.
During autolyse, the flour hydrates and the gluten begins to form. As a result, the dough morphs from stiff and shaggy to soft and manageable. This is what you want. When the dough is soft and manageable, it’s easier to add fillings to the dough.
Tip: Can a stand mixer be used instead? Absolutely. The same steps apply: mix the dough and let it rest. Add the fillings. On low speed, using the dough hook, mix the dough to incorporate. Check out my Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread to see this in action.
Step #2: Prepare the Fillings
Here I’m using mixed chopped olives, lemon zest and thyme. You can use any fillings you’d like, about 1 cup (100g- 130g) for every dough made with 500 g of flour.
Tip: What about dried fruit or nuts? In most cases, you’ll need to soak the dried fruit and nuts first. Otherwise, they tend to absorb additional water in the dough (which can make it dry). For nuts, toast them first for extra flavor if preferred, then soak in water. Drain and pat dry.
Step #3: Stretch and Fold the Dough
To incorporate the fillings, sprinkle them over the top of the dough. Use the stretch and fold technique to tuck them into the dough. To do this, stretch the dough upward and fold it over toward the center of the bowl. Give the bowl a turn and repeat (stretching, folding & turning) until you have tucked all the fillings into the dough.
Tip: Some of the fillings will pop out as you go. This is ok. Just smush them back into the dough- otherwise they might burn.
What’s Next?
Let’s make some rustic, homemade bread! Below you’ll find my easy olive sourdough bread recipe with thyme, lemon zest and Parmesan cheese + a sample baking schedule. The plump, juicy olives act as natural steam injectors as the dough bakes, creating a soft and tender interior crumb! We love this bread for sandwiches or toasted with fresh basil pesto and goat cheese.
Sample Baking Schedule
Note: if making this dough in the summer skip the overnight rise (as mentioned below). Bulk rise during the day; when the dough has almost doubled in size, cover and chill the whole bowl overnight. Bake the following day.
In the evening…
- 8 PM (or later): Make the dough. Rest for 30 minutes.
- 8:30 PM: Add the fillings.
- 8:35 PM: Cover and let rise overnight @ 68 F (10-12 hrs); @ 70 F (8-10).
- 9:05 PM: Optional stretch & fold
- 9:35 PM: Optional stretch & fold
In the morning…
- 6 AM: Check dough. Adjust time, as needed. Shape, second rise, bake.
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How To Add Fillings to Sourdough: Easy Olive Sourdough Bread Recipe
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 50
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 1 Loaf 1x
- Category: Sourdough Bread
- Method: Oven-Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Level up your sourdough bread with chopped olives, woodsy thyme, fragrant lemon zest & Parmesan cheese. Recipe adapted my book Artisan Sourdough Made Simple.
Ingredients
Dough
- 50 g (1/4 cup) bubbly, active sourdough starter
- 360 g (1 1/2 cups) water
- 470 g (about 4 cups) bread flour
- 30 g (1/4 cup) all-purpose flour
- 9 g (1 1/2 tsp) fine sea salt
Fillings
- 120 g (1 heaped cup) pitted mixed olives, roughly chopped
- 2 g (1 tbsp) picked thyme leaves
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 80 g (1/2 cup) ground Parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
- Make the Dough: In a large bowl, whisk the starter and water together with a fork. Add the flours and salt. Combine to form a stiff dough, then finish mixing by hand to fully incorporate the flour. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Add the Fillings: After the dough has rested, add the olives, thyme, lemon zest and parmesan cheese (if using) to the bowl. Gently knead the fillings into the dough, using the stretch and fold technique, To do this: stretch the dough upward and fold it over toward the center of the bowl. Give the dough a turn and repeat (stretching, folding and turning) until the fillings are tucked into the dough.
- Bulk Rise: Cover the bowl with lightly coated plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until double in size. This will take about 8 to 10 hours at 70 F (21 C). Note: if making the dough in the summer, the rise time will be considerably less; bulk rise during the day and chill the whole bowl overnight when almost double in size. Optional Step: If you’d like, for added structure, do 1-2 sets of stretch and folds during the bulk rise, spaced 30 minutes apart.
- Shape: Remove the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Shape it into a round or oval and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, line a proofing basket with a towel and dust with flour. With floured hands, gently cup the dough and pull it toward you to tighten its shape. Then place the dough into your basket, seam side up.
- Second Rise: Cover the dough and let rest until noticeably puffy but not fully risen, about 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on temperature. Alternatively, chill the dough overnight, up to 8 hours. Let rest at room temperature while the oven heats up before baking. Preheat your oven to 450 F (230 C). Cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit the size of your baking pot.
- Score: Place the parchment over the dough and invert the basket to release. Sprinkle the dough very lightly with flour and rub the surface to coat. Make one long, off-center cut down the length of the loaf using a small knife or razor blade. Use the parchment to transfer the dough into the baking pot.
- Bake: Bake the dough on the center rack for 20 minutes, covered. Remove the lid, and continue to bake for 30 minutes. Lift the loaf out of the pot and finish baking directly on the oven rack for the last 10 minutes. Cool for 1 hour before cutting into slices.
Notes
This loaf will stay fresh up to 1 day stored at room temperature in a plastic bag.
Comments
Anita says
I am making the sourdough bread with some inclusions (jalapeno and cheddar cheese) and the dough is very wet. I also made a plain sourdough bread and the dough is just fine. They both rested the required amount of times, I did the sets of stretch and folds for each, everything was the same. Can you give me an idea of where I went wrong on the bread with inclusions? Thank you.
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Anita! The jalapenos will add some additional moisture to the dough, but it shouldn’t make it that sticky. So let’s examine: are you using fresh sliced jalapenos? Or pickled jalapenos from the jar? The latter will add more moisture to the dough because they’re stored in liquid. Also, at what point did you find the dough sticky? Prior to adding the inclusions or after?
Assuming both recipes were exactly the same, the same brand/type of flour was used (and no additional changes were made), the only other variable would be human error. Is it possible the wrong amount of water was added during the initial mix? Accidentally? This happens all the time, even when using a scale.
Kati says
I made this yesterday. Delicious!
Simple instructions from Emilie made this recipe easy to follow
Jo says
Great recipe and thanks for sharing !
Diane says
Hi Emilie,
First time for this recipe. Am I supposed to preheat my Dutch oven and bake covered first?
Thanks
Diane
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Diane! You do not need to preheat your Dutch oven – this is an optional step in baking. When ready to bake, you’ll cover the pot for the first 20 minutes or so, and then continue to bake uncovered.
Mary Unitis says
Hi Emilie,
I love your book and have made numerous recipes from it, all delicious! I have given the Saturday morning fruit and nut bread as a gift many times and have received many repeat requests. I’m making it today for Easter Sunday brunch, another repeat request!
Wendy G says
I am making your Seeded Pumpkin Cranberry bread from your book. It is so wet after adding soaked cranberries. Can I do more stretch and folds to build up gluten?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Wendy! Yes! You can do more folds if you want. For the cranberries, next time, pat dry on a paper towel before adding to the dough. That will help absorb any excess moisture.
Priscilla says
What can I add to sourdough sweet dough to make a savory bread?
sophia says
hello i’m new to sourdough baking. you say to put the dough in the basket seam side up. how do i know what side the seam is on after shaping into an oval? sorry if that seems stupid. also, do we usually cook the bread seam side down? thank you so much
Sam says
Hi, basically the seam side is the bottom, so you put this side to the top in the shaping basket, so that as you’ve correctly said, the seam will be on the bottom when you turn it out to bake it.
Susan says
I used about 3/4 pound of bulk sage sausage, 1 medium onion and 1 clove of garlic. I sauté the onion and garlic a bit in a cast iron pan until they begin to color then add the sausage in chunks and stir to brown the sausage and mix everything together. I cool the mixture until it is cool enough to handle and fold it in as directed here. I was very nervous doing it the first time, but it worked great and was a big hit for the crew when we were playing cards.
shrea kuile says
Thanks for sharing the different types of recipes. You mentioned the ingredients and instructions which will make easy to prepare them at home. All food items are healthy and delicious. I like your blog nd also prefer organic products.
Lucie Moulton says
I have your cookbook and was so glad to see it posted here to include the comments. I’m just curious about shaping it into a loaf…..and then what vessel is it best to bake it in, a Dutch oven or a staub braised that has more wrong to fit a long loaf?
Scott says
This is very tasty.
Leeroy says
I’m wondering about your advice to bring your loaf out of the fridge prior to baking as the oven heats up. I’m in my 10th year of home sourdough baking and I’ve always put the loaf into the Dutch oven straight out of the fridge. This advice came from several bakers sites. There seems to be different views on this.
Noah says
It depends on the grade of fermentation of the bread. If your dough is still very under fermented it does make sense to take it out of the fridge beforehand. However the time which the oven takes to heat up will most certainly not be enough. It would take at least an hour after there is some noticeable growth happening outside of the fridge. In terms of oven spring there is no difference between baking straight out of the fridge and said method, as the yeasts in the dough reach the same preferable fermentation temperatures whilst baking, just at different times. Generally taking your dough out of the fridge before baking makes sense if you don’t know exactly how far the fermentation on your dough is. But it seems that you have already a good intuition for that.
Billy says
I enjoy using this recipe. Over the end of year holidays I used roasted/then chopped pecans with rehydrated (and drained) cranberries. It was a big hit with the relatives and neighbors as gifts. I like the japaleno/sharp cheddar inclusions as well.
Cory says
Hi. Thank you so much for your website. I use your beginners sourdough recipe and it’s perfect every time. I tried this olive loaf however and it’s been a mess! The dough was super wet, I thought about adding more flour but was too nervous because I just didn’t know. Fast forward overnight, still sticky/wet and sadly hasn’t risen in the oven. As I’m new and not sure how to navigate troubleshooting any thoughts? I do weigh, I used King Arthur for both flours. Thank you so much!