Asiago Cheese & Black Olives Sourdough

Sharp taste of asiago cheese & black olives sourdough bread… OMG, this flavor is unbelievable! And the smell… the whole house smelled so cheesy, when I was baking this sourdough loaf. Ready for the recipe?

Ingredients

Sourdough Starter 

• 5g sourdough starter
• 35g water
• 30g all purpose flour or bread flour
• 5g rye flour

Dough

• 270g bread flour (90%)
• 30g stone ground whole wheat flour (10%)
• 207g water (69%)
• 24g (8%) cold water added along with salt, total hydration 77%
• 50g sliced black olives
• 40g shredded Asiago cheese 
• 60g levain (20%)
• 6g salt (2%)

Directions 

Starter 

• 7 am add starter to the water and whisk together, add flour, mix well, cover loosely, let it sit at a room temp 74-78F for about 8-10 hours until starter reaches its peak (at least triples in volume).
• Learn how to make starter from scratch here.

Dough

• 5 pm mix water with flour and cover, let it rest 1 hour for autolyse.
• During the autolyse process flour absorbs water, becoming fully hydrated. This activates gluten development.
• 6 pm add sourdough starter. 
• Mix on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 min, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 3-4 min until well incorporated.
• Cover, let it rest for 30 min.
• 6:30 pm add salt and extra water. 
• The process of adding extra water is called bassinage, it helps to tighten up gluten. Mix on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 min, or with KitchenAid on speed 3 for 5-6 min until well incorporated. The dough should come up together, but still be sticky on the bottom.
• We will continue gluten development and structure building by performing stretches and folds during the warm fermentation period.
• Leave to rest 30 min. At 74-78F /23-26C
• 7 pm spray your work surface with water, wet your hands to perform lamination.
• Lamination is the process of stretching the dough as thin as you can without ripping it.
• Spread the shredded Asiago cheese and sliced black olives all over the dough, fold and it let rest for 45 minutes.

• 7:45 pm 1st stretch and fold.
• 8:30 pm 2nd stretch and fold.
• 9.15 pm 3rd stretch and fold.

Performing stretches and folds will help with gluten development. Keep monitoring the dough, if it rises too fast, you can shorten the time between stretches to 40 minutes or less.

After the final stretch let the dough proof for 30 minutes at 76-80F/ 23-26C. You should see some bubbles on the surface, the dough has to become lighter. We are looking for 50% rise. 

Preshaping sourdough 

• 9:45 pm transfer the dough on to a work surface and dust its top with flour. Flip the dough over so the floured side faces down.
• Fold the dough onto itself so the flour on the surface remains entirely on the outside of the loaf. This will become the crust.
• Place the dough round on a work surface and let it rest for 30 minutes uncovered.

Shaping sourdough 

• 10.15 pm dust the dough with flour. Use a dough scraper to flip it over on to a work surface so the floured sides face down.
• Starting with the side closest to you, pull the right 2 corners of the dough to the left, then fold them up into half of the dough. Repeat this action with the other side too.
• Finally, roll the dough. Shape it into a smooth, taut roll.
• Transfer the roll, seam side up, to a prepared proofing basket (loaf pan with kitchen towel).
• Cover it with plastic and return the dough to the 80F (27C) environment for 15 minutes.

• Then transfer the dough to rise for 14-24 hours in the refrigerator.

Baking

Next morning

• Preheat your oven to 500 F, place a cast iron pan with the lid inside for 45 minutes -1 hour.
• Remove the dough from the fridge. 

• Flip it over on a parchment paper, score it with a sharp knife or a scoring lame. 
• Transfer on to the hot cast iron pan, cover with the lid (to create steam for a beautiful and crusty crumb).
• Bake at 500F for 15 minutes with lid on.

• Remove the lid, lower temperature to 450F. 
• Bake for 20 more minutes until golden brown.

Enjoy your asiago cheese black olives sourdough!

Asiago Cheese & Black Olives Sourdough

1626kcal

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Prep 45 minutes mins

Cook 35 minutes mins

Rise & Rest Time 1 day d 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Total 1 day d 3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

This savory artisan loaf features the sharp, robust flavor of aged Asiago cheese paired with the rich, earthy brine of black olives. By utilizing a lamination step to layer the inclusions directly into a high-hydration dough matrix, the bread retains a magnificent open crumb and an explosive oven spring, while baking up with a stunningly crispy, cheese-crusted top.

Cuisine Italian-American

Ingredients

Sourdough Starter Levain (Night Before)

• ▢ 5 g Sourdough starter culture
• ▢ 35 g Water
• ▢ 30 g All-purpose flour or bread flour
• ▢ 5 g Rye flour

The Main Dough Base

• ▢ 270 g Bread flour (90%)
• ▢ 30 g Stone-ground whole wheat flour (10%)
• ▢ 207 g Water (69% – Used for the main autolyse mix)
• ▢ 60 g Active sourdough starter levain (20% – From the stage above)
• ▢ 6 g Salt (2%)
• ▢ 30 g Cold water (10% – Held back as bassinage adjustment water)

The Savory Inclusions

• ▢ 80 g Aged Asiago cheese (Shredded or finely cubed)
• ▢ 60 g Black olives (Pitted, thoroughly drained, and sliced)

Equipment

• ▢
  Stand Mixer (A KitchenAid or standard mixing machine handles the high-hydration base flour effortlessly)
• ▢
  Proofing Basket (Banneton or a clean bowl cleanly lined with a dry kitchen towel)
• ▢
  Cast Iron Pan with Lid (Or a heavy Dutch oven to capture pressurized steam for maximum oven spring)
• ▢
  Sharp Scoring Lame (Or a fresh razor blade for clean expansion cuts)
• ▢
  Parchment Paper
• ▢
  Kitchen Scale

Method

Prevent Sleep ModePrevent Sleep Mode

Night Before – Levain Optimization

1. 10:00 PM – Starter Build: In a small glass jar, add your 5g of starter culture to 35g of water and whisk together cleanly. Stir in 30g of all-purpose or bread flour and 5g of rye flour. Mix thoroughly, cover loosely, and let it sit at room temperature 74–78°F (23–26°C) overnight for 8 to 10 hours until the starter reaches its peak and at least triples in volume.

Day 2 – The Autolyse, Bassinage, and Core Mixing

1. 8:00 AM – The Core Autolyse: In your stand mixer bowl, combine the 270g of bread flour, 30g of whole wheat flour, and 207g of main water. Mix thoroughly with a spoon just until all dry flour patches entirely disappear. Cover tightly and let it rest on your counter for 1 full hour to completely hydrate the flour proteins and activate natural gluten development.
2. 9:00 AM – Sourdough Starter Integration: Add 60g of your active overnight starter peak directly into the autolysed dough. Turn your mixing machine on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or use a KitchenAid mixer on speed 3 for 3 to 4 minutes) until the starter is completely incorporated. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
3. 9:30 AM – Bassinage & Salt Incorporation: Add your 6g of salt along with the remaining 30g of cold bassinage water into the bowl. Mix on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or on a KitchenAid on speed 3 for 5 to 6 minutes) until the extra liquid is fully absorbed. The dough will pull together cleanly but should remain sticky on the bottom of the bowl. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes at a stable warm temperature of 74–78°F (23–26°C).

Lamination Inclusions & Bulk Fermentation Folds

1. 10:00 AM – The Savory Lamination: Spray your clean work surface lightly with water and wet your hands. Gently tip the sticky dough out and stretch it out as thin as possible across the table without tearing the delicate matrix. Scatter 60g of the shredded Asiago cheese (reserving 20g for the top crust later) and all 60g of sliced black olives evenly over the entire surface of the sheet. Fold the dough cleanly over onto itself into a neat package to trap the inclusions, return it to your bulk proofing container, and let rest for 45 minutes.
2. 10:45 AM – 1st Stretch & Fold: Wet your hands slightly. Lift one side of the dough up cleanly from the container edge and fold it directly over the center. Repeat this action for all four quadrants of the dough mass to build structured vertical strength and distribute the cheese and olives. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes.
3. 11:30 AM – 2nd Stretch & Fold: Execute your second structured round of quadrant folds to continue organizing the expanding gluten network. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes.
4. 12:15 PM – 3rd Stretch & Fold: Execute the third and final stretch-and-fold round. Cover and let the dough proof completely untouched for 30 minutes at a warm 76–80°F (24–27°C). The dough should look visibly lighter, show distinct surface bubbles, and hit a clean 50% volume rise.

Preshaping, Tension Rolling, and Cold Retard

1. 12:45 PM – Preshaping: Gently tip the expanded dough out onto your work surface and dust the top lightly with flour. Flip the mass over so the floured side faces directly down. Fold the outer edges cleanly onto itself so that the raw flour coating remains entirely on the outside of the loaf. Round the dough into a loose ball and let it rest on your counter completely uncovered for 30 minutes to relax the gluten network.
2. 1:15 PM – Final Shaping: Dust the top of the resting dough round with flour. Use a dough scraper to flip it over onto your counter so the floured side faces down. Starting at the edge closest to you, pull the two right corners of the dough outward and fold them up into the center. Repeat this exact matching movement across the left side. Roll the dough tightly away from you, shaping it into a perfectly smooth, taut, uniform log.
3. Basket Stabilization & Fridge Retard: Transfer the shaped roll seam-side up into your well-floured proofing basket. Cover with plastic wrap and return the basket to a warm 80°F (27°C) spot for exactly 15 minutes to stabilize. Slide the basket directly into your refrigerator to rise slowly for 14 to 24 hours of cold fermentation retard at a stable 40°F (4°C).

Day 3 – Blazing Cast Iron Bake

1. Next Morning – Preheating: Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C). Place your cast iron pan and lid onto the middle rack to heat up thoroughly for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Scoring & Loading: Remove the cold dough basket from the fridge. Flip it over gently onto a sheet of parchment paper and score the smooth surface with one clean, long, deep cut using a sharp lame or razor blade. Top the scored loaf evenly with the remaining 20g of reserved Asiago cheese.
3. The Steam Bake: Transfer the dough carefully onto the smoking hot cast iron pan base, drop the heavy lid down tightly to lock in the steam, and bake at 500°F (260°C) with the lid on for exactly 15 minutes.
4. The Open Bake: Carefully lift the hot lid off to expose the loaf, lower the oven temperature to 450°F (232°C), and continue baking bare for an additional 20 minutes until the crust turns an incredibly deep golden brown and the exterior cheese forms a crispy, caramelized crown. Let cool on a wire rack for 2 full hours before slicing!

Nutrition

Calories1626kcalCarbohydrates250gProtein73gFat36gSaturated Fat15gPolyunsaturated Fat4gMonounsaturated Fat13gCholesterol64mgSodium2660mgPotassium616mgFiber13gSugar2gVitamin A877IUVitamin C0.2mgCalcium1053mgIron6mg

Notes

• The Importance of Olive Hydration Control: Black olives are packed with residual brine that can seep into the dough matrix during lamination and ruin your moisture balance, resulting in gummy patches around the fruit pockets. To protect your crumb structure, slice your pitted black olives ahead of time and spread them completely flat across a double layer of paper towels. Press down firmly with another paper towel to blot out all surface moisture before adding them to the dough.
• Why Lamination Protects Your Oven Spring: Rather than mixing heavy chunks of cheese and wet olives directly into the autolysed dough—where sharp edges would cut through fragile gluten strands like little razor blades—this recipe waits until the 10:00 AM lamination step. Stretching the relaxed dough into a thin sheet and scattering the inclusions creates neat internal layers, allowing the bread to support the heavy add-ins without collapsing or losing its signature tall shape.
• Choosing the Right Age of Asiago: For the ultimate savory flavor profile, look for an aged Asiago cheese (Asiago d’Allevato) rather than a fresh, soft version (Asiago Pressato). Aged Asiago has a much lower moisture content and a sharper, more pungent profile that stands up beautifully to the long sourdough fermentation. Finely cubing the cheese into 1/4-inch pockets ensures you get delightful, melty, caramelized craters scattered uniformly throughout every single slice.

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