Hola, ¿cómo estás? Feliz Cinco de Mayo! ¿Estás listo para la fiesta? Para esta fiesta mexicana, estoy compartiendo con chorizo y pan de masa fermentada cheddar para elclub de vacaciones recete.
Sorry, I was getting in the spirit of the holiday…In English: Hello, how are you? Happy Cinco de Mayo! Are you ready to party? For this Mexican holiday, I’m sharing with Chorizo and Cheddar Sourdough Bread for the Holiday Recipe Club sponsored by Erin of Big Fat Baker. For this holiday we had choose from one of these three ingredients: dulce de leche, tomatoes and chorizo. It would have been very easy for me to do recipes with all three (actually I’ve cooked with all three this past week) because I am a lover of Mexican, Mexican style, Tex-Mex, South Western cooking. They are all categorically different but similar in their flavor bases and well, just darn good.
It takes no genius to guess what ingredient I chose. My family has an insane passion for salume (only surpassed by cheese of course) and we put the Mexican chorizo right into that classification; even though salume refers to the Italian sausages. Our weakness for it, is such that I actually had to hide it where no one would sneak in and start eating it. Yes, we are happy to just slice and eat it.
See, I had a plan. You don’t know it, but I’ve been working on mastering sourdough for over 1 month now. I baked my first sourdough bread on March 27th and have been making something every week and not sharing, not a one, till now.
It all started with Karen from Karen Cooks (one of my Montana blogging sisters). She posted about her sourdough starter and how she likes sour – sourdough. I’m of the same mind, I like my sourdough pungent. I’ve been wanting to have my own sourdough starter for awhile and Karen’s version seemed like the perfect one for me.
I dutifully followed her instructions, I even ordered citric acid from King Arthur so I could get maximum sourness (Karen also hooked me up with some free shipping from KA). After 1 week, it was time. I also used Karen’s sourdough bread recipe and followed all her pointers (as some of you know, I am NOT a baker, so I’m really stretching myself here), I made the sponge the night before and baked my loaves the next day.
I even took some action photos. Please take a moment to admire my new backsplash, isn’t it beautiful…thank you, thank you very much for indulging me.
Only they didn’t turn out (the bread not the backsplash).
My loaves were pale, ghostly looking turds. Yes folks, I mean that, pieces of shit. They were so dense, and the crust was not thick and crispy. Actually, I think I successfully made sourdough jerky if that is possible. My family bravely tried to eat this pile of turds but I couldn’t and I ditched them.
I could have easily given up there but I had a starter now and that meant sourdough redux next week. I left the loaves alone, saddened by my first go, and ventured into rolls, and other such stuff (some of which I’m actually going to share in the future). Until these little babies. By now I’ve been working with the sourdough and was getting, shall I say, a feel for it?
I did a few things different this time: I used more flour for a stiffer dough (which I think was my first issue…I treated it like the simple artisan bread which is a bit more wet), I used a whole egg to cheat and get a little more browning (I wasn’t going for authentic style San Francisco bread) and I took a cue from my simple artisan bread recipe and added water in a pan to create steam which helped give me the crust I so adore.
I still would have preferred a deeper golden color on the crust but the bread, oh my was the bread ah-mazing! The texture was nice and even with just a bit of that sourdough chew. Each bite brought a little surprise of cheese and chorizo, making your mouth beg for more. It was wonderful toasted, it made great hoagie sandwiches when split in half. It was the perfect base for ripe avocados spread across it. And I imagine that it would be the perfect accompaniment to a chili verde or heuvos rancheros.
Note: I sliced the top of the loaves vertically in hopes to give a hint of what’s inside. They opened up like a flower, a full bloomed flower and not like the bud I was hoping for. In the future I would just make a few horizontal slashes. Also for my HRC fellow club members, I will be at our cabin this weekend (first time of the year, woohoo) but I won’t have internet access, I’ll be catching up with you all after I get back.
Feliz Cinco de Mayo. Tener un maravilloso fin de semana y me pondré al día con ustedes la próxima semana.
(Happy Cinco de Mayo. Have a wonderful weekend and I’ll catch up with you next week)
By the way, I don’t speak any Spanish except “Dos cervesa, por favor”. I was having fun with Google translate 
Ingredients
- 1 batch sourdough bread dough after first rise (enough for 3 loaves)
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 6 ounces cured chorizo, diced
- 1 egg plus 1 tablespoon water
- 1 cup water (for steaming)
Instructions
- After first rise of sourdough bread, punch down and knead on a floured surface for 2 to 3 minutes or until elastic. Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Roll each piece of dough into a rectangle, sprinkle with 1/3 of the grated cheese and 1/3 of the chorizo. Roll the dough up length wise pinching the seams together and tucking the ends down.
- Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper with the seam side down and the ends tucked under. With a serrated edged knife, make 2 to 3 shallow horizontal slashes. Cover dough and let rise until doubled, about 1 to 1/2 hours.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400F with a baking stone in it and a rack placed in the top 1/3 of the oven. Put the bottom rack on the lowest part of the oven and place a broiler pan on it. Once the dough has risen, in a small bowl whisk together the egg and the water and brush onto the loaves.
- Using a pizza peel or lifting the dough with the parchment paper, place the loaves on the baking stone. Pour 1 cup water into the broiler pan and quickly close the oven door. Bake loaves 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and they sound hollow when tapped.
I just happened to click your link to your site b/c of the coleslaw comment you made on Eliot’s page and was delighted to see your submission to the HRC. I didn’t see you in the blog hop and was going to remind you to add your link but when I saw you were out of town, I went ahead and added it myself-hope you don’t mind! Anyway, these are brilliant, Rhonda! You seriously had me LOL’ing about the terds-hahaha! Glad the second ones turned out better–they look gorgeous! And I swear I thought I was subbed to your blog but I dont’ get updates so I clicked the sub thing and it took me to your about page. I don’t know what is going on.
Thank you so much for taking care of me. I always enjoy reading your comments on Eliot’s site. BTW, I’ve got you on my Google Reader
Nevermind, I’m a dork! I figured it out and am subscribed now. I have no idea why I wasn’t before.
Spicy, cheesy bread???? Yes, I’m ALL in favor of these delicious loaves!
Thanks Liz, I made three loaves and immediately froze one because it was so good I knew we would be piggy with it.
I’m drooling here! Please I beg of you,send me a loaf! It looks amazing!! Oh my gosh!!!
I’ve got one waiting in the freezer…
I’m digging your mad spanish skills. Doesn’t matter if they came from Google!
And I’m also digging this bread! This looks divine!!!
Google translate is so cool, I think I even learned a few words just messing around with it.
Wow this looks amazing! Definitely a must try!
Love your Spanish intro!
I wish I really did speak Spanish, it’s on my looooong list of things to accomplish in life. At least I can mark off sourdough bread now.
It definitely does take ‘getting a feel’ for the dough in bread baking. LOVE the addition of cheese and chorizo. I’m feeding my starter today and will make some bread or maybe cinnamon rolls tomorrow. Glad you made the starter… these look great!
Karen, thanks so much for getting me motivated to make it. I’ve done something with it every week except one and I even have a second starter going! I knew you would like this recipe based on the number of Mexican recipes you post!
Im one of those people from across the pond who rely heavily on bread making machines. However, I once visited SF and fell in love with sour dough bread, and even tho I bought a starter back home with me, and I followed the instructions implicitly but, alas, my loaf was a disaster. So that put me off making bread by hand……….I dont know what a baking stone is, and would you be able to cook this in a conventional gas oven? Would I have to adapt your recipe to make it over here.
I sound a bit of a crazy Englishwoman, but Im not. I get so excited when I see sourdough cos I want to taste it like it is over there…….can you help me?? Thank you in advance, and best wishes from UK. Hope to hear from you sooooon!!!!
Wendy, I have a soft spot for crazy English women (I lived in the UK for 4 years). I’ll send you an email regarding your questions.
Oh, and I love your backsplash – beautiful colors. Have you finished your kitchen re-do?
Yeah, thanks. No the kitchen is still in progress…
Good grief, that looks absolutely fantastic. Would you please move to Colorado? …. Highlands Ranch to be specific.
Lea Ann, I think we would made a great cooking team!
Great bread takes time but it looks like you’re more than willing to put in the time required. Great Job on the bread and not spilling a word of this to anyone
Bread does take time…tough for a lazy-ish cook like me, but sometimes it’s worth it.
Your bread looks amazing. I love chorizo, and what a great choice for the HRC recipe. Gorgeous backsplash!
Thanks Teri about the bread and the backsplash.
I would love to try sourdough but I have always been afraid of the starter. I have some citric acid so I may check this out. Summer is coming so maybe I will have a bit more time to actually do some baking in the kitchen. The bread is absolutely genius. (Love the backsplash—very stylish!)
This bread is right up your alley, and I was surprised at how easy the starter was to make and maintain. Glad you like the backsplash, it’s a little modern touch to my very old kitchen.
I love homemade bread! This is a great recipe. Your breads must taste wonderful.
I really have to make sourdough again.
Cheers,
Rosa
Rosa,
Don’t you go making sourdough…you’ll make mine look bad
This bread is absolutely beautiful! I am mesmerized by all the goodness stuffed into the center. Sourdough is my favorite…the fact that there’s cheese in there too is just incredible.
Glad the bread worked out in the end, it looks fantastic! I love all the yumminess you put in here!
I am so impressed! See – you are a closet baker
I have yet to attempt sourdough but I am so intrigued now.. I’ll have to start the starter (ha) when I get down to my summer house/job. It will give me something to practice all summer 
Hope you had fun at your cabin! That sounds awesome!
I’m surprised that baking is not as intimidating as it once used to be.
This is what I love about cooking – its forgiving nature. We fail, we get up and try again! The first loads aren’t that great but that doesn’t stop us, will not stop us, should not stop us from trying….till perfection is attained! I love the flavours in the loaf!
It is what I love about cooking, although I find baking not quite as forgiving…
I just found your blog through The Gingersnap Girl and love it! This recipe for chorizo and cheddar sour dough sounds so delicious and something I know I would love. I’ll give it a try once the weather cools off here in L.A.!