Corn & Cheddar Sourdough Ciabatta

This Corn & Cheddar Sourdough Ciabatta combine the sweetness of fresh corn with the sharpness of cheddar, creating a delightful bread with a crispy crust and a soft, flavorful interior. Perfect for sandwiches or as a side to your favorite soups, this artisanal buns are sure to impress.

Note that this loaf takes around 24-36 hours from mixing the dough!

Recipe Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this autumn loaf.

Sourdough starter – You should use active (bubbly and peaked) sourdough starter for this recipe

Water - Tap water works just fine!

White Bread Flour - A high-protein white bread flour (around 12–14% protein) gives this loaf the structural strength it needs to support the inclusions while holding a tall, open crumb and airy oven spring.

Fine Sea Salt - Regulates fermentation, strengthens the gluten matrix, and balances the natural sweetness of the honey and berries.

Fresh cobs of corn (kernels and milk) - Raw, sweet summer corn brings natural sugars, delicate texture, and rich flavor. Blitzing the raw kernels incorporates sweet moisture straight into the dough, while firmly scraping and milking the bare cobs captures the starchy, flavorful corn milk to replace part of the water.

Sharp Cheddar Cheese – A good, aged sharp cheddar cut into small cubes works best. Cubing rather than shredding creates distinct pockets of melted cheese throughout the crumb that blister and caramelize into crispy edges where they meet the crust.

Green Onions (Scallions) – Freshly chopped scallions add a bright, savory kick and a pop of green that cuts through the rich cheddar and sweet corn, balancing every bite.

 

Tools & Equipment

  • Digital Kitchen Scale: Weighing in grams is essential for precision and consistent hydration.

  • Large Mixing Bowl & Dough Whisk: For easily combining your wet ingredients and bringing the shaggy dough together.

  • Bench Scraper: For cutting the ciabatta into their distinct square shape.

  • Bread couche: For the final proof of the ciabatta.

  • Baking steel: To bake the ciabatta on. Helps to form a delightful crust on the bottom.

  • Parchment Paper: Makes transferring the breads into the oven safe and effortless.

  • Wire Cooling Rack: Allows air to circulate completely around the base so the bottom crust stays crisp while the loaf cools.

Corn & Cheddar Sourdough Ciabatta

Rachel Pardoe

Servings

4

Prep Time

45 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Calories

533

Cuisine

Italian

Category

Lunch

Total time

24-36 hours

Corn & Cheddar Sourdough Ciabatta

Ingredients

    Dough

    • 175 g water
    • 85 g sourdough starter, active
    • 2 cobs raw corn, kernels blitzed, plus extracted corn milk
    • 8 g fine sea salt
    • 400 g white bread flour

    Inclusions

    • 110 g sharp cheddar, cubed
    • 2 green onions, chopped

    Directions

    1. Slice the raw kernels off the cobs using a chef’s knife. Blitz the kernels in a food processor. Using the back or blade of your knife, scrape down the bare cobs firmly over a bowl, then squeeze the bare cob to extract all the sweet corn milk.

    2. In a large bowl, add the blitzed corn, extracted corn milk, active starter, flour, water and salt. Stir thoroughly with a fork until the flour is completely hydrated and forms a cohesive, shaggy dough. Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

    3. Perform a gentle coil fold of the dough. Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Perform a second coil fold of the dough. Cover and let the dough rest for 45 minutes.

    4. Scatter the cubed sharp cheddar and chopped green onions evenly across the surface of the dough. Gently perform a coil fold of the dough until the cheese and scallions are evenly tucked throughout.

    5. Cover the dough and let it ferment at room temperature until doubled in volume. Transfer the covered bowl to the refrigerator for an overnight cold proof.

    6. The next morning, turn the cold dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Dust the top liberally with flour and gently form the dough into an even square, taking care not to degas the dough.

    7. Using a bench knife, slice the dough straight down the middle and across to create four equal rectangles.

    8. Carefully lift each dough piece and place it upside down into a well-floured linen couche, pleating the fabric between each loaf for side support. Let proof at room temperature until a gentle poke produces a slow spring-back of the dough (this took about 2.5-3hrs for me).

    9. Preheat the oven to 450°F with your baking steel or stone inside. Using a bench scraper and the edge of the couche, flip each loaf right side up onto parchment paper on a peel.

    10. Slide the loaves into the oven and bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until the crust is blistered and golden brown and the cheddar pockets are melted and caramelized. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before slicing.
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