Italian Herbs & Cheese Artisan Sourdough Bread Recipe
Italian Herbs & Cheese Artisan Sourdough Bread Recipe
By Rebekah Parr | Published on January 14, 2025 | Updated on August 21, 2025
I hate to mention Subway in the first sentence of an artisan sourdough bread recipe, but… that Italian herbs and cheese bread was always my go-to growing up.
Now that I make sourdough, I realize that while the bread was good at the time, it doesn’t compare to homemade sourdough.
Thinking back on those memories, I decided to make my own version of the Italian herbs and cheese loaf, but in an artisan-style sourdough loaf.
My husband – and his friends (and me) – think this might be the best loaf of bread I’ve made to date. The flavors are punchy, aromatic, and downright delicious. Here’s how to make it.
Note: If you already have an artisan sourdough recipe you swear by, just add the inclusions during your second set of stretch and folds.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Very beginner-friendly: if you’re beginning to experiment with inclusions, this is a perfect starting place. It’s not messy or difficult – just toss the herbs and cheese in your dough, and you’re golden.
- The most flavorful sandwich base ever: imagine this herby, cheesy bread with some deli meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo… heaven.
- Delicious on its own: we ate this entire loaf plain with some butter smeared on top. It’s so divine on its own that you even need anything else with it!
- Almost exactly the same as making a regular artisan loaf: this inclusion addition is super simple and will feel almost the same as making a plain sourdough loaf.
Sourdough Bread Timeline
Here’s a sample timeline to help you plan out your bake.
| Day 1 | |
| Before bed | Feed your starter (1:5:5 ratio is best for overnight but experiment with your starter in your environment to nail it down) |
| Day 2 | |
| 8 am | Mix flour, starter, and most of the water (this starts the bulk fermentation) |
| 9 am | Add salt and remaining water; knead or slap and fold for 2-4 minutes |
| 9:30 am | Stretch and fold the inclusions into the dough |
| 10 am | Stretch and fold or coil fold #2 |
| 10:30 am | Stretch and fold or coil fold #3 |
| 11 am | Stretch and fold or coil fold #4 |
| 3:30 pm | Look for signs of bulk fermentation being done (more pointers in the recipe card); if ready, pre-shape dough |
| 4 pm | Final shape, put in banneton, and refrigerate overnight |
| Day 3 | |
| 7 am | Preheat Dutch oven to 450°F/230°C |
| 7:45 am | Score and bake the dough |
| 10:45 am | Let the bread cool; now, enjoy the bread! |
Ingredients
- Bread flour: King Arthur unbleached bread flour (12.7% protein) does the heavy lifting in this recipe. If your flour has a different protein percentage, you may need to adjust the amount of water.
- Whole wheat flour: Adding a touch of whole wheat flour adds nice flavor and a bit of nutrition. It also makes the starter happy!
- Active starter: You’ll need a ripe sourdough starter to leaven this dough. Make sure your starter is happy and healthy – ideally, triple in size when it’s peaked.
Related: Is My Sourdough Starter Ready to Bake With? How I Can Tell
- Warm water: You’ll want lukewarm water – water over 120°F may kill your sourdough starter. Cold water will prevent your dough from rising at a decent pace. Also, I use water straight from my faucet. I live in the country and have well water; I’ve never had any issues. However, I’ve seen others recommend using filtered water.
- Salt: I use sea salt. Just try to avoid salt with anti-caking agents.
- Italian seasoning blend: this is a total staple in our spice cabinet! It includes a mix of oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, and garlic.
- Lightly dried basil: I added this to the dough because we had it; feel free to do the same with what’s in your fridge and pantry for extra flavor. To clarify, this isn’t dried basil in a spice jar. It’s found in the produce section and lasts up to 4 weeks in the fridge. It’s basically halfway between fresh basil and dried basil.
- Colby Jack cheese: once again, this is the cheese block we had in the fridge, so I used it. This recipe would be equally delicious with other types, so customize to your taste! The only thing I ask of you is to shred your own cheese – the pre-shredded stuff won’t melt into your dough well because it has added anti-caking ingredients.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese: I don’t skimp on my parmesan cheese anymore. If you can help it, don’t use the dust in the green container – buy a real wedge of authentic parmigiano reggiano and grate it. The flavor difference is astounding. This also adds umami!
Need more inclusion ideas? Check out: 41 Sourdough Inclusion Ideas: Add-Ins You Should Try
How to Make Italian Herbs & Cheese Sourdough Bread (Video Tutorial)
This YouTube video takes you through this recipe, step by step. If you get stuck on any step in the recipe card, feel free to jump to this video to get a visual look.
Italian Herbs and Cheese Artisan Sourdough Bread
Inspired by nostalgic flavors but elevated with the tang and complexity of homemade sourdough, this Italian Herbs and Cheese Artisan Sourdough Loaf combines aromatic Italian spices, lightly dried basil, and a blend of Colby Jack and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. The result? A soft, flavorful bread with a perfectly crisp crust that’s as delicious on its own as it is stacked into a sandwich. Beginner-friendly and versatile, this recipe is ideal for anyone ready to explore the world of sourdough inclusions.
Equipment
- Oval banneton (5% off with code TSG5) | Size I'm Using: Oval – Spiral MD
- Dutch oven ($15 off with code REBEKAH15)
Ingredients
Sourdough Starter
- 12 g sourdough starter (active or discard)
- 60 g water
- 60 g bread flour (unbleached, King Arthur)
Main Dough
- 325 g water
- 450 g bread flour (unbleached, King Arthur)
- 50 g whole wheat flour (Sunrise Flour Mills)
- 120 g active sourdough starter (from above)
- 25 g water
- 10 g sea salt (Redmonds)
Inclusions
- 3 g Italian seasoning blend
- 4 g lightly dried basil
- 110 g Colby jack cheese, shredded
- 15 g Parmigiano Reggiano, shredded
Instructions
Feed Your Starter
- The night before you plan to make your dough, feed your starter. Mix together 12 g sourdough starter, 60 g water, and 60 g bread flour. This gives you a little more than you need so you don't have to scrape out every last bit from the jar (you can also feed the leftovers to maintain your starter). At this feeding ratio, your starter should peak by morning (about 10-12 hours after you feed).
Make the Dough
- In the morning, mix 450 g bread flour, 50 g whole wheat flour, 120 g active sourdough starter, and 325 g water. (This is the beginning of the bulk fermentation.) Knead the ingredients together until fully incorporated and you have a shaggy dough. Cover with plastic wrap, a shower cap bowl cover, or cloth bowl cover, and let rest for about 1 hour.Optional:Â you can opt to do an autolyse by mixing just the flours and water and letting it rest for 30 minutes, up to overnight. Then, proceed by adding your starter.
- Add 10 g sea salt and 25 g water. Dimple in and squeeze the saltwater into the flour. The dough will break up, get stringy, and feel rubbery. This is normal. Mist your counter with water and turn out the mass of dough onto your counter. Do slap and folds for 2-4 minutes, or until the dough smooths out and the saltwater is fully incorporated. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Add inclusions (3 g Italian seasoning blend, 4 g lightly dried basil, 110 g Colby jack cheese, shredded, and 15 g Parmigiano Reggiano, shredded) on top of the dough in the bowl. Stretch and fold the inclusions into the dough. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and fold the dough. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Coil fold the dough. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Coil fold the dough. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- The dough strengthening is now completed, so we wait until the dough has finished its bulk fermentation.Bulk fermentation is done when the dough is visibly larger (the exact percentage rise is not as important as the other visual signs), with bubbles all around the sides and underneath the surface. The dough should jiggle like jelly when you shake the bowl and feel light, airy, and puffy to the touch. It should be domed on the edges where the dough meets the bowl. Don’t worry about exact timing; trust these visual and tactile cues to guide you. Warmer dough ferments faster, colder dough takes longer, but slightly overproofed dough often makes better bread than underproofed. Don't be afraid to push the limits. For me, bulk fermentation took 7.5 hours; my dough was 70-72°F (21-22°C) and my home was 71°F (21.6°C), for reference.
- When bulk fermentation is done, dump out dough onto the counter. Gently pre-shape using a bench scraper to coax the dough into a tight ball. This is the end of the bulk fermentation.
- Final shape the dough using the single caddy clasp method. Flip into a floured banneton, seam-side up. Pinch the seam shut. Optional: Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes. Stitch the top of the dough to increase surface tension and cover. Put in the fridge overnight.
Score & Bake
- The next day, at any time, preheat oven to 450°F/230°C with a Dutch oven inside.
- Score the dough and place it in the preheated Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove lid and lower oven temperature to 425°F/220°C. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the top is as golden brown as you prefer. Feel free to temp the bread to ensure it is fully baked. It should be around 205-210°F (96-99°C).
- Wait for the bread to cool down, about 2 hours. Cut into the cooled bread and enjoy!!
Video
Notes
Lightly dried basil:Â To clarify, this isn’t dried basil in a spice jar. It’s found in the produce section and lasts up to 4 weeks in the fridge. It’s basically halfway between fresh basil and dried basil.
To make two loaves, simply double the recipe.
Did you make this recipe?Rate this recipe, leave a comment below, and share a photo on Instagram! Tag me @thatsourdoughgal so I can see it!
You might also want to try: The Best Jalapeño Cheddar Artisan Sourdough Bread Recipe
Conclusion
This inclusion combo is super beginner-friendly! Plus, the herbs and cheese blend is super versatile.
If you’re experimenting with adding flavors to your sourdough bread, this is one I’d start with. Save the cinnamon sugar for down the road (it’s the hardest!).
If you make this, let me know what you think. I’d LOVE to see your creations in an Instagram story! Just tag me @thatsourdoughgal.
Related:
This is the BEST Italian herb and cheese sourdough recipe!! I’ve tried quite a few but this is truly the most delicious and flavorful one!! Can’t wait to try your cinnamon sugar sourdough recipe 🙏
I love to hear that, thanks Suzanne!
Delicious!! I shaped it into two small loaves to share with my mother. So happy I tried this recipe đź‘Ť
Beautiful!
Great recipe! I made a double batch of the base and put half of it in a loaf pan before adding the inclusion to the other half. Both breads turned out great!
Turned out beautiful!! Thanks for sharing!
I can’t seem to find the dried fresh basil. Any suggestions or stores where to find it?
thanks.
I typically find this in the produce section at the grocery store!
Made this one and the cinnamon bread same day. They both are delicious. Thank you and God bless you.
Love this recipe! Thank you for sharing! I just put another loaf in to cold ferment. Can I wait a couple of days to bake or do I need to
bake next day?
You can wait a few days! The longer it’s in the fridge, the more sour/tangy the final bake will be. You will also get less oven spring. But it will be even easier on the gut. So that’s the tradeoff!
My Italian herb seasoning already has some basil in it. Should I still add the extra dried fresh basil from the produce department?
I would but it’s totally optional. The spices in this dough are super flexible and customizable!
Hi there! Can I use whole wheat Einkorn? I see you use Sunrise Mills whole wheat but I don’t have any whole wheat besides Einkorn.
I think that would work great!
Another delicious recipe! Love the flavors of the Italian Seasoning with the freshly shredded cheeses. Love the step by step instructions and pictures you always do in your recipes. Another winner!
So glad to hear it Melissa!
Have you tried freezing this bread to use at a later date? With the holidays and my busy schedule I was wondering what this would be like after frozen for a week? I like to keep an extra loaf or two in the fridge that I can just pull at in a pinch. I normally freeze plain sourdough or a cinnamon swirl with much success but I have not tried any other inclusions? Have you tried this much and what are the results you see? Thank you so much for all you do. Sincerely, Lena
Yes it freezes great!
I have made another successful loaf! I had fed my starter, but I didn’t really have a plan and landed on this recipe. I subbed in freeze dried basil and Parmesan. I used the loaf pan method, and I still think it turned out artisanal. I just followed the directions from the loaf pan page. I couldn’t be happier!
Yum, looks great!! Thanks for sharing!
This is my go to recipe. It is delicious on its own, makes great sandwiches, and is amazing for making garlic bread.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Vicki!
Looking forward to trying! Does it need to be e refrigerated?
I don’t refrigerate this bread but if you don’t plan to eat it within 2-3 days, I’d slice the whole loaf and freeze it!
I am wanting to bake this today (I’m taking it to work tomorrow to share and don’t want to have to get up at 4:00am. Do you think I can get away with a few hours in a proofing box instead of overnight in the fridge?
Yes
Thank you for putting the target internal temperature in your directions. I am new to bread baking since my starter is rarely active enough to make bread. If I had followed the time given in the directions, my bread would have been way undercooked. Maybe this is the reason all my prior bread attempts have given me gummy dense breads. Again, Thank You!
Yes, I always check the internal temperature to make sure it’s cooked through!
I made your Italian Herb and Cheese loaf today! Started at 10am yesterday, autolysed for 30 minutes, then added starter and rested for 30 minutes. 11-11:30am Added saltwater and did a bunch of good slap and folds to strengthen. Noon, I added the inclusions. 12:30 second S+F, and Coil Folds at 1pm and 1:30pm. BF until 7pm at 74F. Final shaped the dough at 7:30pm, in the fridge by 8pm. Overnight proofing in fridge from 8pm-10am. Preheated oven for 30 minutes at 475F with DO. Dropped to 450F once loaf went in for 30 minutes covered with 2 ice cubes near loaf for steam. Lowered oven temp to 425F, baked an additional 40 minutes to achieve this level of brown. Bread temp was 211F when checked. 1hr 10 minutes total bake time. It was delicious with tomato soup!❤️