Asiago and Rosemary Italian Artisan Sourdough Loaf

First Sourdough of the year: Asiago + Rosemary Artisan Italian Loaf. Really nice crust on this one, great flavor, though I could see that one has to be careful with salt — the cheese is pretty salty. Great dipping bread with olive oil and garlic and would go great with some antipasti. Definitely one to repeat.

Ingredients
2/3 cup (160 grams) Active Sourdough starter
1/2 cup water, between 100-110F
1 large egg
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons Malt Extract
1 teaspoons table salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 cup coarsely grated (or small chop) asiago cheese

Directions
Mix the ingredients except the cheese until they come together. Using the stretch and fold technique, on the first fold, incorporate the cheese by stretching and folding the dough once every half an hour, and then let the dough rest for another half an hour. Repeat stretch-and-fold procedure every half an hour six times for a total of 3 hours.

At this point, you can put the dough in the refrigerator for a long, cold rise, or continue on below. If you choose to let the dough rise overnight, let it come to room temperature before proceeding.

Once the dough is at room temperature, place on a floured work surface. Gently stretch into a 10-inch rectangle. Fold the top of the dough to the bottom and lightly seal with the heel of the hand. Rotate the dough 90 degrees then fold the top of the dough to the bottom and lightly seal with the heel of the hand. Cup both hands around the dough and pull towards the body until the seam of the dough is on the bottom. Cover and let rest 15-20 minutes. Uncover the dough and cup with both hands. Gently push and pull the dough forwards and backwards, right and left, while applying gentle pressure to create a tight and smooth outer skin. Line a proofing basket or bowl with a clean linen, generously covered with flour. Place dough seam-side-up in the basket, cover and proof until puffy and an indentation does not spring back, 60-90 minutes.

Pre-heat your oven to 425F, with your lidded 4-5 quart oval cast iron pot inside, for at least 30 minutes. Just before you are ready to bake, invert your bread from the proofing basket onto a piece of parchment paper, score and carefully place in the Dutch Oven. Careful, it is extremely hot! Bake for 35 minutes with the lid on, and then 15 minutes with the lid off. Let cool on a wire rack before cutting. Makes a great dipping bread with garlic and olive oil.