Decades ago I spent a summer working in a bread bakery in my hometown of Austin, Texas. One of the loaves they made was a corn bread—not the quick, baking-powder type, but a yeasted loaf made with cornmeal. That memory inspired me to try bringing some cornbread character into my favorite sourdough. I set out to create a sourdough discard loaf featuring cornmeal, sharp cheddar, and jalapeño. The recipe is still evolving, but the initial results were so promising I wanted to share them now.
This loaf is leavened entirely with discard starter. For background on working with a discard starter as the sole leavening agent, see the original Country Loaf with Discard Sourdough Starter post by the same author. In this variation I made a few adjustments to help gluten development despite the added cornmeal. Cornmeal particles can be coarse and interrupt gluten formation, so instead of mixing cornmeal directly into the flour, I cooked it into a small porridge and laminated it into the dough along with the jalapeño and cheddar. I also performed a true autolyse before adding starter to encourage extensibility.
Because I worried the jalapeño or cheese might scorch, I baked the loaf a bit hotter at first, then reduced the temperature: 20 minutes covered at 475°F, then 25 minutes uncovered at 425°F. Previously I used chilled water for discard starter loaves to slow bulk fermentation during a workday, but now that I work from home I used room-temperature water, which sped things up.
The finished bread had a softer, slightly lighter crust than my usual loaves, and it sliced beautifully. The aroma while baking was irresistible. I enjoyed it plain with salted butter, as creamy avocado toast, and alongside black bean soup—each pairing highlighted the cornmeal and cheddar notes.
A few caveats: my final dough hydration was very high—likely near 90%—because of the water in the autolyse, the additional water added with starter and salt, and the moisture contributed by the cornmeal porridge, cheddar, and jalapeño. With the amounts I used, the dough became extremely soft and difficult to shape; I managed a gentle boule, and after refrigeration it scored and baked well. If you prefer easier handling, reduce the water and use the lower end of the suggested porridge amount.
Sourdough Discard Loaf with Cornmeal, Cheddar, and Jalapeño
A savory discard-starter loaf with southwestern flavors: cornmeal porridge laminated into the dough, plus sharp cheddar and jalapeño.
Ingredients
For the bread:
- 230–240 g spring or bottled water room temperature; divided
- 270 g bread flour
- 30 g whole wheat flour
- 30 g discard sourdough starter
- 6 g table or fine sea salt
- 65–75 g cornmeal porridge (see below)
- 1 medium jalapeño seeded and finely chopped
- 56 g extra-sharp cheddar shredded
For the cornmeal porridge:
- 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal (medium grind recommended)
- 1/4 cup boiling water
- 1 cup water
- dash salt
Instructions
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In a large, wide mixing bowl combine 210 g spring water with the bread and whole wheat flours. Mix until no dry flour remains. Cover and let rest 1–2 hours for a full autolyse.
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While the dough autolyses, prepare the cornmeal porridge. In a small bowl combine the cornmeal with 1/4 cup boiling water and let it sit 10 minutes to soften. Transfer to a small saucepan with 1 cup water and a dash of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool.
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Add the discard starter and 10–15 g spring water to the autolysed flour, incorporating with hands or a bowl scraper. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
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Add the salt and another 10–15 g spring water, work until incorporated, then cover and rest 20 minutes.
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Lamination: Turn the dough onto a work surface and stretch into a large rectangle. Spread 65–75 g of cooled cornmeal porridge evenly over the dough. Sprinkle the chopped jalapeño and shredded cheddar on top and press lightly so they adhere. Fold the dough in thirds like a letter, rotate 90°, press and stretch into a larger rectangle, and fold again. Repeat one more time. Transfer the folded dough to a covered bulk rise container and rest 30 minutes.
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Stretch-and-folds: After 30 minutes perform the first stretch-and-fold. Repeat every 30 minutes for 3–4 more times (4–5 total). Then let the dough rise undisturbed until it has increased 50–60% in volume, which may take 6–12 hours depending on room temperature.
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Preshape gently, dust with flour, cover with a tea towel, and rest 15–20 minutes. Shape the loaf as desired (boule or batard), place in a well-floured banneton, cover, and refrigerate overnight (preferably 12+ hours).
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Preheat the oven to 475°F with a cast-iron Dutch oven or similar baking vessel inside.
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When ready to bake, flour the dough top, turn the loaf onto parchment, and score as desired. Place the loaf in the preheated vessel, cover, and bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, reduce oven temperature to 425°F, and bake another 25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
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Remove the loaf and cool completely before slicing.
Recipe Notes
Use spring or bottled water if your tap water is heavily chlorinated, as chlorine can inhibit wild yeast activity. If your tap water is fine, you can use it.
Quantities for water and cornmeal porridge are given as ranges. I used the higher amounts and achieved a very soft, high-hydration dough that was tricky to shape but produced a delicious loaf. For easier handling, use the lower end of the ranges.
I used bread flour to support gluten development with the cornmeal addition; unbleached all-purpose flour should also work in many cases.
For additional background on working with discard starter as the sole leavening agent, consult the original “Country Loaf with Discard Sourdough Starter” post by the same author for technique tips and troubleshooting.