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Pesto Mozzarella Sourdough Loaf

You know those bakes that you pull out of the oven and immediately think, “Oh, this is dangerous”? That’s this Pesto Mozzarella Sourdough Loaf. The way the garlicky pesto swirls into the tangy sourdough and the pockets of melty mozzarella turn golden and bubbly on top — it’s honestly next level. It tastes like the best parts of sourdough and cheesy garlic bread had a very delicious baby.

What You’ll Need

Before we dive in, here are the tools that make this loaf easier and more consistent for me. Use what you have, but if you’re slowly building up your sourdough toolkit, these are worth it:

Digital kitchen scale – For accurate measurements every time (no guessing with cups). I use mine daily for all my bakes. Kitchen Scale
Dutch oven – Helps create that steamy environment you need for an open crumb and shattery crust. Affordable Dutch Oven
Banneton proofing basket – Keeps your loaf supported and gives it that pretty bakery-style shape. Banneton Baskets
Bench scraper – For tidy shaping and moving the dough around without it sticking to your hands. Bench Scrapers
Bread lame for scoring – Helps you get those dramatic ear-and-bloom vibes on your loaf. My Favorite Bread Lame

Ingredients

325 grams water
100 grams active sourdough starter
2 Tbsp pesto
15 grams salt
500 grams bread flour
1 cup fresh mozzarella

Step-by-Step Instructions

Don’t worry if you’re newer to sourdough — I’ll walk you through each part. Take your time, trust the dough, and remember: even if it’s not “perfect,” it’s still going to taste incredible.

Mix the dough. In a large bowl, mix together the 325 grams water, 100 grams active sourdough starter, 2 Tbsp pesto, 15 grams salt, and 500 grams bread flour until a shaggy dough forms. Lightly knead for about 2 minutes, just until everything is mostly combined. The dough will look a bit rough at this stage, and that’s totally fine.
Let it rest. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 1 hour. This rest (also called the autolyse, if we’re being fancy) helps the flour hydrate and makes the dough easier to work with.
Stretch, fold, and add the cheese. Perform 4 sets of stretch and folds, 30 minutes apart. After the first stretch and fold, gently incorporate the 1 cup of mozzarella into the dough, tucking it in as you fold. It might feel a little messy, but the cheese will distribute as you go.
Bulk ferment. Let the dough bulk ferment for 3–5 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size, is no longer sticky, and pulls away from the bowl easily. Go by how it looks and feels more than the clock — warmer kitchens will move faster, cooler ones will need more time.
Shape and cold proof. Lightly flour your work surface and use a bench scraper to help you shape the dough into a tight round or oval. Place it seam-side up in a floured banneton basket. Cover and cold proof in the fridge for at least 2 hours (or longer — overnight works great and gives even better flavor).
Preheat your oven. When you’re ready to bake, place your Dutch oven (with the lid on) into the oven and preheat to 450°F. Give it at least 30 minutes to get ripping hot — that heat is what helps create a gorgeous rise in the first few minutes of baking.
Score the loaf. Carefully turn your dough out onto a piece of parchment, seam-side down. Using a sharp bread lame, score the top of the loaf with a confident slash (or a simple cross). This gives the dough room to expand in the oven.
Bake. Using the parchment as a sling, carefully lower the dough into the hot Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and bake for 25 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the loaf is a deep golden brown and your kitchen smells like cheesy, pesto-y heaven.
Cool (yes, really). Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and let it cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. This part is torture, I know, but it lets the crumb set so you don’t end up with a gummy interior.

Pro Tips

Weigh everything. Using a digital kitchen scale keeps your dough consistent every single time. With sourdough, even small changes in flour or water can affect how easy the dough is to handle, so grams beat cups here.
Use your fridge as a flavor booster. A long cold proof in a banneton basket not only makes the dough easier to score, it also deepens the sourdough flavor and gives the pesto and mozzarella time to mingle with the dough.
Score with confidence. A sharp bread lame and a bold, quick slash will give you that dramatic ear and help the loaf expand up (instead of out). Don’t overthink it — one clean cut is often all you need.

Let Me Know If You Try It

I’m so excited for you to try this Pesto Mozzarella Sourdough Loaf. It’s one of those bakes that feels fancy enough for guests but cozy enough for a weeknight soup-and-bread situation. If you make it, let me know how it goes in the comments — and tag me on social so I can see your gorgeous loaves and cheer you on!