National Cheese Day, celebrated annually on June 4th, is dedicated to appreciating the vast diversity of cheese, from its flavors and textures to its cultural significance. It’s an opportunity for enthusiasts to explore new varieties, host cheese-tasting parties, create sourdough charcuterie cheese boards, bake with cheese, and share cheese facts and recipes on social media.

In this post, we’ll delve into the heart of a regional specialty perfect for cheese lovers: Harz hand cheese and aromatic caraway sourdough bread. We’ll explore the distinctive qualities of this pungent cheese and the warm, spicy notes of caraway, and even offer a sourdough recipe for crafting your own flavorful caraway bread. This recipe will guide you through bringing this authentic German experience to your table, inviting you on a flavorful journey where the sharp taste of aged cheese meets the satisfying tang of homemade sourdough, crafting an unforgettable culinary moment.

Harz Roller Cheese

Nestled amidst the rolling hills of Central Germany’s Harz Mountain region, a culinary tradition as distinct as its landscape has flourished: Harz hand cheese caraway bread. This pairing isn’t merely a combination of ingredients; it’s a taste of history, a harmonious blend of strong, earthy flavors cherished for generations. The region’s moist caraway bread, often baked with the pungent Harz Roller—a local hand cheese known for its potent aroma and intense flavor—offers a unique twist. Caraway seeds, traditionally added to aid digestion, enhance the bread’s character, making it a perfect accompaniment to sausage or a simple, satisfying Butterbrot.

Harz Cheese Caraway Bread Recipe

This pairing, a blend of intense, earthy flavors, showcases caraway bread baked with pungent Harz Roller Cheese contrasts and complements this hand cheese’s robust taste, making it ideal with sausage or a simple Butterbrot.

Ingredients:

Levain

Autolyzed dough:

  • 1 1/4 heaping cups (190 g) bread flour
  • ½ cup+ 2tsp (130 ml) water

Main dough:

  • All of the Levain
  • All of the autolyzed dough
  • ½ heaping cup (80 g) rye flour
  • 1 heaping cup (130 g) bread flour
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
  • 1 tsp (5 g) salt
  • 1Tbsp (12 g) caraway seeds
  • 1 cup(100 g) Harz Roller cheese (or another strong cheese), grated or cubed

Directions:

  1. Levain: combine the rye and wheat flour with the water and sourdough starter and allow this to ferment overnight.
  2. Combine bread flour and water, mixing by hand and allowing it to autolyse for 20 minutes.
  3. Mix all of the levain with the autolysed bread flour and water into a medium-firm dough.
  4. Add the cheese and caraway and mix them into the dough
  5. Allow the dough to ferment for eight or more hours.
  6. Shape the dough into an oblong bâtard and let it rest in a proofing basket for 30 minutes while the oven is preheating.
  7. Preheat the oven to 480°F (250°C) with a water-filled steam tray.
  8. Reduce the temperature to 410°F (210°C) and bake for 45–50 minutes or until the internal temperature is 205°F (95°C).