Blueberry Sourdough Bread

Sliced loaf of artisan bread with a golden crust and visible blueberries, arranged on a white plate.

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This Blueberry Sourdough Bread is bursting with juicy berries, bright lemon zest, and just the right amount of sourdough tang. It’s soft, chewy, and crusty all at once. Basically everything you want in a loaf with a fruity twist.

Prep Time1

Cook Time40

Fermentation Time12

Total Time13 40

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Servings: Slices

Calories: 126kcal

Author: Wendy

Equipment

kitchen scale
dutch oven
Mixing Bowl
Bench scraper
Dough scraper
Bread proofer
A bread lame or a razor blade to score the dough
Oven mitts
cooling rack
Bread knife

Ingredients

100 grams sourdough starter active fed within 4 hours
365 grams bread flour
240 grams filtered water
10 grams salt
125 grams blueberries
1 large lemon zested 2 small lemons
Additional Flour for dusting

Instructions

Make the dough (40 min):

In a large mixing bowl, combine the active sourdough starter with salt and water until it is fully incorporated.
Slowly add the flour and mix well, making sure there are no dry bits of flour.
Cover with a cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Once the dough has rested, add the blueberries and lemon zest.
Gently fold the blueberries and lemon zest into the dough.

Stretch and Fold Process (3 hours):

Perform a set of stretch and folds every 30 minutes for 3 hours:
Use a little water to wet your hands, grab a portion of the dough and slowly stretch it, taking care not to break it.
Fold it towards the center over the dough. Keep turning the bowl and repeat the process until all parts of the dough is covered. This completes one set of stretch and fold.
Repeat this process six times at an interval of 30 minutes.

Bulk Fermentation (3-4 hours):

Let the dough sit for bulk fermentation until it is almost doubled and has bubbles on the top. This may take 3-4 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.

Shaping and cold fermentation:

Dust round or oval bannetons well with (AP or Rice) flour.
Flip the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
To Shape: Pick one side of the dough and fold it to the center.
Pick the other side and fold it to the center.
Now hold the dough gently and tuck it to form a log.
Carefully place the dough seam-side up on the banneton. (This will be helpful to flip it out for baking)
Cover the dough loosely and place it in the refrigerator overnight for cold fermentation and final rise (6-12 hours).

Bake the bread:

After the cold fermentation, place a Dutch oven into the oven and set it to preheat to 450 F (230 C) for 45 minutes.
While the oven is preheating, take the dough out of the fridge and let sit until you're ready to bake (45 mins).
Flip it out of the banneton onto parchment paper.
Score the dough using a blade or sharp knife.
Carefully take the Dutch oven out of the oven.
Place the scored dough along with the baking paper into the hot Dutch oven and immediately close the lid (tucking in any parchment sticking out)
Place it back in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the lid from the Dutch oven and bake for another 15 minutes.
Let the bread stay in the pot for 15 min before removing.
Cool completely on a wire rack, slice, and serve.

Notes

This can be made with either frozen or fresh blueberries. Fresh blueberries should be washed and patted dry before use. Frozen berries need to be thawed out at the top of the recipe, drained and tossed in flour to keep them from sinking during baking.

Nutrition