Yummy Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Bread
Sometimes I have a package of fresh blueberries that need to be used up. This yummy lemon blueberry sourdough bread is the perfect way to use them up and create something truly amazing!
This lemon blueberry sourdough bread is truly special, and while some similar flavor loaves may taste ok, this one has an elevated flavor from using lemon zest, a bit of sugar and flour that allows the sweetness of the lemon to stand out, and allows it to also stay in the bread where it belongs.
I do not use lemon juice in this bread. Lemon zest is actually where you get the best flavor so that is what I use. Lemon zest has a higher concentration of flavor. Add a bit of sugar to it and you’ll have the best lemon flavor! The sweet blueberries compliment the lemon so well and are sooo good in this bread.
TOOLS YOU’LL NEED
Some tips for preparing for making this recipe
- Have a strong active starter
- Use fresh lemon zest
- Piece of parchment paper. I prefer to use parchment when baking with inclusions.
- Use a good bread flour with a higher protein percentage
- I like to use fresh blueberries as they do not melt and weep into the dough like frozen ones will. But you can use either. Keep in mind, frozen ones will add extra water to your dough which can be kind of messy.
- Make sure when you add inclusions to completely seal the seams of the bread to prevent leakage of the juices.
- A banneton basket ( proofing basket) makes it easy to cold proof in the fridge overnight.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
Amazing Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Bread
Make this amazing easy lemon blueberry sourdough bread! Its an easy step by step recipe sharing how to add the inclusions easily. The loaf tastes sweet, lemony with that subtle blueberry flavor!
Ingredients
- 625 grams bread flour about 4 cups
- 100 grams active sourdough starter about 1 cup
- 10 grams salt about 1 3/4 teaspoon
- 450 gram water about 1 1/2 cup
Inclusions
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries I prefer fresh. If you use fozen, add them while they are still frozen
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp all purpose flour
Instructions
- To begin this bread, you need to set aside about 1 hour at least to take the time to knead and let the dough rest. The rest of the time will be more passive time.
- This recipe only has a small amount of active effort. You need to let the dough sit and take its time. You also need to plan time for this bread. It needs at least 12 hours in the fridge and at the least 3 on the counter.
- What I like to do is to start this dough in the afternoon around 1. I can get all the kneading in by 1:30 and then it needs some rest time. After that it will be sitting in the fridge overnight.
- Take your sourdough start, water and flour and put them in a large mixing bowl. Use a wooden spoon or dough spoon to mix the ingredients together.
- It will begin to be too sticky and dense to manage with a spoon. Let this sit for one hour. This is the autolyse stage. Once the hour has passed you will add the salt and let it sit another 30 minutes.
- Now you will do your first stretch and fold or coil fold. There are two different options. You can stretch and fold which means you pull the dough up from one corner and stretch it and then fold it over the top fo the dough, rotate and do the same action 4 times for the dough.Coil fold is where you lift the dough from underneath with two hands, pulling the dough up and then folding it down in half on itself as you let it back down. I You then rotate the bowl and repeat this 3 more times rotating the bowl each time.`
- Let the dough rest another 30 minutes and repeat the coil fold or stretch and fold. (having wet hands makes this so much easier)
- Repeat this 3 -4 more times. You can do it up to 6 times.
- Once you are at this point you will notice the dough has a very different texture and should be very jiggly.
- Once it had doubled in size, its time to shape your dough and prepare it for the fridge! This will make one large loaf or two smaller loaves.
- You are now going to add your inclusions (lemon and blueberres). In a small bowl add the lemon zest, sugar and flour. Stir until it is all combined. I like to mix with my hand and crush the zest into the sugar. This will help infuse the sugar with the lemon. The flour will help to prevent from the sugar mixture from melting out of the bread. It will help it stay in the bread.
- Spread your dough into a large triangle. Make sure not to make it too thin, as you dont want to rip the dough. Sprinkle your blueberries evenly on the dough, about 2/3 of them. Now add 2/3 of your lemon sugar mixture. Sprinkle it evenly. Fold the dough into thirds. On the first third, add more blueberries and lemon mixture.Now fold the other third over the blueberries etc. Carefully roll up the dough. Carefully begin turning the dough as you pull it towards you. You cant to form a ball. This will give the surface of the dough the tension it needs. Do this carefully so you dont rip through the first layer of dough. This can happen often with inclusions.
- Place your shaped dough into a banneton or bowl with a floured towel or paper towel inside. You can use a regular large mixing bowl, but it is recommended to use a bread banneton basket. Take the dough and lift it up, flip it over and put the finished side of the dough down into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and use a rubber band to secure the plastic wrap around the bowl.
- Put the bowl in the fridge and let it sit in there for at least 12 hours. You can go as far as 24 hours.
- When you are ready, take the bowl out of the fridge and let the dough sit on the counter for about an hour. I like to let the oven preheat to 450 degrees while this is happening. Put your dutch oven in the oven to preheat with the oven. You want your pan to be hot.
- Lay out some parchment paper, and take the dough gently out of the bowl and flip it over so the smooth side of the dough is on top. Lay it on the parchment paper
- Cut some slits or designs in the dough to allow for more of a rise. I like to make a swirl. You can use a scoring lame or a sharp knife.
- Immediately take your hot dutch oven out of the oven and take hold of the parchment paper with the dough. Put it inside the dutch oven and carefully place the lid on and put it in the oven to bake.
- If you want, you can add a couple ice cubes on the outside of the parchment paper between the pan and the paper. This will give the crust a bubbly surface and allow more of a rise!
- Bake the dough for 35 minutes. Check around 30 minutes and see if it is done. Tap it, it should feel hollow. You can take the top off of the pan and let it bake if the top is not golden brown. Cook with the top off for another 15-20 minutes.
- Take it out of the oven when it is done and let it cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.
- Slice and eat as is, add butter or even add a sweet compound butter like a cinnamon honey butter.
- Store in a bread bag.
Nutrition
Serving: 3gCalories: 176kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 5gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 261mgPotassium: 59mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 12IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 0.5mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
I love the way those pieces of lemon zest pop inside the bread. The yellow with the dark purple is so striking and it tastes amazing.
More Sourdough Recipes
Tips & Tricks
- Bulk fermentation can take anywhere from 3-8 hours depending on the room temperature of your space, how active your sourdough starter is and how much starter you use.
- I do not add my lemon and blueberries during the stretch and folds. I add it ehen I laminate the dough after it has bulk fermented.
- Place your dough seam side up in the banneton, so that when you lay it out to bake, the top of the dough will be the finished side.
Enjoy this as an afternoon snack, make french toast with it, drizzle some lemon glaze on it. There are so many ways to eat this.
MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST!
Don’t forget to pin this for later!
