Sourdough Blueberry Bread

blueberry sourdough bread is a delicious and refreshing take on traditional sourdough bread, infused with the flavors of zesty lemon and juicy blueberries.

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

100 grams sourdough starter active
365 grams bread flour
240 grams filter water
10 grams salt
125 grams blueberries
2 lemons zested
Rice flour to dust the banneton

Instructions

Make the initial dough:

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. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
Once the dough has rested, add the blueberries, lemon zest. Gently fold the blueberries and lemon zest into the dough.

Bulk Fermentation:

Perform six sets of stretch and fold at an interval of 30 minutes. With wet hands, grab a portion of the dough and slowly stretch it taking care not to break it, and fold it towards the center over the dough. Keep turning the bowl and repeat the process until all parts of the dough is covered. Carefully flip the dough and round it up. This completes one set of stretch and fold. Repeat this process six times at an interval of 30 minutes.
Let the dough sit for bulk fermentation until it is almost double and has bubbles on the top. This may take 3-4 hours depending on the ambient temperature.

Shaping and cold fermentation:

Dust round or oval bannetons well with rice flour.
Flip the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
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.
Cover the dough loosely and place it in the refrigerator overnight for cold fermentation and final rise.

Bake the lemon blueberry sourdough bread:

The following morning, place the Dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 450 F (230 C) for 45 minutes.
Once the oven is preheated, take the dough out of the fridge. Flip it onto a parchment paper or baking sheet.
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.
Place it back in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Take the lid off the Dutch oven and bake for another 15 minutes.
Turn off the oven and keep the door ajar. Let the bread sit in the oven for 15 minutes for curing.
Cool completely, slice, and serve.

Notes

All of the blueberries may not be incorporated in the first go, and that is fine. They will be incorporated as you do the stretch and folds. Just tuck the blueberries back into the dough if they pop on the surface. See here for more tips on how to handle sourdough with add-ins.

I have made this sourdough with bread flour, but you can choose any flour – for example, a combination of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour or multigrain flour.

The night before you plan to make the dough, take the starter from the fridge and feed it in a 1:1:1 ratio of starter:flour:water. Click here to see how to activate the sourdough starter.