This Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Bread recipe is like sunshine in a sourdough loaf. A soft, bubbly, naturally-leavened dough is flavored with lemon zest and vanilla bean (my special touch!), packed with juicy fresh blueberries, and baked to golden brown perfection. Your family will go wild for this fresh, unique twist on a classic artisan sourdough loaf.
This recipe is an adaptation of my classic Artisan Sourdough Bread Recipe. To that base recipe I added lemon sugar, vanilla bean paste, and fresh blueberries to create this stunning loaf. This became such a huge hit with my family and friends when I was testing the recipe. As you can see in the photo above, my three-year-old couldn't resist stealing some while I was photographing so I recruited him to be my hand model before he ran off with a slice. I'm amazed he was able to stand still long enough for me to capture these photos!
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Ingredients
As with all sourdough loaves, this one starts with just flour, water, salt, and active sourdough starter plus a few extras (sugar, lemon zest, vanilla bean paste, and fresh blueberries) to transform it into a gorgeous lemon blueberry loaf.
The sugar is added to sweeten the dough as well as make it softer. Also, the lemon zest is rubbed into the sugar to extract as much lemon flavor as possible. I use this same technique in my Triple Lemon Sourdough Scones and it really does enhance the lemon flavor. To add another layer of flavor, I decided to add one of my signature and favorite ingredients: vanilla bean paste. You could use vanilla bean powder, extract, or the seeds from a whole vanilla bean instead of the paste.
Instructions with Step-by-Step Photos
I really like to provide detailed instrucitons in my recipes and over the years it has become one of those things I'm really known for and that my readers have thanked me for so many times. I do plan to upload a video for this one as well, but for now, here are the detailed step-by-step instructions and photos of the whole process.
The Dough Making Process and Stretch and Folds
TIP: Whenever you are resting your dough, try to place it in a warm spot such as in a proofing box, in your oven with the light on, or on top of your dryer if its running (yes, really!). This helps speed up fermentation and creates a milder flavor in the finished bread. You can even place it outside if it's in the 75-80 degree F range.
Rub lemon zest into sugar until very fragrant
Mix all dough ingredients except blueberries until a shaggy dough forms. Rest for 30 minutes.
Perform first set of stretch and folds. Rest another 30 minutes
Top dough with a handful of blueberries.
Fold blueberries inside by performing first stretch and fold.
Add another handful of blueberries on top of dough.
Fold blueberries into dough by performing second stretch and fold.
Add third layer of fresh blueberries to top of dough.
Fold blueberries into dough by performing third stretch and fold.
Add fourth layer of fresh blueberries to top of dough.
Perform fourth stretch and fold.
Shape dough into a ball, scrape down sides of bowl if needed. Cover and rest dough for 30 minutes.
Next, you'll perform another round of stretch and folds but this time you will not add any more berries. I'm not showing photos for this as it is exactly the same process as the photos above. Cover and rest another 30 minutes.
Final Coil Fold, Final Rise, and Shaping
After 30 minutes perform a gentle coil fold. Cover and let dough rise by 50-75%. This only took about 2 hours in my 71ish degree kitchen.
Dough will be jiggly, light, and domed. The sugar speeds up rising especially in the warmer months so keep a close eye on it.
When dough has completed its rise, dump onto lightly floured surface and stretch gently into a large rectangle.
Fold top of dough down toward yourself.
Start at the top and fold all sides in to create a tight bundle.
Starting at the top, roll dough gently but firmly toward yourself to form a loaf shape.
Very gently pull the dough along your work surface to create a bit of tension.
Lift dough and place in a floured banneton basket seam side up. Pop any large bubbles and pinch seam together as needed.
Dust top lightly with flour, cover, and place in refrigerator overnight.
Scoring and Baking
I found that a delayed score around the seven minute mark worked best for this bread due to the added moisture from the sugar and blueberries. You do not have to follow my advice, and can simply do a traditional score before baking but you may not get as much of an oven spring.
When Dutch oven has preheated, place cold dough onto parchment or silicone baking mat.
Place in hot Dutch oven and bake with lid on for 7 minutes. Remove from oven and very carefully score the dough with a razor blade or very sharp knife. Cover and return to oven for 20 more minutes.
After 20 minutes remove lid and continue baking for 20 minutes or until internal temp is around 210 degrees F. Tent with foil to prevent heavy browning if desired.
Allow loaf to cool to room temperature before slicing for best texture. Though it's incredibly delicious warm with really good salted butter so I won't judge you if you break the rules and tear right into it.
Storage and What to do with Leftovers
Once cooled, store in a glass cake stand or a bread storage bag. Because of the moisture from the fresh blueberries, I recommend eating as much as you can fresh within the first two days, and then slicing and freezing any leftovers. I actually made a berry bread pudding with my leftover test subjects and it was so good! I think it would also make great French toast.
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Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Bread Recipe
This Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Bread is like sunshine in a sourdough loaf. A soft, bubbly, naturally-leavened dough is flavored with lemon zest and vanilla bean (my special touch!), packed with juicy fresh blueberries, and baked to golden brown perfection. Your family will go wild for this fresh, unique twist on a classic artisan sourdough loaf.
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 1 large loaf
Ingredients
36 grams or 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
zest from two lemons, about 2-3 tablespoons or 8 grams (but a little more is fine!)
100 grams peaked sourdough starter, about ½ cup
350 grams water, at room temperature, about 1.5 cups
18 grams or 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
480 grams bread flour, about 4 cups
10 grams salt, about 2-3 teaspoons depending on the salt you use
1 pint of fresh blueberries, about 2 cups
Instructions
- First make the lemon sugar by combining sugar and lemon zest in a bowl and rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingertips for a minute or so until you notice the sugar becoming slightly damp and yellow and the mixture becomes very fragrant with lemon.
- Next combine starter, water, and vanilla bean paste in a large mixing bowl and stir well to combine. Next add flour, salt, and lemon sugar mixture and mix until a shaggy dough forms. You aren't kneading it here, just making sure no dry patches of flour remain.
- Cover dough and place in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes perform a set of stretch and folds. If you imagine your dough has 4 corners, you'll grab one corner and pull it up and over the dough. Turn the bowl ¼ turn and repeat. Do this with all 4 corners of the dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, add ¼ of the blueberries to the top of the dough and perform one stretch and fold. Add another ¼ of the berries on top again and perform 2nd stretch and fold. Repeat two more times for a total of 4 berry additions and 4 stretch and folds. See photos above in blog post for a visual guide.
- Shape dough into a ball and cover again for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes perform another round of stretch and folds, this time you will not be adding more berries. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes perform one gentle coil fold. To do this you will wet your hands and lift up in the center of the dough so that one side stretches up and releases from the bowl. Lay the dough back down so the dough folds under itself in a coil. Repeat this on the opposite side and then on the other two sides of dough. It may not be very stretchy so don't force it. Even if you can only do two sides it will be fine.
- Cover dough and let rise by 50-75% (just shy of doubling). It will be jiggly, you may see some air bubbles, and it will be domed on top. You do not want this dough to rise to 100% (double in size) as it will easily over-ferment due to the sugar in the dough. It may still be a little sticky simply because of the moisture from the sugar and blueberries - that's ok. Gently release the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape into desired loaf shape. Use flour as needed to prevent stickiness.
- See blog post for step-by-step photos: For a batard, fold top ¼ of dough down toward yourself and gently press down. Starting at the top, fold sides in to create a tight bundle. Again, starting at the top, roll dough toward yourself to form a loaf shape. Very gently pull the dough along the work surface to create some tension. *For a boule or round loaf, shape dough into a ball as instructed in this video.
- Place into a floured banneton basket seam side up. Pop any larger bubbles and pinch seam together as needed.
- Dust top lightly with flour, cover, and place in refrigerator overnight.
- Baking: When ready to bake, preheat oven to 450 with lidded Dutch oven inside. When oven has preheated for 30 minutes, turn cold dough out onto parchment or silicone dough mat. Place in hot Dutch oven, cover, and bake for 7 minutes. Remove lid and carefully score dough right down the middle with a razor blade or very sharp knife. Cover and return to oven for 20 more minutes.
- After 20 minutes remove lid and continue baking for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and internal temp of 210 is reached. If you feel the bread is browning too much on top, tent with parchment or foil.
- Allow loaf to cool to room temperature before slicing for best texture. Though it's incredibly delicious warm with really good salted butter so I won't judge you if you break the rules and tear right into it.
Notes
- Once cooled, store in a glass cake stand or a bread storage bag. Because of the moisture from the fresh blueberries, I recommend eating as much as you can fresh within the first two days, and then slicing and freezing any leftovers.
- Use the leftovers to make French toast, French toast casserole, or berry bread pudding!
- Prep Time: about 24 hours
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: sourdough, bread
- Method: sourdough, baking
- Cuisine: American
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