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a loaf of sliced blueberry bread with a small hand reaching in grabbing one slice

Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Bread Recipe

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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 1/2 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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Cover dough and place in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
  4. 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 1/4 turn and repeat. Do this with all 4 corners of the dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
  5. After 30 minutes, add 1/4 of the blueberries to the top of the dough and perform one stretch and fold. Add another 1/4 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.
  6. Shape dough into a ball and cover again for 30 minutes.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. See blog post for step-by-step photos: For a batard, fold top 1/4 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.
  11. Place into a floured banneton basket seam side up. Pop any larger bubbles and pinch seam together as needed. 
  12. Dust top lightly with flour, cover, and place in refrigerator overnight.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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!
  • Author: anita | wild thistle kitchen
  • Prep Time: about 24 hours
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Category: sourdough, bread
  • Method: sourdough, baking
  • Cuisine: American

Find it online: https://wildthistlekitchen.com/lemon-blueberry-sourdough-bread/