Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Bread Recipe

Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Bread Recipe

Bake the Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Bread Recipe for a tangy, berry-packed loaf full of bright lemon and soft blueberry pockets.

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time70 minutes
Yield1

Ingredients

Instructions

Step 1: Mix the water, lemon and starter

In a large mixing bowl add the measured water and the bright, acidic lemon juice, then spoon in the active sourdough starter and gently stir until the starter is fully suspended in the liquid. Work calmly and deliberately — you want a cohesive, slightly cloudy mixture that smells faintly tangy and citrusy, the first whisper of the loaf taking shape.

Step 2: Brighten the sugar with lemon zest

Rub the lemon zest and sugar together between your fingers until the oils perfume the sugar and it blooms with citrus aroma. This simple aroma lift will infuse the dough with tiny citrus pockets; set this fragrant sugar aside in a small ramekin or jar ready to be incorporated.

Step 3: Combine dry and wet into a shaggy dough

Add the flour and salt to the bowl with the liquid and sprinkle in the lemon-scented sugar. Use a spatula to bring the flour in, folding and turning until no dry streaks remain — the dough should be shaggy, tacky and uneven with visible streaks of flour and bright flecks of lemon zest distributed throughout.

Step 4: Autolyse and first stretch-and-fold

Let the dough rest, covered, for 30 minutes. After resting, dampen your hand and perform a gentle set of stretch-and-folds to build gluten: lift, stretch and fold the dough over itself a few times, then cover and leave to relax. This is the quiet building stage where structure begins to form.

Step 5: Add blueberries and continue bulk fermentation

About 30–60 minutes later, gently fold in the blueberries, coaxing them into the dough so they nestle without bursting — perform another set of stretch-and-folds, cover, and leave the dough on the counter to ferment at room temperature until it rises about 75% and shows doming and side bubbles.


Step 6: Shape into a taut boule

When the dough is puffy, bubbly and domed (roughly 10–14 hours depending on your starter and room temperature), turn it out onto the unfloured painted surface, flip it over and gently spread into a chubby rectangle. Fold the bottom up to build tension, bring the sides in over the middle, then pull the top down and roll to tighten; cup and rotate while sliding toward you until you have a smooth, taut round ball. Place the shaped dough seam-side up in a well-floured banneton or a floured bowl with a towel and cover to retain moisture.

Step 7: Cold retard in the fridge

Transfer the covered banneton to the refrigerator for an overnight cold retard of about 8 hours, up to 48 hours. The slow chill deepens flavor and firms the dough for a cleaner bake day.

Step 8: Prepare for a hot bake

When ready to bake, preheat a heavy Dutch oven in your oven to 450°F (do not show any ovens in the imagery). Have a sheet of parchment ready and gently invert the chilled dough onto the parchment so the seam is now on the bottom and the top is exposed.

Step 9: Score and bake to golden

Using a sharp lame or knife, score the top with confident cuts to allow an open ear. Bake in the preheated Dutch oven with the lid on for 25 minutes to trap steam, then remove the lid and continue baking another 10–15 minutes until the crust is deep golden-brown and crisp; the loaf should sound hollow when tapped and reach about 205°F internal.

Step 10: Cool, rest and enjoy

Transfer the hot loaf to a cooling rack and let it rest at least two hours to finish cooking and set the crumb — although if you can’t resist, slice a warm piece and enjoy the tender crumb, blueberry pockets and the subtle lemon brightness.


Notes