Blueberry Sourdough Bread
The BEST blueberry sourdough bread! Soft on the inside, perfectly sweet, filled with juicy blueberries all throughout! This recipe is so easy to make with fresh blueberries and is one of my all-time favorite breads to make!
Ingredients
Sourdough Starter
- 20 g (1 tablespoon) sourdough starter
- 80 g (2/3 cups) flour
- 80 g (1/3 cups) water
Bread Dough
- 475 g (3¾ cups) bread Flour
- 25 g (3 tablespoons) whole wheat Flour (This is optional. I like to add some whole wheat for flavor and nutrition, but you can simply do 500g of bread flour insted. )
- 340 g (1⅓ cups + 1 tablespoon) water
- 100 g (½ cup) sourdough starter
- 10 g (1½ teaspoons) salt
- 150 g (1 cup) fresh blueberries. *See notes below if using frozen blueberries.
- Optional: 30g (2 tablespoons) sugar or preferred sweetener of choice, like honey or maple syrup.
- Optional: 50g (¼ cup) blueberry skins Mash whole blueberries in a strainer to remove all of the juice and pulp. Use just the remaining skins.
Instructions
Prepare your sourdough starter
- The night before, or roughly 8-12 hours before you plan on mixing the dough, feed your sourdough starter. This recipe requires 100g (½ cup) of active starter, so I always reserve about 20g (1 tablespoon) of active starter and feed it 80g (2/3 cups) flour, (1/3 cups) water. Your starter is ready when it's vigoursly bubbly, has doubled in size, and has just begun to drop down from it's peak.20 g (1 tablespoon) sourdough starter, 80 g (1/3 cups) water, 80 g (2/3 cups) flour
Day 1: Mix the Dough and First Rise (Bulk Fermentation)
- Make the dough: In a large bowl, add the water, sourdough starter, and (optional) sugar and whisk together until combined. Pour in the flour and salt and mix until a dough forms and no dry patches remain. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.475 g (3¾ cups) bread Flour, 25 g (3 tablespoons) whole wheat Flour, 340 g (1⅓ cups + 1 tablespoon) water, 100 g (½ cup) sourdough starter, Optional: 30g (2 tablespoons) sugar or preferred sweetener of choice, like honey or maple syrup. , 10 g (1½ teaspoons) salt
- First rise (bulk fermentation): Let the dough rise at room temperature for roughly 4 to 6 hours. During this time, follow Step 3, Step 4, and Step 5 to stretch and fold the dough and incorporate the blueberries. The dough is done rising once it has increased in volume by roughly 50%, has air bubbles on top, and jiggles when shaken. Depending on the strength of your sourdough starter and the temperature of your home, this may take closer to 8-10 hours to complete. It is important to not rush this step.
- First stretch and fold: Once the dough has rested for 30 minutes after the initial mixing in Step 1, perform your first set of stretch and folds. To perform one set of stretch and folds, start by splashing some water on your hands so they are damp. Grab one side of the dough with your hand, stretch it up and fold it all the way over the other side of the dough. Rotate the bowl and repeat this process with the next side. Once you've completed this process with all four sides, cover the dough and let is rest for 60 minutes.
- Add the blueberries (lamination): Spray your work surface with water and turn out your dough onto the surface. With lightly dampened hands, spread the dough as thin as you can without tearing it, until you have a rectangular-shaped sheet, roughly ¼’’ thick. Spread the fresh blueberries evenly across the dough, then add the optional blueberry skins if desired (blueberry skins add additional purple marbling to your dough without adding more water). With your hand, grab one side of the dough and fold the entire half over so that it lines up with the center of the square. Grab the other side of the dough and fold it over the first side. To form a narrow rectangle. Starting at the base, roll the dough up into a package and place it back in the bowl. Cover and let rest for another 60 minutes.150 g (1 cup) fresh blueberries. *See notes below if using frozen blueberries., Optional: 50g (¼ cup) blueberry skins
- Final two stretch and folds: Perform two more sets of stretch and folds, with 60 minutes of rest between them. Allow the dough to continue rising at room temperature until it has finished fermentation (refer to the visual cues in Step 2).
- Shape the dough: Once your dough has finished the first rise, it's time to shape. Start by lining your proofing basket and lightly dusting it with flour. Next, lightly flour your work surface and gently turn out your dough onto the surface. To shape your dough, grab the bottom side of the dough and fold it up over the middle to form a one-third fold. Next, fold the entire left side of the dough towards the center of the rectangle, and then repeat this process with the right side of the dough so that it slightly overlaps the left. Now, grab the top side of the rectangle and fold it down to the middle of the dough so that it’s just beyond the midline point. Grab the bottom of the dough and fold it over the top and flip the dough so that the entire seam is against the table. With floured hands, gently round the dough into a ball, dragging it against the work surface to tighten it up and form a nice, taught round shape. Use your dough scraper to lift up the dough and place it into the lightly floured and lined proofing basket with the seam side facing up. Here’s a great video from The Perfect Loaf showing how to shape sourdough bread. There are numerous ways to shape sourdough bread, this is just my preferred method.
- Proof the dough (second rise): Cover the dough and place it in the fridge overnight or up to 48 hours. I like to let my dough proof for at least 12 hours to develop flavor, improve the crumb, and enhance the nutrition of the bread. A long fermentation allows time for your sourdough starter to work its magic and unlock the gut healthy benefits of sourdough bread.
- Preheat oven and Dutch oven: The next morning, or whenever you’re ready to bake, place your Dutch Oven with the lid on in the oven and preheat to 500F for 30 minutes to 1 hour. It's essential that your Duch Oven is already hot when baking bread to ensure a proper rise, so don't skimp on the preheating step.
- Score the bread: Once your Dutch Oven is preheated, remove your dough from the fridge. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the dough and turn out the dough onto the parchment paper. Using a scoring tool or sharp knife, slice the bread at a 45 degree angle, cutting just below the skin that has formed on the outer layer of the dough. I typically like to do one long score across the side.
- Bake: Remove your Dutch Oven from the oven and take the lid off. Using the edges of the parchment paper, lift your dough and place it inside the Dutch oven. Add the lid and bake at 500°F for 30 minutes. Remove the lid, and contine baking for another 10 - 15 minutes. The bread is done when the crust is a nice golden brown or the internal temperature is 208°F - 210°F. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool completely (1 - 2 hours) before slicing.
- Enjoy! Enjoy your delicious blueberry sourdough bread with any of your favorite toppings. I paired mine with a delicious homemade whipped brown honeycomb butter, and it was incredible!
Notes
- This recipe uses fresh blueberries, but frozen blueberries can work too, with a few small changes. If you're using frozen, you'll need to adjust the timing of when you add them to the dough. Instead of adding the blueberries during Step 4, wait until after Step 5—once the dough has finished its first rise. This helps prevent the cold berries from slowing down fermentation. Don’t thaw the frozen blueberries, just add them straight from the freezer following the same instructions in Step 4. After folding in the blueberries, place the dough seam-side up into a lined proofing basket and move it to the fridge.