Lemon-Blueberry Sourdough Bread

Artisan style Sourdough Bread filled with Lemon zest and Blueberries!

Savory sourdoughs get all the hype, but have you tried a sweet one? They are amazing breakfast toasted with a slab of butter or honey. My FAVORITE thing to do with the bread is to make French toast! What a dreamy brunch it makes.

This bread does take time, but it is well worth the wait and the food you get with it for the rest of the week. I use a Dutch oven to achieve the best loaf and use a the preheat method. I find that it gets the best crust. The reason a Dutch oven is the perfect vessel, and my method of choice is it creates steam within the pan. It makes a tall, moist center and crunchy perfect ears on the crust!

You will need a sourdough starter to achieve the perfect loaf. If you do not have one already here is my recipe, and note it takes 6 days to make the starter- Sourdough Starter

Equipment

• Dutch Oven

Ingredients

• 3 cups bread flour or AP Flour plus, more for dusting.
• 1 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 1/4 cups of water
• 1/2 cup sourdough starter See inside post for my recipe.
• 1/3 cup blueberries, sliced
• 1 lemon zested
• 1 tbsps. sugar

You will also need…

• parchment paper
• 3 ice cubes
• lame, razor, or sharp knife.

Instructions

1. Combine the flour and water in a large bowl.
2. Mix and let it sit (Autolyse) for 1 hour.
3. After 1 hour, add salt and starter. Mix and fold until smooth.
4. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes.
5. Stretch the dough and fold for a few minutes, cover and then rest for another 30 minutes.
6. Another 2 rounds of stretch and folds. Covering and resting for 30 more minutes each time.
7. Now we will carefully stretch the dough out into a rectangle. Get it as flat and even as possible.
8. Mix the lemon zest and sugar together.
9. Sprinkle on the lemon zest mixture and blueberries.
10. Now fold one end over.
11. Then carefully fold/roll that into the middle. Now fold in the last part, kind of like folding a piece of paper.
12. Roll/fold from one end to the other making a ball of dough.

Bulk Fermentation

• Cover and let it rise at room temperature for 8 hours.
• After 8 hours it should have increased by 50% in volume. There may be some bubbles, and it will jiggle a bit too. If it has not doubled in size let it sit for a few more hours.

Shape

• Lightly flour the work surface and carefully pour the dough onto the counter using a scraper.
• Gently shape into a round dough ball.
• Stretch the side up and down into the center, turning as you go. Repeat until you have made a full circle. Pinch dough together in the center.
• You can use a scraper to push and pull to create tension.

Rest

• Let the dough rest seam side up for 30 minutes.
• Prep the proof basket with the dough rest. If you have a flour sack leave it in the bowl.
• Dust the bowl with flour all over the bowl.
• After the rest, push and pull with the scraper and place the dough into the proofing bowl seam side up.
• Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Cold proof

• Make sure the basket is well covered. Refrigerate for 24- 30 hours. You can go up to 48 hours.
• When ready to bake preheat the oven to 550°F Put the Dutch oven and lid into the oven.
• While that warms tear a strip of parchment paper to fit your Dutch oven. Place over the basket and flip over onto the paper.

Score

• Now score any way you choose. A simple X works or plays with different designs.
• Carefully pick up the parchment paper and lower into the Dutch oven. Drop 3 ice cubes in the Dutch and put on the lid. (Ice cubes add steam to the baking)

Bake

• When ready to bake preheat the oven to 550°F Put the Dutch oven and lid into the oven.
• Place it in the oven, lower the temperature to 450°F. Bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake for 10-15 minutes more.
• Pull out the parchement with the bread loaf and let it rest for 1 hour before slicing.

Storing

• After cutting and if you have leftovers, wrap in plastic wrap or if you have a food saver that will keep it fresh too. It will last for 3-4 days.