Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Bread

Why This Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Bread Is a Family Favorite

This lemon blueberry sourdough bread has become an obsession in our kitchen. When I started working on this recipe, I wanted to make sure it had just enough sweet to allow the blueberries and lemon to really shine without feeling like a dessert. The result is a perfectly balanced, sit-down-and-take-a-moment slice of sourdough. It’s made with simple ingredients, relies on a strong active sourdough starter, and uses time to build flavor. This loaf has a moist crumb, balanced lemon zing, and concentrated blueberry flavors that feel fresh without being overwhelming. I can’t wait for you to try it!

For in-depth instructions on making sourdough bread, check out The Best Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe.

When I first tested this loaf, I sliced into it while it was still warm (because I was impatient). At that point, I didn’t think it had enough flavor. But as the bread cooled on the wire rack, something changed. The lemon flavor became brighter, the sweet blueberries came forward, and everything settled into a beautifully balanced loaf. Not too sweet, not too tangy, and absolutely perfect with butter or cream cheese.

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Why Lemon and Blueberry Work So Well in Sourdough

Sourdough naturally brings complexity to bread, which makes it a great base for citrus and fruit. Lemon zest adds aroma and brightness without making the bread sour. Blueberries add sweetness, but how you use them matters.

For best results, this is one loaf where it’s important to avoid fresh blueberries. Fresh berries are full of water, and those juicy blueberries tend to burst during mixing and bulk fermentation. That extra moisture can throw off hydration, weaken structure, and lead to gummy pockets in the crumb. Fresh blueberries also bleed color into the dough, creating streaks and uneven fermentation.

Using dried blueberries instead makes a huge difference. They slowly rehydrate during the fermentation process, giving you concentrated blueberry flavors without excess moisture. The dough stays strong, the crumb bakes evenly, and the finished loaf slices cleanly.

I ordered THESE DEHYDRATED BLUEBERRIES off Amazon, and I think they’ll be a recurring purchase for us!

Mixing the Dough

This is an easy recipe in terms of technique, even though it relies on a longer fermentation. Everything starts in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. A Danish dough whisk or even a wooden spoon works well if you prefer mixing by hand. Personally, I like to use my hands to really get a feel for the dough.

The wet ingredients, water and active sourdough starter, are combined first, followed by the dry ingredients. SO your bread flour, white sugar, salt, and lemon zest. I like to toss my lemon zest with my flour and sugar before adding it to the wet ingredients so that it is evenly distributed without clumps. We’ll add the dehydrated blueberries during the first stretch and fold.

As the dough comes together, you’ll notice it pulling away from the sides of the bowl and forming a shaggy but cohesive mass. Your dough doesn’t need to be beautiful at this stage! Gluten starts forming when water and flour mix, so the goal is to make sure that all the flour is hydrated.

After mixing, the dough is left for a short 30-minute rest. This rest allows the flour to fully hydrate and makes the dough easier to handle during the next steps.

Stretch and Folds to Build Structure

What does it mean to build structure? As gluten develops in our dough, it helps to create a strength that allows your dough to stretch and hold air pockets as it rises. When we bake our bread, we end up with a beautifully tall loaf and perfect crumb. Structure is built gently through a series of folds. The first set of stretch and folds happens after the rest, followed by 2 additional sets spaced about 30 minutes apart.

To do this, dump your blueberries on top of your dough then start with one side of the dough. Grab the edge of the dough working with wet hands, and stretch it up, about a foot out of the mixing bowl. Stop pulling if you feel like the dough is about to break. Fold the dough back over the blueberries and press it into itself. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat this process three more times.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and allow your dough to rest at room temperature for thirty minutes. You will perform this series of stretch and folds twice more every thirty minutes. Each time you’ll notice that the dough becomes a little smoother and more pliable and the blueberries become evenly distributed. By the last time you’ll have a beautiful and supple dough.

Laminating Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Bread

Laminating sourdough is a completely optional but easy step that can add strength to your dough and help to distribute your inclusions. I like to laminate my dough an hour after my final stretch and fold when my dough is nice and elastic, and easy to work with.

Laminating sourdough is a gentle technique that involves stretching the dough out thin on a lightly floured surface and then folding it back onto itself, almost like folding a letter. After the dough has had its first few stretch and folds and an hour rest, it’s turned out onto a lightly floured work surface and carefully stretched from the center outward until it forms a thin, even sheet. I like to gently spread it out until I can see the counter through the dough. The dough is then folded from the left side toward the middle, followed by the right side, and repeated from top to bottom before being returned to the bowl.

Laminating sourdough is especially helpful when working with inclusions like lemon zest or dried blueberries because it distributes them evenly throughout the dough without tearing or overworking it. In this way it’s ideal for lemon blueberry sourdough bread. It also builds additional strength and structure, helping the dough trap gas more effectively during fermentation, which leads to a better rise, a more open crumb, and a loaf that bakes up balanced and consistent from edge to center.

Bulk Fermentation: Knowing When It’s Ready

Bulk fermentation for this loaf takes 6-10 hours at room temperature. Rather than watching the clock, it’s better to watch the dough itself. You’re looking for a good rise, bubbles forming under the top of the dough, and a dough that jiggles slightly when the bowl is shaken.

Bulk fermentation is complete when the dough feels full of air, releases cleanly from the bowl, and no longer sticks to your fingers. This stage is key to achieving a light, moist crumb.

Shaping and Cold Proof

Once bulk fermentation is finished, the dough is turned out onto a lightly floured work surface. Shape your dough according to your preference. After shaping, place your dough seam side up into a banneton basket or lined proofing basket that has been dusted generously with flour.

Cover the basket with a tea towel or plastic wrap and transfer it to the refrigerator for a long cold proof. An overnight rest deepens flavor, improves structure, and makes scoring much easier.

Baking in a Dutch Oven

Place a Dutch oven or a heavy-lidded pot in the oven and preheat it to 475 degrees. Baking your lemon blueberry sourdough bread in a preheated hot Dutch oven or heavy-lidded pot will trap moisture during the beginning half of your bake. This keeps the crust from forming before the bread has a chance to fully rise in the oven. It also allows for a crisper, more artisan crust.

When you’re ready to bake your bread, you’re going to lay out a piece of parchment on the counter and dust it lightly with flour. Flip your bread out onto the parchment so that the seam is facing down. Now you can score the top of the dough with a sharp knife however you like. Feel free to experiment with detailed and artistic cuts, but you will want to make sure you score it once from top to bottom, about 1/4 inch deep, to ensure that your loaf doesn’t “pop.”

Note: I recently purchased this reusable baking mat for a Dutch oven to use in place of parchment paper and I absolutely love it! It’s so easy to place your dough into the pot and remove it without parchment tearing!

Carefully remove the pot from the oven and use the parchment as a sling to place the dough carefully into the pot. Replace the lid and bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to bake for 15-25 more minutes. I always use an instant read thermometer to make sure that my bread is baked to 200 degrees. The loaf should be golden brown in color and feel light when you remove it from the pot. Enjoy the bright lemon fragrance mixed with freshly baked bread!

Cooling, Slicing, and Serving Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Bread

After baking, the loaf should cool completely on a wire rack. Cutting your bread too soon can tear your bread affect texture, so I encourage you to be patient! As it cools, the lemon flavor sharpens and the blueberries become more pronounced.

Slice with a sharp knife and enjoy with butter, cream cheese, or even a drizzle of maple syrup. This bread also makes excellent French toast!

Storage and Enjoyment

Store lemon blueberry sourdough bread in an airtight container or wrapped in a plastic bag at room temperature for a couple of days. It also freezes well, especially when sliced first.

This loaf has become one of my favorite things to bake! It’s such a pleasant surprise and a crowd pleaser. If you’re looking for a new loaf of bread to try, I’d definitely recommend giving this one a try! Let us know how your family enjoys it! Happy Baking!

Below you’ll find a baking schedule for Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Bread:

Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Bread

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Ingredients

  

• 100 grams active sourdough starter 1/2 cup
• 350 grams water scant 1 1/2 cups
• 500 grams bread flour 4 cups
• 100 grams sugar 1/2 cup
• 12 grams salt
• Zest of 1 lemon
• ½ cup dehydrated blueberries

Instructions

 

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the water and sourdough starter and stir until mostly dissolved. Add the bread flour, salt, lemon zest, and sugar. Mix until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains.
• Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
• Perform the first set of stretch and folds by adding the dehydrated blueberries on top of the dough, then lifting one side of the dough and folding it over the blueberries and itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat until all sides have been folded. Cover and rest 30 minutes. Repeat for a total of three stretch and folds, resting 30 minutes between each set. The blueberries will become more incorporated with each set of stretch and folds.
• About one hour after the final stretch and fold, laminate the dough by gently stretching it out on a lightly floured surface into a thin rectangle. Fold the dough back onto itself and return it to the bowl.
• Allow the dough to continue bulk fermenting at room temperature for a total of 6–10 hours from the start of fermentation. Bulk fermentation is complete when the dough is airy, slightly domed, jiggles when the bowl is shaken, and no longer sticks to your fingers.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a round loaf. Place seam-side up into a floured banneton or proofing basket.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F with a Dutch oven inside. Turn the dough out onto parchment paper, score the top, and carefully place it into the hot Dutch oven.
• Bake with the lid on for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and bake an additional 10–15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 200°F.
• Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.