Wait til you experience the delicate flavors of this delicious Maple Blueberry & Sweet Lemon Zest Sourdough Bread. It’s a lovely combination of sweet and tangy and will leave your tastebuds dancing!
This flavor combination works so well together! When playing around with these flavors, I tested out a few different ways to include the blueberries and I found that the best way was to use dried blueberries. They retained their shape when baked and didn’t leach too much of their color through the bread. I also found that using dried berries didn’t interfere with the hydration of the bread.
Serving Ideas for Sourdough Bread with Maple Blueberries and Sweet Lemon Zest
Sourdough bread with maple blueberries and sweet lemon zest is amazing served warm with good quality butter. It’s also super tasty toasted and smeared with homemade lemon curd. My personal favourite is toasting this lemony bread and topping it with ricotta then dusting with a little icing sugar and lemon juice. YUM! I’m sure you’ll find your own way of enjoying this delicious loaf!
Flavor Notes
I don’t like to overpower my recipes with dried fruits. I prefer to use less and let them really shine. As with any recipe, you can adjust the amount of blueberries to suit your personal taste. I like from 25g to 50g of blueberries.
I use the zest of a whole lemon in this recipe – you can certainly increase this if you want to. I peel the lemon and then slice the zest to get as much as I can. It’s up to you how you choose to zest your lemon.
If you want a more intense lemon flavor, you could add some lemon essential oil (please make sure you’re using organic oil that is safe to use as food). Just a few drops in the lemon zest and sugar mixture will be enough.
If you prefer a plain sourdough loaf, you’ll find a simple recipe here.
How to Make Maple Blueberry & Sweet Lemon Zest Sourdough
I like to soak the blueberries in a mixture of maple syrup and boiling water to ensure that they are plump and juicy. I let them sit while I prepare the dough and then pour the liquid off before I add them to the bread.
The lemon zest and brown sugar combine to make a jammy mixture which is added at the stretch and fold stage, along with the drained blueberries.
Baking Sourdough
If you need to create a sourdough starter (which you’ll need for this bread) you’ll find simple instructions here.
You’ll find some useful tips on improving your oven spring here.
You can also join our supportive Facebook Community – Sourdough Starters: For Beginner Bakers of Bread and Sourdough.
Wait til you experience the delicate flavors of this delicious Maple Blueberry & Sweet Lemon Zest Sourdough Bread. It's a lovely combination of sweet and tangy and will leave your tastebuds dancing!
An hour before you start mixing this sourdough, you need to prepare the blueberries and lemon zest. Put your blueberries into a small bowl and cover them with 10g of Maple Syrup and just enough boiling water to cover them. Cover with cling wrap and put aside until you need them (these can be made the day before if you want, but as long as they sit for an hour they will be fine).
Add your lemon zest to the brown sugar. Use a spoon to mash them together a little and then let them sit while you prepare the dough. The sugar will emulsify with the lemon zest and become glossy.
Weigh out your sourdough starter and water into a large ceramic or glass bowl. This recipe is based on you having an active starter that you have fed a few hours before starting your bake.
Mix the water and starter together briefly. Then add your flour and salt and mix together with the end of a wooden spoon. The dough will be fairly shaggy and only just brought together.
Cover your bowl with cling film or a damp tea towel and let it sit for around 1 hour. It's ok if it's a little longer.
After the dough has been through autolyse, you need to bring it together into a ball. You'll notice that the dough is fully hydrated after soaking up all the liquid. It will be fairly sticky but as you bring it into a ball, it will become smoother and shinier.
It's up to you whether you do this in the bowl, or on your benchtop. I find it easier to do in the bowl, but it's fine either way. If you're putting the dough on your bench top, lightly mist the surface with water first so the dough doesn't stick.
Work your way around the bowl, grabbing the dough from the outside and stretching it up and over itself until a smooth ball is formed. You shouldn't need more than 20-25 folds to form the ball, you might need less. You just need to let the dough tell you 😉
Once the dough has formed into a smooth ball, pop the cling film back on and let it rest for around 30 minutes.
Over the next few hours, you need to create some structure for you dough by stretching and folding. Aim to do around 4-6 sets of stretches and folds. For each set, stretch the dough up and over itself 4 times. You'll find it gets easier to do at each set as the gluten in your dough develops.
Around your second or third set of stretch and folds, add the drained blueberries and sweet lemon zest. Try to incorporate them without disturbing all the beautiful bubbles that will be forming in your dough. I find it's easiest to actually get your dough out of the bowl and pop it on the bench top. Add the flavors on top of the dough and gently stretch and fold the dough around them. Don't worry if they aren't all through your dough on the first add - you'll have them worked through by the last set.
Once you've finished your stretch and folds, place the cling film or damp tea towel back over your dough and let it rest and ferment. The time this takes will depend on the temperature of your home. Because you've added sugars to your dough, you may find that fermentation happens faster than a normal loaf of sourdough so try not to leave your dough unattended for too long to avoid over fermentation.
You just want your dough to double in size, no more than that.
Once your dough has finished it's bulk ferment, it's time to form it back into a ball and give it some shape and surface tension. You'll need to flour your counter top with some rice flour for this - just a light dusting, not too much!
Turn your dough onto your lightly floured surface (you'll find a silicone dough scraper makes this so easy).
Gently spread your dough out on the floured work surface and pull it up and over itself 4 times to create a tall shape. It can be a little tricky, but you want to create as much surface tension as you can as you form it into a ball. Use the sticky side of the dough to roll it onto itself and form the boule.
If you want to really increase your oven spring, you can leave the shaped dough to rest on your bench top for 30 minutes, and then repeat this step to create as much tension as you can.
Once you're happy with the shape, place your dough into your banneton or bowl, ensuring that you've liberally floured whatever you are using.
Now your dough is in it's shaping container, cover it loosely with a plastic bag or damp tea towel and place it into the fridge.
Try to leave it for a minimum of 5 hours, up to a maximum of 36 hours. The longer you leave it, the better your bread will be.
Once you're ready to bake your sourdough, you'll need to preheat your oven to 230C/450F. Place your Dutch Oven into the oven when you turn it on so that it gets hot. Try to preheat for around 1 hour to ensure your oven is super hot - but you know your oven, so just adjust this time if you need to.
Leave your dough in the fridge until the very last minute.
Now it's time to bake!
When your oven is at temperature, take your sourdough out of the fridge. Gently place it onto a piece of baking paper or parchment paper.
Gently score your bread with a lame, clean razor blade or knife. A cross is sufficient, but you can get as artistic as you like.
Carefully take your Dutch Oven out of the oven. Place the sourdough into the pot using the baking paper as a handle. Put the lid on and place into the hot oven. If you want you can spritz your dough with extra water before you put the lid on.
Bake your sourdough for 30 minutes with the lid on at 230C/450F. Set a timer so you don't forget. At 30 minutes, take the lid off and bake for a further 12-15 minutes with the lid off at around 200C/390F. Keep an eye on your bread at this stage - because it has blueberries and sugar in it, the sugar can make the top go very dark, very quickly.
I tend to turn my oven back to 200C for the last 10-15 minutes with the lid off as I don't want to caramelise the crust too much on this one. I find a lighter crust works better with the delicate lemon flavor.
Once the time has elapsed, remove your sourdough from your Dutch Oven. Turn off your oven and place the sourdough back into the oven, directly on your oven rack. Let it cool in here with the door ajar for 1-2 hours.
This will ensure that it is completely cooked through and you don't have any doughy bits.
Ingredients
Directions
An hour before you start mixing this sourdough, you need to prepare the blueberries and lemon zest. Put your blueberries into a small bowl and cover them with 10g of Maple Syrup and just enough boiling water to cover them. Cover with cling wrap and put aside until you need them (these can be made the day before if you want, but as long as they sit for an hour they will be fine).
Add your lemon zest to the brown sugar. Use a spoon to mash them together a little and then let them sit while you prepare the dough. The sugar will emulsify with the lemon zest and become glossy.
Weigh out your sourdough starter and water into a large ceramic or glass bowl. This recipe is based on you having an active starter that you have fed a few hours before starting your bake.
Mix the water and starter together briefly. Then add your flour and salt and mix together with the end of a wooden spoon. The dough will be fairly shaggy and only just brought together.
Cover your bowl with cling film or a damp tea towel and let it sit for around 1 hour. It's ok if it's a little longer.
After the dough has been through autolyse, you need to bring it together into a ball. You'll notice that the dough is fully hydrated after soaking up all the liquid. It will be fairly sticky but as you bring it into a ball, it will become smoother and shinier.
It's up to you whether you do this in the bowl, or on your benchtop. I find it easier to do in the bowl, but it's fine either way. If you're putting the dough on your bench top, lightly mist the surface with water first so the dough doesn't stick.
Work your way around the bowl, grabbing the dough from the outside and stretching it up and over itself until a smooth ball is formed. You shouldn't need more than 20-25 folds to form the ball, you might need less. You just need to let the dough tell you 😉
Once the dough has formed into a smooth ball, pop the cling film back on and let it rest for around 30 minutes.
Over the next few hours, you need to create some structure for you dough by stretching and folding. Aim to do around 4-6 sets of stretches and folds. For each set, stretch the dough up and over itself 4 times. You'll find it gets easier to do at each set as the gluten in your dough develops.
Around your second or third set of stretch and folds, add the drained blueberries and sweet lemon zest. Try to incorporate them without disturbing all the beautiful bubbles that will be forming in your dough. I find it's easiest to actually get your dough out of the bowl and pop it on the bench top. Add the flavors on top of the dough and gently stretch and fold the dough around them. Don't worry if they aren't all through your dough on the first add - you'll have them worked through by the last set.
Once you've finished your stretch and folds, place the cling film or damp tea towel back over your dough and let it rest and ferment. The time this takes will depend on the temperature of your home. Because you've added sugars to your dough, you may find that fermentation happens faster than a normal loaf of sourdough so try not to leave your dough unattended for too long to avoid over fermentation.
You just want your dough to double in size, no more than that.
Once your dough has finished it's bulk ferment, it's time to form it back into a ball and give it some shape and surface tension. You'll need to flour your counter top with some rice flour for this - just a light dusting, not too much!
Turn your dough onto your lightly floured surface (you'll find a silicone dough scraper makes this so easy).
Gently spread your dough out on the floured work surface and pull it up and over itself 4 times to create a tall shape. It can be a little tricky, but you want to create as much surface tension as you can as you form it into a ball. Use the sticky side of the dough to roll it onto itself and form the boule.
If you want to really increase your oven spring, you can leave the shaped dough to rest on your bench top for 30 minutes, and then repeat this step to create as much tension as you can.
Once you're happy with the shape, place your dough into your banneton or bowl, ensuring that you've liberally floured whatever you are using.
Now your dough is in it's shaping container, cover it loosely with a plastic bag or damp tea towel and place it into the fridge.
Try to leave it for a minimum of 5 hours, up to a maximum of 36 hours. The longer you leave it, the better your bread will be.
Once you're ready to bake your sourdough, you'll need to preheat your oven to 230C/450F. Place your Dutch Oven into the oven when you turn it on so that it gets hot. Try to preheat for around 1 hour to ensure your oven is super hot - but you know your oven, so just adjust this time if you need to.
Leave your dough in the fridge until the very last minute.
Now it's time to bake!
When your oven is at temperature, take your sourdough out of the fridge. Gently place it onto a piece of baking paper or parchment paper.
Gently score your bread with a lame, clean razor blade or knife. A cross is sufficient, but you can get as artistic as you like.
Carefully take your Dutch Oven out of the oven. Place the sourdough into the pot using the baking paper as a handle. Put the lid on and place into the hot oven. If you want you can spritz your dough with extra water before you put the lid on.
Bake your sourdough for 30 minutes with the lid on at 230C/450F. Set a timer so you don't forget. At 30 minutes, take the lid off and bake for a further 12-15 minutes with the lid off at around 200C/390F. Keep an eye on your bread at this stage - because it has blueberries and sugar in it, the sugar can make the top go very dark, very quickly.
I tend to turn my oven back to 200C for the last 10-15 minutes with the lid off as I don't want to caramelise the crust too much on this one. I find a lighter crust works better with the delicate lemon flavor.
Once the time has elapsed, remove your sourdough from your Dutch Oven. Turn off your oven and place the sourdough back into the oven, directly on your oven rack. Let it cool in here with the door ajar for 1-2 hours.
This will ensure that it is completely cooked through and you don't have any doughy bits.
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