Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 400 g strong white bread flour (at least 12.5% protein content)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- 240 ml water
- 160 g active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
- 150 g fresh blueberries
- Zest of 2 lemons
Instructions
- Feed the Starter: First thing in the morning, feed your sourdough starter and leave it in a warm place (21-27°C), loosely covered, for 4 hours until it doubles in size. This ensures your starter is active and ready for baking.
- Autolyse: Before the starter peaks, mix the flour and water in your stand mixer for 1-2 minutes until a dry-ish shaggy dough forms. Cover with a damp towel and let it hydrate for 30-60 minutes to develop gluten naturally.
- Mix the Dough: Sprinkle salt and sugar over the hydrated dough, then add the active sourdough starter. Mix on medium speed for 10-15 minutes until smooth and elastic. This builds dough strength for fermentation.
- Bulk Fermentation & Coil Folds: Transfer the dough to a large bowl, cover, and rest for 30 minutes at 21-27°C. Perform coil folds by lifting and tucking the dough over itself every 30 minutes, four times total, to develop gluten further and improve dough structure.
- Laminating with Mix-Ins: Wet a large work surface, stretch out the dough gently. Sprinkle one-third of the blueberries and lemon zest over the center, fold one side over, repeat layering and folding using all the blueberries and zest to laminate them evenly throughout the dough.
- Finish Bulk Fermentation: Place the laminated dough back in the bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1-3 hours until noticeably puffed, watching closely as the sugar accelerates fermentation.
- Shaping and Cold Retardation: Turn the dough onto a floured surface, fold the corners into the center, then round the dough by tucking under with a bench scraper to create surface tension. Place dough seam side up in a well-floured banneton, cover and refrigerate for 12-36 hours for a slow second rise.
- Preheat Dutch Oven and Score: On day two, preheat your oven to 240°C with the Dutch oven inside until very hot. Remove dough from fridge, invert onto parchment paper, dust with flour, and score deeply at a 30-45º angle to allow for expansion and create a sourdough ear.
- Bake the Bread: Remove Dutch oven lid, carefully place dough with parchment into the pot, cover, and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid, reduce heat to 200°C, and bake uncovered for 20 minutes until golden brown.
- Cool: Remove bread from Dutch oven using parchment paper, transfer to a wire rack, and cool completely at room temperature before slicing to preserve crumb texture and flavor.
Notes
- Ensure your sourdough starter is active and bubbly before mixing dough for best rise and flavor.
- Using fresh blueberries prevents excessive moisture that can weigh down the dough.
- Rice flour is recommended for dusting bannetons to avoid dough sticking.
- Cold retardation in the fridge enhances sourdough flavor development and improves crust color.
- Be careful when scoring to achieve a clean slash for an attractive loaf shape.
- Allow the bread to cool fully before slicing to avoid gummy texture inside.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes (plus starter feeding and overnight refrigeration)
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Artisan, Western
- Diet: Vegetarian
