Description
Homemade lemon blueberry cream cheese sourdough bread delivers tangy sweetness with creamy texture. Bakers will savor Mediterranean-inspired flavors that complement fresh seasonal ingredients you can enjoy with morning coffee or afternoon tea.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup active sourdough starter
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (240 ml) filtered water
- 1/2 cup (113 g) room temperature cream cheese
- 1/4 cup (84 g) honey or sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 1 tsp (5 g) salt
Instructions
- Activate the sourdough starter 8-12 hours before bread preparation, ensuring it’s bubbly and vigorous.
- Combine flour and salt in a spacious mixing vessel, creating a dry foundation for the bread.
- Whisk water, honey, lemon zest, and cream cheese until achieving a silky, uniform consistency, then gently fold into the flour mixture.
- Knead the dough thoroughly, ensuring all dry ingredients are fully integrated and no flour pockets remain.
- Tenderly fold fresh blueberries into the dough, distributing them evenly without crushing the delicate fruits.
- Allow the dough to ferment at ambient temperature for 4-6 hours, watching for significant volume expansion and notable bubbling.
- Once risen, delicately transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a smooth, taut round loaf.
- Place the shaped loaf into a proofing basket, covering to prevent surface drying, and let rest for an additional 1-2 hours.
- Position a Dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 450°F (230°C) for optimal heat absorption.
- Carefully transfer the proofed loaf into the scorching Dutch oven, score the top with a sharp blade for controlled expansion.
- Bake covered for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and continue baking for 15-20 minutes until achieving a deep golden-brown crust.
- Remove from oven and allow the bread to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
- Always use fresh, ripe blueberries to prevent them from breaking and bleeding color throughout the dough during mixing.
- Gently fold blueberries into the dough at the end of mixing to maintain their shape and prevent bruising.
- Consider freezing blueberries for 15-20 minutes before adding them to the dough to help them stay intact during mixing and baking.
- If you’re gluten-sensitive, substitute regular flour with a gluten-free blend designed for bread baking to make the recipe more accessible.
- Prep Time: 13 hours (or up to 20 hours)
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 190 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg