Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Bread (Printable)

A tangy-sweet loaf combining sourdough, fresh blueberries, and lemon zest for a bright, flavorful start.

# Ingredient List:

→ Dough

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
04 - 1/2 cup active sourdough starter, fed and bubbly
05 - 1/2 cup whole milk, lukewarm
06 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

→ Filling

08 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
09 - 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
10 - 1 cup fresh blueberries
11 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

→ Lemon Glaze

12 - 1 cup powdered sugar
13 - 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

# Directions:

01 - In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together sourdough starter, lukewarm milk, and eggs. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients, then mix in softened butter. Knead by hand or with stand mixer for 7 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
02 - Cover dough with plastic wrap or damp towel. Let rise at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours, or overnight, until doubled in size.
03 - In a small bowl, mix sugar and lemon zest until fragrant.
04 - On lightly floured surface, roll out dough into 12x18-inch rectangle. Brush with melted butter. Evenly sprinkle lemon sugar over dough and scatter blueberries on top.
05 - Cut dough into six 3-inch wide strips. Stack strips on top of each other, then cut into six even squares. Arrange squares vertically with cut sides up in a greased 9x5-inch loaf pan.
06 - Cover pan and let rise for 1 to 2 hours until puffy.
07 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. If browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil for last 10 minutes.
08 - Let cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove to wire rack. Whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice for glaze. Drizzle over warm bread before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The pull-apart format means everyone gets their own portion without needing to slice, which somehow makes breakfast feel like an occasion.
  • Your kitchen will smell like a lemon grove mixed with fresh bread, and that aroma alone is worth the overnight rise.
  • It's forgiving enough for a medium-skill baker but impressive enough to make you feel like you know what you're doing.
02 -
  • Don't skip the overnight rise—rushing it will give you dense bread instead of those pillowy layers that make this special.
  • If your sourdough starter isn't actively bubbling and at its peak when you use it, your bread will rise slower and taste less tangy, so feed it and wait for the magic before starting.
  • Frozen blueberries should never be thawed because they'll leak their color and juice everywhere, but straight from the freezer they'll stay intact and surprise you with bursts of flavor.
03 -
  • Zest your lemons before juicing them, because trying to zest a juice-squeezed lemon is frustrating and yields almost nothing.
  • If your dough feels too sticky after mixing in the butter, resist the urge to add more flour—trust the process and keep kneading, because sourdough dough is naturally wetter than regular bread dough.
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