If you’re craving bakery-level sourdough with bright lemon zing and juicy blueberries, you’re in the right place. These three recipes hit different vibes—classic, swirled, and muffin-tin quick—so you’ll always have an option that fits your schedule. Expect crisp crusts, plush crumb, and pockets of sweet-tart joy. Ready to make your kitchen smell like a pastry shop?
1. Classic Bakery-Style Blueberry Lemon Sourdough Boule
This is your showstopper loaf: crackly crust, soft interior, and bursts of blueberry with fragrant lemon. It’s perfect for brunch or a “wow” moment at dinner. The overnight rise builds flavor without making you babysit the dough.
Ingredients:
- 350 g bread flour
- 100 g whole wheat flour
- 325 g water (room temp)
- 90 g active 100% hydration sourdough starter
- 9 g fine sea salt
- 180 g fresh blueberries (or frozen, unthawed)
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 20 g granulated sugar (optional, for a lightly sweet crumb)
- 15 g lemon juice
- Rice flour for dusting the banneton
Instructions:
- Autolyse the dough: In a large bowl, mix bread flour, whole wheat flour, and water until no dry bits remain. Cover and rest 45 minutes. This gives you a head start on gluten and makes the dough easier to handle.
- Mix in the starter: Add the sourdough starter and squeeze it into the dough until fully incorporated. Rest 20 minutes. The dough should feel smoother already.
- Add salt, sugar, zest, and lemon juice: Sprinkle over the dough and pinch/stretch to combine. Do not add blueberries yet. Rest 10 minutes.
- First set of stretches: Perform 3–4 sets of stretch-and-folds over 1 hour, every 15 minutes. Keep your hands damp. The dough will strengthen and feel bouncy.
- Gently add blueberries: After the last fold, scatter blueberries over the dough and perform gentle coil folds to tuck them in without smashing. If using frozen, work quickly.
- Bulk ferment: Cover and let rise at 75–78°F until puffy and ~50–60% larger, 3–4 hours (timing varies with starter strength and room temp). If it’s cool, extend the time. Look for bubbles along the sides of the bowl.
- Pre-shape and bench rest: Lightly flour your surface, tip out the dough, and pre-shape into a loose round. Rest 20 minutes, uncovered.
- Final shape: Shape into a tight boule, being gentle so you don’t crush the berries. Dust a banneton with rice flour and place the dough seam-side up.
- Cold proof: Cover and refrigerate 10–16 hours. This slows fermentation and deepens flavor. Also makes scoring easier.
- Preheat and bake: Place a Dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 475°F (245°C) for 45–60 minutes. Turn the dough onto parchment, score a bold slash, and load it into the hot pot.
- Steam bake: Bake covered for 22 minutes. Reduce to 450°F (232°C), uncover, and bake 18–25 minutes more until deeply golden with a blistered crust.
- Cool completely: Let the loaf cool at least 90 minutes before slicing. The crumb sets and the blueberries won’t smear. Yes, waiting is hard. Worth it.
Serve thick slices with salted butter and a swipe of lemon curd or cream cheese. For a dessert vibe, drizzle with honey and sprinkle a little flaky salt. Variation: add 1 tsp vanilla to the dough for a bakery-style aroma, or swap blueberries for blackberries when they’re in season.
2. Lemon-Sugar Swirl Sourdough With Bursting Blueberries
Think of this as sourdough meets breakfast pastry. You roll lemony dough with a citrus-sugar filling, then tuck in blueberries so every slice has jammy pockets. It’s stunning toasted and makes the house smell outrageous—seriously.
Ingredients:
- 380 g bread flour
- 40 g spelt flour (or more bread flour)
- 300 g water
- 85 g active 100% hydration sourdough starter
- 8 g fine sea salt
- Zest of 3 lemons, divided
- 200 g blueberries
- 20 g olive oil (or melted butter), for the dough
- 15 g lemon juice
- Rice flour for dusting
Ingredients for the Lemon Sugar Filling:
- 60 g granulated sugar
- 20 g light brown sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp ground cardamom (optional but fabulous)
- 20 g softened butter
Instructions:
- Make the dough: Combine flours and water until shaggy. Rest 40 minutes. Add starter, salt, 2/3 of the lemon zest, olive oil, and lemon juice. Mix until smooth, about 3–4 minutes by hand.
- Strengthen the dough: Do 3 sets of stretch-and-folds over 45 minutes. The dough should become elastic and hold shape.
- Bulk ferment: Let rise at 75–78°F until airy and slightly domed, 2.5–4 hours. You want a gentle lift, not a balloon.
- Prepare the filling: Mash granulated sugar, brown sugar, remaining zest, and cardamom with softened butter until sandy and aromatic.
- Roll and fill: Lightly flour the counter. Roll the dough into a 12×16-inch rectangle. Spread the lemon sugar in a thin, even layer. Sprinkle blueberries evenly, leaving a 1-inch border on one long side.
- Form the swirl: Roll up tightly from the opposite long side toward the clean border, trapping the berries. Seal the seam by pinching. Rest seam-side down for 10 minutes.
- Shape and proof: Coil the log into a spiral and place seam-side down in a well-floured 9-inch banneton or cake pan lined with parchment. Cover and proof at room temp 45–75 minutes, or refrigerate 8–12 hours for extra flavor.
- Bake: Preheat to 425°F (218°C). If you have a Dutch oven, bake covered 15 minutes, then uncover and lower to 400°F (204°C) for 20–25 minutes until deep golden. If baking on a sheet, bake at 400°F for 30–35 minutes with a pan of hot water on the rack below for steam.
- Cool and glaze (optional): Cool 45–60 minutes. Drizzle a quick glaze of 60 g powdered sugar + 1–2 tbsp lemon juice for a glossy finish.
Slice thick and toast lightly. Spread with mascarpone or Greek yogurt and a little lemon honey. Pro tip: if blueberries threaten to leak, dust them with 1 tsp cornstarch before rolling to trap juices. FYI, day two slices make elite French toast.
3. Weeknight No-Knead Mini Loaves (Or Muffin-Tin Sourdough)
No stand mixer, no long waits, no stress. These cute minis deliver sourdough flavor fast, with crisp edges and jammy blueberry pockets. Bake in a muffin tin or mini loaf pans—perfect for breakfast meal prep or sharing.
Ingredients:
- 300 g bread flour
- 40 g whole wheat flour
- 270 g water
- 80 g active 100% hydration sourdough starter
- 8 g fine sea salt
- 160 g blueberries
- Zest of 1–2 lemons
- 25 g honey or sugar
- 15 g neutral oil (for the tin)
- Optional: 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions:
- Mix and rest: Stir flours, water, starter, salt, honey, lemon zest, and vanilla (if using) in a bowl until just combined. It will look rough—good. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
- Fold in blueberries: Gently fold in blueberries with a spatula. Don’t over-mix or you’ll streak the dough purple (unless you’re into that).
- Quick bulk rise: Let the dough rise at warm room temp 60–90 minutes until slightly puffy. You’re not chasing a full double here.
- Prep the tin: Lightly oil a 12-cup muffin tin or 4 mini loaf pans. For extra insurance, line with parchment strips.
- Portion: Use a damp spoon to scoop the sticky dough evenly into cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Smooth tops with wet fingers.
- Proof: Rest 30–45 minutes until the dough relaxes and puffs. Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C) during this time.
- Bake with steam: Place a small tray with hot water on the rack below. Bake muffins 16–20 minutes or mini loaves 22–28 minutes until golden with crisp edges and an internal temp of ~205°F (96°C).
- Cool: Let sit 10 minutes, then remove to a rack. Cool at least 20 minutes to set the crumb. Try not to inhale them immediately. Try.
Serve warm with lemon butter (soft butter + lemon zest + pinch of salt) or a swipe of cream cheese. For crunch, sprinkle tops with turbinado sugar before baking. IMO, these freeze like a dream—wrap individually and reheat in a toaster oven.
Three vibes, one obsession: blueberry lemon sourdough that tastes like weekend sunshine, any day of the week. Pick your lane—classic boule, swirled showpiece, or fast minis—and let your kitchen do its happy dance. Now go grab those lemons and blueberries, and bake something you’ll brag about, trust me.
