Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Bread (Printer-friendly)

A tangy-sweet sourdough loaf with fresh blueberries and lemon sugar, perfect for brunch or breakfast sharing.

# Required Ingredients:

→ Dough

01 - 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 0.25 cup granulated sugar
03 - 0.5 teaspoon fine sea salt
04 - 0.5 cup active sourdough starter, fed and bubbly
05 - 0.5 cup whole milk, lukewarm
06 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 0.25 cup unsalted butter, softened

→ Filling

08 - 0.5 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

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sourdough starter, lukewarm milk, and eggs. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, then mix in the softened butter. Knead by hand or with a stand mixer for about 7 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
02 - Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let rise at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours, or overnight, until doubled in size.
03 - In a small bowl, mix the sugar and lemon zest until fragrant.
04 - On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 12 by 18 inch rectangle. Brush with melted butter. Evenly sprinkle the lemon sugar over the dough and scatter blueberries on top.
05 - Cut the dough into six 3-inch wide strips. Stack the strips on top of each other, then cut into six even squares. Arrange the squares vertically, cut sides up, in a greased 9 by 5 inch loaf pan.
06 - Cover and let rise for 1 to 2 hours until puffy.
07 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. If browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
08 - Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove to a wire rack. Whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice for the glaze, then drizzle over the warm bread before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The dough uses active sourdough starter, giving you that tangy complexity without any commercial yeast fussiness.
  • It's a pull-apart loaf, so everyone at brunch gets their own perfect portion with all the filling layers exposed.
  • The lemon-sugar filling is bright enough to wake you up but balanced enough to pair with morning coffee or champagne.
  • Most of the work happens while you sleep, making it feel like you barely tried even though you'll look like a baking genius.
02 -
  • Your sourdough starter timing is everything—if it's not at peak activity (roughly doubled and bubbly), your bread won't rise properly, so feed it and wait 4–8 hours before using.
  • Cutting and stacking the dough strips feels counterintuitive, but this is what creates the pull-apart magic; don't skip it or arrange them differently or you'll just have a regular loaf.
  • Frozen blueberries actually work better than fresh in this application because they stay intact during all the cutting and stacking instead of bursting and creating wet spots.
03 -
  • Make extra lemon zest and freeze it in ice cube trays with a little water—future you will thank you for zest on hand whenever you need it.
  • If you want to bake this on a schedule, you can refrigerate the dough after the first rise and use it the next day; just let it come to room temperature before shaping, which adds flexibility to your baking timeline.
Go back