Lemon blueberry cream cheese sourdough

• Overall Difficulty: Intermediate

• Active Prep Time: 45 minutes

• Inactive Proofing Time: 12-16 hours

• Baking Time: 45-50 minutes

• Total Time: 13-17 hours

• Yield: 1 large loaf

Equipment You’ll Need

• Digital Kitchen Scale (highly recommended)

• Mixing Bowls

• Bench Scraper

• Banneton Proofing Basket

• Dutch Oven

• Parchment Paper

• Small bowl for mixing filling

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Ingredients

For the Sourdough Base:

• 500g Bread Flour

• 350g Water (room temperature)

• 100g Active Sourdough Starter

• 10g Fine Sea Salt

• Zest of 2 large Lemons

• 150g fresh Blueberries (tossed in 1 tbsp of flour to prevent sinking)

For the Cream Cheese Filling:

• 200g full-fat Cream Cheese, softened

• 50g Granulated Sugar

• 1 large Egg Yolk

• Zest of 1 large Lemon

• 1 tbsp fresh Lemon Juice

• ½ tsp Vanilla Extract

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Instructions

Day 1: Evening Prep (The Autolyse & Mix)

1. Combine Flour and Water (10:00 PM – Example): In a large bowl, combine the 500g of bread flour and 350g of water. Mix with your hands or a spatula until no dry bits remain. The dough will be shaggy. Cover the bowl and let it rest (this is called the “autolyse”) for 1 hour. This allows the flour to fully hydrate and makes the dough easier to work with.

2. Incorporate Starter and Salt (11:00 PM): Add the 100g of active sourdough starter and 10g of salt to the dough. Use wet hands to pinch and fold the ingredients into the dough until they are fully incorporated. The dough will be sticky and slack.

3. Bulk Fermentation & Coil Folds (11:15 PM – 7:00 AM): Over the next 6-8 hours (depending on your kitchen’s temperature), you will perform a series of “coil folds” to build strength in the dough.

   • First Set: 30 minutes after mixing, perform your first set of coil folds. Wet your hands, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over the center. Repeat for all four “sides” of the dough.

   • Second & Third Sets: Perform 2-3 more sets of coil folds, spaced 30-45 minutes apart. After the final set, let the dough rest undisturbed for the remainder of the bulk fermentation. It should look puffy, have bubbles on the surface, and have increased in volume by about 30-50%.

Day 2: Morning Assembly & Baking

1. Laminate and Add Inclusions (7:00 AM): Gently pour the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using wet hands, gently stretch the dough into a large rectangle. Sprinkle the floured blueberries and lemon zest evenly over the surface. Fold the dough over itself like a letter, envelope-style, to incorporate the berries. Be gentle to avoid crushing them.

2. Shape the Dough (7:15 AM): Let the dough rest for 20 minutes on the counter. Meanwhile, prepare your cream cheese filling by beating all the filling ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth.

   • Lightly flour your work surface and turn the dough out. Gently press it into a rectangle.

   • Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the center of the rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides.

   • Roll the dough up tightly, like a cinnamon roll, pinching the seam closed. Then, shape it into a tight boule (round) or batard (oval).

3. Final Proof (7:45 AM): Generously flour your banneton. Place the shaped dough, seam-side up, into the banneton. Cover it with a plastic bag or shower cap and place it in the refrigerator for a cold proof for 4-12 hours. This develops flavor and makes the dough easier to score.

4. Preheat and Bake (4:00 PM): Place your Dutch oven, with the lid on, into your oven and preheat to 450°F (230°C). Let it preheat for at least 45 minutes.

   • Carefully remove the dough from the fridge. Place a piece of parchment paper over the banneton and flip it over to turn the dough out onto the parchment.

   • Score the top of the dough with a sharp lame or razor blade. A simple deep slash down the center works well.

   • Carefully transfer the dough (using the parchment as a sling) into the screaming hot Dutch oven. Put the lid back on.

5. Bake (4:45 PM):

   • Bake with lid on: 30 minutes. This creates a steamy environment for a great oven spring and crispy crust.

   • Bake with lid off: 15-20 minutes. This allows the crust to deepen in color and become perfectly crisp.

   • The loaf is done when it has a deep, golden-brown crust and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. An internal temperature of 208-210°F (98-99°C) is ideal.

6. Cool (5:30 PM): This is the hardest but most crucial step! Transfer the loaf to a wire cooling rack and let it cool completely for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Cutting into it while warm will cause the steam to escape and make the crumb gummy, especially with the moist filling.

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/12th of loaf)
Calories: 285
Total Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g
Cholesterol: 30mg
Sodium: 350mg
Total Carbohydrates: 47g | Dietary Fiber: 2g | Sugars: 9g
Protein: 8g

Note: Nutritional information is an estimate and may vary based on specific ingredients used and precise slice size.

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Chef’s Notes & Tips for Success

• Starter Vitality: Ensure your sourdough starter is active, bubbly, and has at least doubled in volume after a feeding before you use it.

• Berry Management: Coating the blueberries in flour is a simple trick that helps suspend them in the dough, preventing them from all sinking to the bottom.

• Filling Leakage: A small amount of filling may leak out during baking; this is normal. Ensure your seams are well-pinched to minimize this. Placing a baking sheet on the rack below your Dutch oven can catch any drips.

• Customize It: Feel free to add a simple lemon glaze (powdered sugar + lemon juice) after the loaf has cooled for an extra sweet touch. You can also substitute the blueberries with raspberries or blackberries.

Enjoy the process and the incredible, bakery-quality results of your Lemon Blueberry Cream Cheese Sourdough! The tangy, sweet, and creamy flavors are worth every minute of the wait.