Makes: 1 large boule
Finished loaf: approximately 950–1,050 g
Difficulty: Intermediate
Total time: about 18–24 hours, mostly fermentation
Nuts: None in the basic recipe
Ingredients
Main dough
Ingredient Amount
Strong bread flour 500 g
Water 350 g
Active 100% hydration sourdough starter 100 g
Fine sea salt 10 g
Fresh blueberries 150–180 g
Optional flavor additions
For a slightly sweeter, more aromatic loaf:
Lemon zest — 1–2 tsp
Honey or maple syrup — 15–20 g
Vanilla — ½–1 tsp
My recommendation for the loaf in your picture: use 150 g blueberries + 1 tsp lemon zest, but skip the honey if you want a more bread-like rather than dessert-like loaf.
The 500 g flour / 350 g water / 100 g starter / 10 g salt combination is a common base for blueberry sourdough, while fresh blueberries can be used instead of dried.
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sipthesoup.com
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Baker’s percentages
This makes it easier to scale.
Using 500 g flour as 100%:
Bread flour: 100%
Water: 70%
Starter: 20%
Salt: 2%
Blueberries: 30–36%
Because the starter is 100% hydration, it contributes another 50 g flour and 50 g water. So the effective hydration is about 72.7% before accounting for moisture from the blueberries.
1. Prepare the sourdough starter
Your starter needs to be active, bubbly and at or near its peak.
A simple feeding:
25 g mature starter
50 g water
50 g bread flour
Mix and leave somewhere warm.
At roughly 21–27°C, a healthy starter may become ready in around 4–8 hours, although the exact timing depends on your starter and room temperature. A good starter should visibly rise and have plenty of bubbles.
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Somebody Feed Seb
Don’t use starter that is:
Completely flat
Very runny with a strong alcoholic smell
Recently taken straight from the refrigerator
Showing no fermentation activity
2. Prepare the blueberries
This is particularly important with fresh blueberries.
Fresh blueberries
Wash them.
Drain extremely well.
Pat them completely dry with paper towels.
Refrigerate them while you prepare the dough.
Don’t crush them.
You want the berries to remain reasonably intact so you get those beautiful purple/blue pockets shown in the photo.
Frozen blueberries
You can use them, but preferably:
Thaw them.
Drain very thoroughly.
Pat dry.
Refrigerate until needed.
Frozen berries release considerably more liquid when they thaw, so they can make the dough considerably wetter. Recipes using frozen berries specifically recommend draining them before incorporating them.
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Maria’s Mixing Bowl
Best visual result: fresh blueberries.
3. Mix the dough
In a large bowl combine:
500 g bread flour
330 g of the water
Hold back 20 g water for later.
Mix until there is no obvious dry flour.
Cover and rest for 30–45 minutes.
This is your autolyse.
4. Add the starter
Add:
100 g active starter
Mix thoroughly by squeezing and folding the dough with wet hands.
Continue until the starter is reasonably distributed.
Rest 20–30 minutes.
5. Add the salt
Add:
10 g salt
Remaining 20 g water
Don’t automatically add all 20 g if the dough already feels extremely wet.
Pinch, fold and squeeze the dough until the salt is incorporated.
At this point the dough will feel sticky and somewhat loose.
That’s okay.
Don’t keep adding flour.
6. First stretch & fold
Wait about 30 minutes.
Then perform one complete stretch-and-fold:
Wet your hand.
Grab one side of the dough.
Stretch it upward gently.
Fold it over the center.
Rotate the bowl.
Repeat 3–4 times.
Cover.
7. Second stretch & fold
After another 30 minutes, repeat.
The dough should already be becoming:
smoother
stronger
more elastic
8. Add the blueberries
This is where you need to be gentle.
Lightly wet your work surface.
Turn the dough out and gently stretch it into a rough rectangle.
Spread approximately ½ of the blueberries over the dough.
Fold the dough over itself.
Add the remaining blueberries.
Fold again.
Don’t knead aggressively.
Some blueberries will pop.
That’s completely normal.
The purple juice will begin streaking through the dough, which is actually what creates some of the beautiful marbling seen in blueberry sourdough.
A number of blueberry sourdough methods incorporate the berries gradually during later coil folds specifically to avoid destroying the dough structure.
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YouTube
9. Coil folds
Return the dough to the bowl.
Every 30–45 minutes, perform a gentle coil fold.
Do approximately:
3–4 coil-fold sets.
Don’t force the dough.
With every fold you’ll notice the dough becoming more cohesive.
Important
If blueberries start coming out:
Simply push them gently back into the dough.
Don’t obsess over keeping every berry inside.
10. Bulk fermentation
Now leave the dough alone.
This is one of the most important parts.
You are not waiting for it to necessarily double.
Look for:
Dough noticeably expanded
Surface slightly domed
Bubbles around the edges
Dough feels airy
Dough jiggles when the bowl is moved
Approximately 50–75% increase in volume
At around 24–26°C, this might take roughly 4–7 hours, but temperature and starter strength make a huge difference.
Don’t blindly follow the clock.
If your kitchen is cold
It could take substantially longer.
If your kitchen is hot
It can ferment much faster.
11. Pre-shape
Lightly flour your counter.
Gently turn the dough out.
Don’t punch all the air out.
Shape it into a loose round.
Let it rest uncovered for approximately:
15–25 minutes
This is the bench rest.
12. Final shaping
For the round loaf in your picture:
Lightly flatten the dough.
Fold the left side toward the center.
Fold the right side toward the center.
Fold the top down.
Fold the bottom upward.
Turn it seam-side down.
Use your hands/bench scraper to create surface tension.
You want a tight but not crushed boule.
13. Banneton
Generously flour a banneton.
Rice flour works particularly well because it doesn’t absorb moisture as readily as wheat flour.
Place the shaped dough seam-side up into the basket.
Cover.
14. Overnight cold proof
Place in the refrigerator for:
8–16 hours
I prefer approximately 12 hours.
Cold fermentation develops flavor and makes the dough considerably easier to score. Overnight cold-proofing is also commonly used in blueberry sourdough recipes.
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Everyday Homemade
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15. Preheat the oven
Put your Dutch oven inside the oven.
Preheat to:
245°C / 475°F
for at least 40–45 minutes.
A thoroughly heated Dutch oven gives the dough a much better initial rise.
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sipthesoup.com
16. Score the bread
Take the dough directly from the refrigerator.
Place parchment paper over the banneton.
Flip the dough onto the parchment.
Dust off excess flour.
Score with a razor/lame.
Simple score
Make one long slash:
⅓–½ inch / 1–1.5 cm deep
slightly off-center.
This gives you the dramatic opening seen on rustic sourdough.
17. Bake
Carefully place the dough into the hot Dutch oven.
Stage 1 — covered
230°C / 450°F
Bake:
25 minutes covered
The steam trapped inside allows the loaf to expand.
Stage 2 — uncovered
Remove the lid.
Reduce to:
215–220°C / 420–430°F
Bake another:
20–25 minutes
until deeply golden brown.
Several blueberry sourdough formulas use approximately 20–25 minutes covered followed by another 20–25 minutes uncovered.
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sipthesoup.com
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18. Extra browning
For the gorgeous dark golden crust in your photograph, you can give it another 5 minutes uncovered.
Watch it closely because the blueberries contain sugar and can cause the crust to brown quickly.
19. COOL — DON’T SKIP THIS
Remove the bread from the Dutch oven.
Place it on a wire rack.
Wait at least:
2 hours
before cutting.
Ideally, wait 2–3 hours.
The crumb continues setting as the bread cools. Cutting sourdough too early can produce a gummy interior even when the loaf is properly baked.
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sipthesoup.com
What the finished loaf should look like
You want:
Outside
Deep golden brown
Slightly blistered crust
Crisp exterior
Visible blueberries
Some purple staining around berries
Inside
Soft, chewy crumb
Irregular holes
Purple/blue berry pockets
Slightly tangy flavor
Mild natural blueberry sweetness
NUT INFORMATION / ALLERGENS
Basic recipe contains:
No:
Peanuts
Almonds
Walnuts
Pecans
Cashews
Pistachios
Hazelnuts
Macadamias
Other tree nuts
The basic blueberry sourdough formula is therefore nut-free by ingredients. A comparable published recipe also explicitly lists its base recipe as containing no tree nuts or peanuts.
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sipthesoup.com
However — allergy warning
If you’re making this for someone with a serious nut allergy, check the labels on:
Bread flour
Sourdough starter ingredients
Parchment/baking products where relevant
Any optional flavorings
Butter, if you add it
Honey/maple products
And, most importantly, check for:
“May contain nuts” or “processed in a facility that also handles nuts.”
If the allergy is severe, use ingredients from manufacturers with an appropriate allergen-control policy.
Want nuts?
You can add:
50–75 g chopped pecans or walnuts
during the blueberry incorporation stage.
But I would not add nuts if your goal is to reproduce the loaf shown in your photograph.
Optional Lemon-Blueberry Version
This is my favorite variation.
Add:
Zest of 1 lemon
150–180 g blueberries
Rub the lemon zest into 10–15 g sugar with your fingers before adding it to the dough.
This releases the lemon oils and gives a much stronger aroma.
Blueberry + lemon is a particularly good combination, and published blueberry sourdough recipes commonly use lemon zest.
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Maria’s Mixing Bowl
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Sweeter Breakfast Version
Ifyou want something closer to a breakfast/sweet bread:
Add:
20 g honey
1 tsp vanilla
150 g blueberries
Lemon zest
Reduce the water from 350 g → 335 g.
The honey adds sweetness without turning the loaf into cake.
Q&A / Troubleshooting
Why is my dough extremely sticky?
Your effective hydration is fairly high, and blueberries add additional moisture.
Don’t immediately add flour.
First give the dough another fold and allow it to rest.
If it remains impossibly wet, your flour may have lower protein or your blueberries may be particularly juicy.
Why did all my blueberries sink?
Usually one or more of these:
Dough wasn’t developed enough
Blueberries were excessively wet
Too many blueberries were added
Dough was over-hydrated
Berries were incorporated too early
Pat fresh berries very dry and incorporate them after some gluten development.
Why did my blueberries burst?
That’s normal.
Fresh blueberries contain a lot of water and their skins can rupture during folding and baking.
A little purple marbling is desirable.
Can I use frozen blueberries?
Yes.
Thaw and drain them extremely well before using.
Fresh berries generally give you better whole-berry definition, while frozen berries can produce more purple streaking.
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Maria’s Mixing Bowl
Can I use dried blueberries?
Yes, and they’re actually easier to work with because they introduce much less free water.
Use approximately:
100–120 g dried blueberries
rather than 180 g fresh.
Published recipes commonly use dried blueberries for easier moisture management.
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Tasty at Home
Can I use all-purpose flour?
Yes, but bread flour is preferable.
For the closest result:
Bread flour with around 12–13% protein.
If using weaker all-purpose flour, start by holding back 20–30 g of the water and add it only if the dough can handle it.
Can I make it without a Dutch oven?
Yes.
Place the loaf on a preheated baking stone/steel and introduce steam into the oven during the first part of baking.
A Dutch oven is simply much easier because it naturally traps steam.
Why is my loaf flat?
Likely causes:
Over-fermentation
Under-fermentation
Weak gluten
Too much water
Dough wasn’t shaped tightly enough
Starter wasn’t strong enough
For beginners, under-proofing is usually easier to recover from than severely over-proofing.
How do I know when bulk fermentation is finished?
Don’t rely only on hours.
Look for:
50–75% expansion
Bubbles
Airy texture
Slightly domed top
Jiggly dough
Dough releasing from the bowl more easily
Why did my bread spread instead of rising?
Most likely:
Over-proofed dough or insufficient surface tension during shaping.
Next time end bulk fermentation earlier and shape the boule more firmly.
Why is the inside gummy?
Possible causes:
Cut while still hot
Underbaked
Excessive blueberry moisture
Over-hydrated dough
Under-fermented dough
First make sure you allow at least 2 hours cooling.
Can I add chocolate?
Absolutely.
Try:
100–120 g blueberries
80–100 g dark chocolate chunks
Lemon zest
That makes a fantastic dessert-style sourdough.
Can I add cream cheese?
I wouldn’t put cream cheese directly into the dough. Its moisture and fat can interfere with the fermentation/structure.
Instead, serve slices with cream cheese.
Can I make this without sourdough starter?
Yes, but then it’s a yeasted blueberry bread, not sourdough.
If you want, I can give you a separate same-day yeast version.
Storage
Once completely cool:
Room temperature
Keep sealed for approximately 2–3 days.
Refrigerator
Not recommended for the whole loaf because refrigeration accelerates staling.
Freezer
Slice the loaf and freeze individual slices.
For best quality, wrap well and use within approximately 2–3 months.
Toast directly from frozen.
Quick Recipe Card
BLUEBERRY SOURDOUGH
Dough
500 g bread flour
350 g water
100 g active 100%-hydration starter
10 g salt
150–180 g fresh blueberries
Optional: 1 tsp lemon zest
Method
Flour + 330 g water → rest 30–45 min.
Add 100 g starter.
Rest 20–30 min.
Add 10 g salt + remaining water.
Stretch/fold every 30 min.
Add blueberries during the later folds.
Bulk ferment until roughly 50–75% larger and airy.
Pre-shape.
Rest 15–25 min.
Final shape.
Banneton seam-side up.
Refrigerate 8–16 hours.
Preheat Dutch oven to 245°C/475°F.
Score cold dough.
Bake 230°C/450°F covered for 25 min.
Reduce to 215–220°C/420–430°F, uncover and bake 20–25 min.
Cool 2–3 hours.
Slice and enjoy. 🫐
Approximate nutrition
For a 12-slice loaf made with 500 g flour, 100 g starter and 150 g blueberries:
~175 calories/slice
~33–35 g carbohydrate
~5–6 g protein
~0.5–1 g fat
~1–2 g fiber
~1–3 g sugar, depending on berries/starter
~300–330 mg sodium
These are estimates; actual nutrition varies with flour, starter, berry quantity and slice size.
One important note: the photo itself doesn’t reveal the original baker’s exact formula, so this is a carefully reconstructed recipe designed to reproduce the appearance and style—not a claim that these are the original ingredients. Comparable published recipes support
With years of experience in restaurant research and local SEO, Sara creates accurate, user-friendly guides that work for both people and search engines. Her goal is to help users go from search results to their nearest restaurant or menu choice with as few clicks as possible.
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