Blueberry Artisan Bread
Description
This loaf is soft and airy inside with a crisp, golden crust. Juicy blueberries burst during baking, creating pockets of sweet-tart flavor throughout. It’s slightly tangy if you use sourdough starter, but you can also make it with yeast. Perfect for breakfast, toast, or lightly sweetened with butter and honey.
Ingredients
Dough:
- 3 ½ cups (420g) bread flour
- 1 ¼ cups (300ml) warm water
- ½ cup active sourdough starter (or 1 tsp instant yeast as substitute)
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp honey or sugar (optional)
Add-ins:
- 1 to 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1–2 tbsp flour (for coating berries)
Instructions
1. Mix Dough
- Combine flour and water. Let sit 20–30 min (autolyse).
- Add starter (or yeast), salt, and honey. Mix into a shaggy dough.
2. Stretch & Fold
- Rest 30 min, then perform 3–4 stretch-and-folds every 30 min over 2 hours.
3. Add Blueberries
- Lightly coat blueberries in flour.
- Gently fold them into the dough to avoid crushing.
4. Bulk Fermentation
- Let dough rise 3–5 hours at room temp until puffy (or overnight in fridge).
5. Shape
- Shape into a round loaf. Place in parchment-lined bowl or banneton.
6. Final Proof
- Let rise 1–2 hours (or overnight in fridge for deeper flavor).
7. Bake
- Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C) with Dutch oven inside.
- Score the top.
- Bake covered 20 minutes, then uncovered 20–25 minutes until golden brown.
8. Cool
- Let cool at least 1 hour before slicing.
Q&A
Q: Can I use frozen blueberries?
Yes—don’t thaw them. Toss in flour and fold in quickly to reduce bleeding.
Q: My dough turned purple—what happened?
Blueberries burst during mixing. Be gentler when folding them in.
Q: Can I make this without sourdough?
Absolutely. Use 1 tsp instant yeast and reduce rise times to ~2–3 hours total.
Q: Why coat blueberries in flour?
It helps prevent them from sinking and reduces excess moisture.
Q: How do I keep the crust crispy?
Cool the loaf uncovered on a rack. Avoid sealing it while warm.