This Lemon Berry Sourdough Bread is light, tangy, and bursting with fresh lemon zest and juicy berries. A refreshing twist on classic sourdough, perfect for spring and summer baking.
Sweet Sourdough? Yes, Please!
I’ve been on a roll making sourdough loaves lately. I made my original homemade version. Then a same-day version. I made a Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough. Oh, and a Jalapeno Cheddar. But today I felt like going in a different direction. I wanted something sweet.
I decided to make a lemon-berry version. And, to be honest, I couldn't wait! I love this yummy flavor profile!
The process was a little different from my traditional sourdough recipe because the berries (I used frozen) are fragile. It best to wait until later in the process to add them so that they don't turn your dough purple!
More about that later. Let's go ahead and look at what you'll need to make this luscious bread!
Lemon Berry Sourdough Ingredients
You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick peek at what you’ll need. These are simple ingredients, but (of course) you’ll have to make sure you have a good, strong starter before you being.
- 100 grams active starter
- 350 grams water
- 500 grams flour (all purpose is fine)
- 10 grams salt
- 50 grams granulated sugar
- Zest of two lemons (sugared with two tablespoons sugar)
- ¾ cup fresh or frozen berries, (cut to marble size, if needed), and lightly floured
How to Make Lemon Berry Sourdough
This is a two-day process, so I’m going to share a timeline you can follow. Adjust the times if you don’t start at 8:00 A.M.
DAY ONE:
8:00 AM
Start the day by feeding your starter using the 1:1:1 method (equal portions starter, room temperature water, and flour).
Example: 200 grams of starter, 200 grams of water, 200 grams of flour
Let the starter sit for 4-5 hours until it doubles in size and turns bubbly.
NOON:
It’s time to check your starter to see if it’s ready to go. I test mine by dropping a pinch in some water. If it floats, you’re good to go!
Grab your kitchen scale and a large mixing bowl.
Measure 350 grams of room temperature water into your mixing bowl.
Add 100 grams of the activated starter.
Whisk together using the bread whisk until it’s a pale watery liquid.
Add 500 grams of flour, 10 grams of salt, and 40 grams of sugar.
Use the bread whisk to create a shaggy, sticky dough.
I use a bowl scraper to pull the excess dough away from the edges of the bowl. In fact, I usually work the dough with the scraper to remove any obvious lumps.
Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and set in a warm spot (72-75 degrees) for an hour.
1:00 PM
It’s time to start your first round of stretch and folds.
Wet your hands, reach down into the bowl and pull up the dough as far as you can, and fold it over to center. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat this process. Keep turning until you’ve stretched and folded all of the dough. You will notice that the dough gets more tense as you go along. Loosely cover with the plastic wrap or tea towel once you’ve completed stretching and folding all of the dough.
1:30 PM
Perform your second stretch and folds.
2:00 PM
Perform your third stretch and folds.
2:30 PM
Prep your lemon zest and berries.
Lightly flour your berries and set aside.
Perform your fourth/final stretch and folds. This time you’re going to gently work the lemon zest and floured berries into the dough, as you see in the photo below. Be careful or you’ll end up with purple dough!
(Note: If you prefer, you can wait until you’re shaping the dough to add the lemon zest and berries. I just wanted to get it over with.)
Cover dough and leave it proof for 4-5 hours (no longer than five hours)
7:00 PM
Now that the dough has proofed it’s time to gently form the boule (ball). Be careful not to break open the berries. I like to cup my dough under and gently push and pull on the countertop to create tension on top.
7:15 PM
Lightly flour a Banneton bowl. Set the rolled loaf inside, seam side up.
Cover with tea towel or cheesecloth and set in refrigerator overnight.
DAY TWO:
8:00 AM
Place empty dutch oven (with lid) in oven and set temperature at 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Leave in oven for a full hour.
9:00 AM
Lower the oven temperature to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove Banneton from refrigerator.
Crumple a piece of parchment paper and place it on top of the bowl.
Flip the dough ball out onto the wrinkled paper. You’ll probably have some berry juice left in the banneton, but that’s okay. Don't worry if the boule looks a bit flat. It should rise a lot during the first 15-20 minutes of bake time. (This is called the "oven spring" and it's always fun to watch!)
Use a lame (razor) to gently score the dough. You don’t want to pierce any of the berries.
A slight curve is all that’s necessary but you can get fancy if you prefer. Cut down about half an inch.
Using a hot pad remove the lid from the dutch oven (still in the oven), being careful not to burn yourself.
Use the parchment paper to gently set the scored lemon berry dough into the pan.
Drop four ice cubes into the dutch oven under the edges of the parchment paper.
Put the lid back on and close the oven door.
Set time for 20 minutes.
After baking for 20 minutes remove the lid and check your oven spring. (See?! I told you it would surprise you!)
Bake for another 20 minutes.
Your lemon berry bread is now ready!
Remove the dutch oven from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool.
After a few minutes, remove the lemon berry loaf (and parchment paper) from the dutch oven.
Allow to cool for at least an hour, or longer. I recommend an hour and a half to two hours.
Slice the bread with a sharp bread knife. Check out those berries!
Serve and enjoy.
Store at room temperature in a bread bag or an airtight container (like a Ziplock bag). Make absolutely sure the bread is room temperature before sealing it up or it will turn gummy. This bread should stay fresh for 2-3 days.
What to Expect:
It’s lightly sweet and oh, so filled with berry deliciousness! I used blackberries (they’re my favorite) but you can use any you like. Choices could include:
- Raspberries
- Chopped strawberries
- Blueberries
If you don’t care for lemon, you could leave out the zest and use chopped apples. Or peaches. Or any other fruit you enjoy! I’m actually thinking of making an Almond Joy version of my sourdough, using coconut, chocolate chips, and chopped almonds. (Yum!)
Other Sourdough Treats
If you like this lemon berry loaf you’ll love some of my other sourdough recipes. Here are some of my favorites:
That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe.
If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you're at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!
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About the Author
Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 165 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.
Lemon Berry Sourdough Bread
This Lemon Berry Sourdough Bread is light, tangy, and bursting with fresh lemon zest and juicy berries. A refreshing twist on classic sourdough, perfect for spring and summer baking.
Ingredients
- 100g active starter https://outoftheboxbaking.com/2025/03/16/worlds-easiest-sourdough-starter/
- 350g water
- 500g flour (all purpose is fine)
- 10g salt
- 50 grams granulated sugar
- Zest of two lemons (sugared with two tablespoons sugar)
- ¾ cup fresh or frozen berries, (cut to marble size, if needed), and lightly floured (tablespoon of flour)
Instructions
This is a two-day process, so I’m going to share a timeline you can follow. Adjust the times if you don’t start at 8:00 A.M.
DAY ONE:
8:00 AM
Start the day by feeding your starter using the 1:1:1 method (equal portions starter, room temperature water, and flour).
Example: 200 grams of starter, 200 grams of water, 200 grams of flour
Let the starter sit for 4-5 hours until it doubles in size and turns bubbly.
NOON:
It’s time to check your starter to see if it’s ready to go. I test mine by dropping a pinch in some water. If it floats, you’re good to go!
Grab your kitchen scale and a large mixing bowl.
Measure 350 grams of room temperature water into your mixing bowl.
Add 100 grams of the activated starter. (It should easily float.) Whisk together using the bread whisk until it’s a pale watery liquid.
Add 500 grams of flour, 10 grams of salt, and 50 grams of sugar.
Use the bread whisk to create a shaggy, sticky dough.
I use a bowl scraper to pull the excess dough away from the edges of the bowl. In fact, I usually work the dough with the scraper to remove any obvious lumps.
Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and set in a warm spot (72-75 degrees) for an hour.
1:00 PM
It’s time to start your first round of stretch and folds. Wet your hands, reach down into the bowl and pull up the dough as far as you can, and fold it over to center. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat this process. Keep turning until you’ve stretched and folded all of the dough. You will notice that the dough gets more tense as you go along. Loosely cover with the plastic wrap or tea towel once you’ve completed stretching and folding all of the dough.
1:30 PM
Perform your second stretch and folds.
2:00 PM
Perform your third stretch and folds.
2:30 PM
Lightly flour your berries and set aside.
Perform your fourth/final stretch and folds. This time you’re going to gently work the lemon zest and floured berries into the dough, as you see in the photo below. Be careful or you’ll end up with purple dough!
(Note: If you prefer, you can wait until you’re shaping the dough to add the lemon zest and berries. I just wanted to get it over with.)
Cover dough and leave it proof for 4-5 hours (no longer than five hours)
7:00 PM
Now that the dough has proofed it’s time to gently form the loaf. Be careful not to break open the berries.
7:15 PM
Lightly flour a Banneton bowl. Set the rolled loaf inside, seam side up. Cover with tea towel or cheesecloth and set in refrigerator overnight.
DAY TWO:
8:00 AM
Place empty dutch oven (with lid) in oven and set temperature at 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Leave in oven for a full hour.
9:00 AM
Lower the oven temperature to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove Banneton from refrigerator.
Crumple a piece of parchment paper and place it on top of the bowl.
Flip the dough ball out onto the wrinkled paper. You’ll probably have some berry juice left in the banneton, but that’s okay.
Use a lame (razor) to gently score the dough. You don’t want to pierce any of the berries.
A slight curve is all that’s necessary but you can get fancy if you prefer. Cut down about half an inch.
Using a hot pad remove the lid from the dutch oven (still in the oven), being careful not to burn yourself.
Use the parchment paper to gently set the scored lemon berry dough into the pan.
Drop four ice cubes into the dutch oven under the edges of the parchment paper.
Put the lid back on and close the oven door.
Set time for 20 minutes.
After baking for 20 minutes remove the lid and bake for another 20 minutes.
Your lemon berry bread is now ready!
Remove the dutch oven from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool.
After a few minutes, remove the lemon berry loaf (and parchment paper) from the dutch oven.
Allow to cool for at least an hour, or longer. I recommend an hour and a half to two hours.
Slice the bread with a sharp bread knife. Check out those berries!
Serve and enjoy.
Store at room temperature in a bread bag or an airtight container (like a Ziplock bag). Make absolutely sure the bread is room temperature before sealing it up or it will turn gummy. This bread should stay fresh for 2-3 days.