Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter (active and bubbly)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- About 4 cups all-purpose flour (you may need a little more depending on dough consistency)
- 2 tsp salt
- Fresh or frozen blueberries (to taste, added during stretch and folds)
- 1/2 cup cream cheese (softened, to add during shaping)
- Optional: Sugar (to taste, add to the dough if you want a sweeter loaf)
Instructions:
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Prepare the Dough:
In a large bowl, mix together the sourdough starter, water, flour, and salt. Stir until the ingredients are well combined and the dough begins to form. If you want a slightly sweeter bread, you can add sugar here as you mix. -
Rest the Dough:
Let the dough rest at room temperature for about 1 hour. This allows the flour to hydrate and the starter to start fermenting the dough. -
Stretch and Fold:
Every half hour for the next 2 hours, perform a stretch and fold on the dough. To do this, wet your hands and stretch one side of the dough up and fold it over the center. Repeat for the other sides. During each stretch and fold, gently incorporate some blueberries into the dough, being careful not to mash them too much. -
Bulk Rise:
After the final stretch and fold, cover the dough and allow it to rise on the counter for several hours, until it has doubled in size. -
Shape the Dough:
Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Flatten it out gently, then spread the softened cream cheese evenly over the dough. Add a handful of fresh or frozen blueberries and fold the dough over to encase the cream cheese and blueberries inside. -
Cold Ferment:
Shape the dough into a round loaf and place it into a proofing basket or onto a piece of parchment paper. Cover the dough and refrigerate it overnight (or for at least 12 hours). This step helps develop more flavor and allows the dough to rise slowly. -
Preheat the Oven:
The next day, preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C) with a Dutch oven inside to heat up. This step helps create a steamy environment that is perfect for a crispy crust. -
Bake the Bread:
When the oven is fully preheated, carefully remove the hot Dutch oven. Place your dough (with the parchment paper) into the Dutch oven and cover it with the lid. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on to create steam, then remove the lid and bake for an additional 20 minutes until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. -
Cool and Slice:
Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing to let the texture set.
Notes:
- If you want a slightly sweeter loaf, adding sugar during the mixing stage will give the bread a more pronounced sweetness, especially in combination with the cream cheese.
- You can experiment with the amount of blueberries you add, depending on how fruity you want the bread.
- If you don’t have a Dutch oven, you can bake the bread on a baking sheet, but you may not get the