This blueberry sourdough bread is one of my two all-time favorite loaves. Juicy dried wild blueberries get folded into my classic sourdough base for a fruity, bakery-worthy bread that I toast up for breakfast and slather with butter or cream cheese.
New to sourdough? Start Here! How To Feed Sourdough Starter Beginners Guide Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe for Beginners (Artisan Loaf)
Why You’ll Love This Blueberry Sourdough Bread
If you’ve got my Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe down, you are exactly one bag of dried wild blueberries away from your next favorite loaf.
This is one of my top two favorite loaves in my whole sourdough lineup, and one I often gift. This bread is only slightly more complicated than my basic dough. All we are doing is folding in dried blueberries! That’s it. End of story!
This is also a great loaf if you’re learning inclusions for the first time. The dough itself is simple to work with, and dried wild blueberries are about as easy as inclusions get. There is no juice, no stickiness, and nothing fighting you during folding. You can focus on the technique without wrestling anything awkward.
New to folding things into your sourdough in general? My Sourdough Inclusion Ideas guide covers the formula, the timing, and the pitfalls to avoid before you start.
What You Need to Know Before You Start
Use Dried wild blueberries, not fresh. Fresh berries release too much juice mid-bake and will leave gummy pockets in the crumb (guess who might have experimented to find out…) I use wild blueberries specifically because they’re smaller than regular dried blueberries, so they spread through the crumb more evenly, and the flavor comes through stronger in every bite.
I get mine at Trader Joe’s but many grocery stores have them now or you can order Dried Wild Blueberries online. I buy the sweetened ones for that extra sweet fruity pop of flavor.
Your starter should be active and bubbly when you begin. If it’s sluggish, the dough will be too. (Full starter guide here if you have questions.)
How to Make Blueberry Sourdough Bread
Autolyze – Mix and Rest
In a large mixing bowl, add the water, starter, flour, and salt. Mix with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until no dry bits remain — a shaggy, rough dough is exactly what you want. Cover and rest on the counter for 1 hour.
Stretch and Folds – Build the Structure (and Add the Blueberries)
Get your hands wet. Grab one side of the dough, pull gently until it resists, then fold it back over itself. Rotate the bowl ¼ turn and repeat — four stretch and folds makes one set. (Full stretch and fold video guide here.)
This is where the blueberries go in. During your first set only, sprinkle in one quarter of your dried wild blueberries with each of the four folds, so they distribute evenly instead of clumping in one spot.
Cover and rest 30 minutes, then do three more plain sets (no more blueberries needed) for a total of 4 sets over about 2 hours.
Bulk Ferment
Cover and let the dough rise at room temperature for 5–8 hours, until doubled and jiggly. Warmer kitchens move faster; cooler ones take longer — that’s normal.
Shape
Turn the dough onto a counter misted with water and shape into a tight boule. Place seam-side up in a rice-floured banneton.
Heads up: blueberries will stain a banneton, and that color will transfer to future loaves proofed in the same basket. If you don’t want an ongoing color situation, line your banneton with a disposable shower cap or plastic wrap. You can also just keep a dedicated basket for fruit loaves.
Cold Retard
Cover and refrigerate overnight, 8–12 hours. This is what gives you that deep flavor and a dough that’s easy to score straight from the fridge.
Bake
Preheat your Dutch oven at 450°F for 1 hour. Turn the cold dough out onto parchment, score, and lower into the pot.
- 450°F, 30 minutes, lid on
- 410°F, 15 minutes, lid off
No Dutch oven? My graniteware roasting pan method works beautifully too — it’s not a straight preheat swap, so head to that post for the exact process.
Cool
Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing — 3–4 hours. I know. I know. Don’t be like me and be too impatient to wait. You just end up regretting your life choices!
Mirlandra’s Tips for Success
- Add all the blueberries during your first stretch and fold set, not spread across all four sets — one and done, evenly distributed.
- Banneton staining bother you? Line it with a proofing cloth, or keep a dedicated basket for fruit loaves — problem solved.
- Want a different fruit or mix-in? Check out my Sourdough Inclusion Ideas guide for more inclusion rules of thumb and ideas.
My Favorite Blueberry Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
- 350 g lukewarm water
- 100 g active sourdough starter fed and happy
- 500 g bread flour
- 10 g fine grain sea salt
- 100 g sweetened dried wild blueberries about ¾ cup
Instructions
Autolyze – Mix and Rest:
- Combine water, starter, flour, and salt. Mix until no dry bits remain. Cover and rest 1 hour.
Stretch and Folds:
- During your first set, fold in one quarter of the blueberries with each of the four folds. Rest 30 minutes, then do 3 more sets — 4 sets total over about 2 hours.
Bulk Ferment:
- Rise at room temperature 5–8 hours. Dough is ready when it's doubled, looks puffy with visible bubbles at the surface, and jiggles like Jell-O when you nudge the bowl.
Shape:
- Fold the edges of the dough into the center to build tension, then flip seam-side down. Cup your hands around the dough and drag it in small circles against the counter until the surface is smooth and tight. Place seam-side up in a well-floured banneton (line it if you don't want the fruit staining it long-term).
Cold Retard:
- Refrigerate overnight, 8–12 hours.
Bake:
- Preheat Dutch oven at 450°F for 1 hour. Score cold dough and bake 450°F/30 min lid on, then 410°F/ 10-15 min lid off. Bread is done when it's deep golden brown and internal temp is 205–210°F if you want to check with a thermometer.
Cool:
- Cool completely, 3–4 hours, before slicing.
Helpful Recipe Notes
Your Rating Matters
When you leave a comment or star rating, it means more than you might think. It helps me understand what you’re enjoying, builds trust for other readers, and supports real, tested cooking content. If you have a moment, I’d truly appreciate you sharing your experience. – Mirlandra
Nutrition Estimate
A Note on Nutrition
Nutritional info is an imperfect estimate. Please take it with a grain of salt.
New to sourdough? Start Here! How To Feed Sourdough Starter Beginners Guide Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe for Beginners (Artisan Loaf)
P.S. On a personal note, this is my 400th post on Mirlandra’s Kitchen. When I knew I was coming up on that milestone I rearranged my publishing calendar to make sure post 400 would be a recipe I deeply treasure. I hope you likewise come to love this one!
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