Blueberry Cream Cheese Sourdough Bread

In a tall jar, mix the active sourdough starter, bread flour, whole wheat flour, and water. Stir until no dry clumps remain. Cover loosely and leave at a warm room temperature (around 75°F/24°C). The levain is ready when it has doubled or tripled in volume, is highly aerated, and passes the float test (a small spoonful floats in a glass of water).

About 1 hour before your levain reaches its peak, mix the 400g of bread flour and 50g of whole wheat flour with 300g of the water (reserve the remaining 20g of water for mixing in the salt later). Mix just until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains. Cover the bowl with a damp towel. This autolyse period allows the flour to fully absorb the water, kickstarting gluten development without the tightening effect of salt or the acidic degradation of the sourdough starter.

Once the levain is peaking, dimple 150g of it into the autolysed dough. Pour the remaining 20g of water over the 10g of fine sea salt and add this to the bowl. Use your hands to pinch and fold the dough, thoroughly working the levain and salt into the matrix. Perform a series of “slap and folds” or aggressive kneading for about 5 to 7 minutes until the dough feels smooth, cohesive, and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Check the dough temperature; ideally, it should be around 78°F (26°C). Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

Over the next 1.5 hours, perform three sets of stretch and folds spaced 30 minutes apart. To stretch and fold, wet your hands to prevent sticking. Reach under one side of the dough, pull it up until you feel resistance, and fold it over the center. Repeat this on all four sides of the dough (North, South, East, West). After the third set, the dough should feel remarkably stronger, elastic, and capable of holding its shape. Let it rest for another 30 minutes.

Mist a clean countertop lightly with water. Carefully turn the dough out onto the counter. With wet hands, gently stretch the dough outward from the center into a large, thin rectangle (laminating), being careful not to tear the gluten membrane.

Scatter the chilled cream cheese cubes and the flour-dusted blueberries evenly across the surface of the stretched dough. Fold the dough into thirds like a letter—bringing the left side to the middle, then the right side over that. Roll the dough up from the bottom to the top into a neat package. This method ensures the wet berries and soft cheese are trapped inside distinct layers rather than being crushed into a purple, soupy mess. Place the dough back in the bowl.

Allow the dough to rest undisturbed for the remainder of the bulk fermentation (usually 2 to 3 more hours, depending on room temperature). You are looking for a 30% to 50% increase in volume, a domed top, smooth surface bubbles, and a jiggle when you shake the bowl. Because blueberries add extra moisture and acidity as they break down, do not push the bulk fermentation too far, or the dough will degrade and become impossible to shape.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using a bench scraper, gently round the dough into a loose boule (ball). Let it rest for 20 minutes uncovered (this is the bench rest).

For the final shape, flip the dough over so the smooth side is down. Fold the edges into the center to create a tight package, then flip it back over. Use your hands to drag the dough towards you, using the friction of the counter to create surface tension. Be extremely gentle—if you pull too hard, the blueberries will burst through the surface, creating weak spots that will stick to your proofing basket. Dust the dough and a banneton (proofing basket) heavily with rice flour. Place the dough into the basket seam-side up.

Cover the banneton with a plastic bag or a reusable shower cap to prevent the dough from drying out. Place it in the coldest part of your refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours. This cold retard slows down the yeast activity, allowing the lactic and acetic acids to develop complex sour flavors while firming up the dough for easier scoring.

Place a Dutch oven (with the lid on) into your oven and preheat to 500°F (260°C) for a full 45 minutes.

Turn the cold dough out onto a piece of parchment paper. Using a baker’s lame or a very sharp razor blade, score the dough. Because of the inclusions, avoid intricate scoring patterns. A single deep, confident slash (at a 45-degree angle) works best to guide the expansion.

Carefully transfer the dough and parchment into the screaming-hot Dutch oven. Drop in two ice cubes between the parchment and the cast iron (not touching the dough) to create a burst of steam. Cover immediately and lower the oven temperature to 450°F (232°C). Bake covered for 25 minutes.

After 25 minutes, carefully remove the lid. The bread should have experienced significant oven spring. Continue baking uncovered for another 15 to 20 minutes until the crust is a deep, mahogany brown. The internal temperature of the loaf should reach 208°F (97°C).

Remove the loaf and place it on a wire rack. Do not cut into the bread. Sourdough continues to cook and set its crumb as it cools. With heavy, wet inclusions like berries and cream cheese, cutting it while hot will result in a gummy, collapsed texture. Let it cool completely for a minimum of 2 to 3 hours before slicing.