Description
This Perfect Blueberry Goat Cheese Sourdough Bread combines the tangy complexity of naturally fermented sourdough with sweet-tart pockets of creamy blueberry goat cheese and a vibrant natural blue color from butterfly pea powder. Ideal for breakfast toast or a cheese board accompaniment, this bakery-quality loaf offers a unique flavor and impressive presentation with minimal hands-on work, requiring patience for fermentation and rising.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough
- 3 oz active sourdough starter
- 1.6 cups filtered water
- 1.2 lb all-purpose flour (King Arthur recommended)
- 1.75 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp butterfly pea powder
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
For the Filling
- 4.5 oz blueberry goat cheese (Vermont Creamery recommended)
Instructions
- Prepare and Feed Sourdough Starter: Feed your active sourdough starter 4-6 hours before mixing the dough until it roughly doubles in volume and shows visible bubbles to ensure peak fermentation and proper rise.
- Mix and Autolyse the Dough: In a large bowl, combine the active starter with filtered water and stir until mostly combined. Add all-purpose flour and salt, mixing until no dry flour remains and a shaggy dough forms. Cover and autolyse for 1 hour at room temperature to hydrate the flour and strengthen gluten development.
- Build Dough Strength with Stretch and Folds: Perform 2-4 cycles of stretch and folds every 45-60 minutes over 3-4 hours. Wet your hand, stretch one side of the dough up, fold it over the center, rotate the bowl 90 degrees, and repeat for all sides. During the final cycle, evenly sprinkle butterfly pea powder, lemon zest, and sugar over the dough and fold them in to distribute color and flavor.
- Cold Ferment Overnight: After the last fold, cover the dough and let it rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes, then refrigerate for 8-12 hours. This slow cold fermentation enhances flavor, dough structure, and makes shaping easier.
- Shape and Fill with Goat Cheese: Place the cold dough on a lightly floured surface and gently stretch it into an 8-10 inch square or rectangle. Evenly crumble blueberry goat cheese over the dough, leaving a border around the edges. Fold edges toward the center for a round loaf or in half for an oval loaf and seal the seams carefully without overworking the dough.
- Final Proof and Preheat Oven: Place shaped dough seam-side up into a floured banneton or bowl lined with a flour-dusted kitchen towel. Refrigerate for 2 hours for a slow final proof. Meanwhile, preheat a Dutch oven with lid to 475°F for at least 20 minutes to generate steam during baking for a crisp crust.
- Score, Bake, and Cool: Remove Dutch oven from oven carefully, invert dough seam-side down into it, and score a confident slash across the top to guide expansion. Cover and bake at 475°F for 23 minutes to trap steam, then remove lid, reduce oven temperature to 450°F, and bake uncovered for another 23 minutes until golden brown. Transfer bread to a cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing to develop perfect crumb texture.
Notes
- Use a sourdough starter that has passed the float test to ensure proper rise and light crumb.
- Do not skip the overnight cold fermentation, as it greatly enhances flavor and dough handling.
- Keep goat cheese away from dough edges to prevent leakage during baking.
- Allow the bread to fully cool before cutting to avoid a gummy texture.
- If you lack a Dutch oven, use a baking stone or sheet pan with a pan of water in the oven to create steam.
- This recipe can be frozen for up to 3 months; slice before freezing for convenience.
- Prep Time: 4 hours 55 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: sourdough bread, blueberry goat cheese bread, natural fermentation, butterfly pea powder, homemade bread, tangy bread, breakfast bread, cheese-filled sourdough
