This Turmeric Sourdough Bread recipe brings a vibrant twist to your regular loaf, with striking yellow streaks swirled right through the crumb. It's not just a showstopper in looks - this bread is full of earthy flavour and sourdough tang. Follow along in this detailed post for step-by-step instructions on how to master the marbled turmeric swirl.
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How Does Turmeric Affect Sourdough Baking?
- Hydration. Since we only add a small amount of turmeric to half the dough, it acts like extra flour and slightly absorbs more liquid. To balance hydration and maintain smooth dough handling, add 5-10g more water to the turmeric sourdough portion.
- Bulk Fermentation. Turmeric has mild antimicrobial properties, but in small quantities, it does not significantly impact wild yeast activity. You can expect normal bulk fermentation times, though always monitor your dough visually for proper rise and gas development.
- Crumb and Crust. Turmeric won't interfere with gluten development, so your crumb should still be light and open. Its natural pigments give the crust a deeper hue, especially when baked to a rich golden brown.
- Flavour. Expect subtle, earthy, peppery notes in the turmeric layer. It complements the tang of sourdough and balances beautifully with the crispy crust.
Mix It Up: Turn Your Sourdough into a Flavour Adventure.
Love coloured dough? Try our Raspberry Powder Sourdough Bread or Matcha Swirl Sourdough next!
Ingredient Notes
Here's everything you will need for your Turmeric Swirl Sourdough Bread:
- strong bread flour: with at least 12% protein content (learn how protein content in flour affects sourdough).
- salt: we use fine sea salt.
- active sourdough starter: 100% hydration.
- water: use lukewarm water to kickstart bulk fermentation if you are short on time.
- ground turmeric.
Find ingredient quantities, detailed instructions and nutritional information in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step-By-Step Method
DAY 1
Feed Sourdough Starter
1. First thing in the morning, feed your sourdough starter. I typically feed 70g of my starter in a ratio of 1 part starter:1 part water:1 part flour. This simply means that I mix 70g of starter with 70g water and 70g flour. Scoop the mixture into a clean jar, and leave it in a warm spot (ideally, 21-27°C), semi-covered for 4 hours. Your starter should at least double in volume in this time. If it doesn't, it may need a couple of good feeds before it's fit for purpose.
2. I use 160g of active starter for baking and feed the remaining 50g before storing it for the future.
Mixing The Plain Dough
1. Once the sourdough starter is active and bubbly (and at least doubled in volume), mix the plain dough. I use a stand mixer for this. Simply mix the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Then add the water and bubbly starter. Run the mixer, fitted with a dough hook attachment for 10 minutes, until your dough is smooth and elastic. It does not need to pass the windowpane test just yet (the gluten will continue developing when we fold the dough during the bulk fermentation period).
2. Scoop the dough into a large bowl (reserve the mixer bowl and dough hook attachment for the next step- no need to wash them), cover with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and leave it in a warm place (21-27°C) for 30 minutes.
Mixing Turmeric Sourdough
1. To the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, ground turmeric powder and salt. Add sourdough starter and water, and, just like before, run the mixer for 10 minutes, until smooth dough forms.
2. Scoop it into a separate container, cover and place in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
Coil Folds And Bulk Fermentation
1. You will have to repeat the same steps to fold the two doughs in this section.
2. After 30 minutes, with wet hands, perform the first set of coil folds on the plain sourdough (or use the stretch nd fold technique, if that's what you're used to). Simply lift the bread dough with both hands from the sides and tuck it under to form a coil (video below). Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and coil again. Cover the bowl again, and let the dough rest for 30 minutes again. Repeat with the turmeric dough.
3. You should repeat the process every 30 minutes until you have done 4-6 sets of coil folds. Your doughs will spread less with every set of folds, and by the end of it, you will have a much less sticky, very soft and elastic doughs that have blisters on top. For more information on how to coil fold and when to know when you've done enough folding, head to our dedicated article about Sourdough Coil Folds.
4. Once all the folds have been completed, cover both doughs and let them rise at a warm room temperature for 1-2 hours. Your dough should just about double its original size. If you are using a see-through glass bowl for bulk fermenting, you should see a lot of activity and bubbles forming at the base and sides of the bowls.
Shaping and Cold Retardation
1. At the end of bulk fermentation, using a bowl scraper, scoop the plain dough onto a kitchen surface sprayed with a little water to prevent sticking.
2. Stretch the dough into a rough square of about 35x35cm (14 x14 inches) by pulling on the sides of the dough. It doesn't have to be precise, but try to keep the dough thickness relatively even.
3. Take the turmeric dough and spread it into a square on top of your plain dough, by pulling the sides of the dough (see video below for more guidance).
4. Fold ⅓ of the right side of the layered dough into the centre, then ⅓ of the left side over (like a pamphlet).
4. Roll the dough away from you into a tight log, and pinch the seam together.
6. Place it on a lightly floured section of the worktop, covered with an upside-down large bowl or a light tea towel for 30-60 minutes.
7. After the rest period, come back to the dough. With your bench scraper held at a shallow angle to the work surface, push the dough while using your hand to tuck it under itself, creating tension. This fluid circular motion involves pushing and gently rounding with the bench knife, while your free hand continues the rounding motion, tucking the dough slightly under itself. It takes some practice, but you should aim for a tight round ball of dough that holds its shape and doesn't spread much.
8. Place the dough ball into a well-floured banneton basket (or any proofing basket alternatives). We recommend using rice flour for dusting your proofing baskets. The smooth side of the sourdough ball should be at the bottom, with the seam at the top.
9. Pinch the seam together with your fingers, if the dough starts spreading in the bowl to make sure the dough is tight. Sprinkle with some flour, and cover the dough with a clean fabric napkin or small lightweight tea towel.
10. Place the whole thing in the fridge for its final rise (a.k.a. second rise or final proof) in the fridge for 12-36 hours (NOTE: If your fridge tends to dry things out, place the dough (in its basket) into a large plastic bag).
Recipe Video
DAY 2
The next day, place the Dutch Oven in the oven, and preheat it to 240°C (typically, it is the highest temperature home ovens will go to) with the Dutch oven in it. It needs to be piping hot!
Scoring The Dough
1. Once the oven is hot, take the dough out of the fridge and out of the bag.
2. Invert the dough gently onto a large piece of parchment paper. If your dough was properly bulk fermented and shaped correctly, it should not spread once inverted.
3. Dust the surface of the dough with flour. Using a bread lame or a razor blade, score the dough deeply (approximately 1cm deep) at a 30- 45º angle. One single deep slash is all that's needed for that sought-after sourdough "ear".
Baking
1. Take the hot Dutch Oven out of the oven, take the lid off, and lift the sourdough into it, holding the edges of the parchment paper. Be mindful of how you lift the paper. Sometimes, the scored slash can begin to close up during this process. To prevent this, lift the parchment from the sides that won't push the two edges of the scored dough back together.
2. Place the lid back on the Dutch Oven and place the bread into the hot oven for 25 minutes.
3. After 25 minutes, take the lid off, and return the sourdough to the oven for another 25 minutes. If you don't want your loaf of bread too dark in colour, you can reduce the oven temperature to 200°C.
Cooling
1. Once baked, take the Dutch Oven out of the oven. Lift the bread out by holding the corners of the parchment paper. Place the bread onto the wire rack, and slide the parchment paper from underneath the loaf.
2. Leave the turmeric swirl sourdough to cool down to room temperature before slicing.
What Mix-Ins Work Well In This Sourdough Turmeric Bread?
This sunny loaf is begging for bold flavours and textures! Try folding caramelised onion chutney in between layers (like in our Caramelised Onion Sourdough Bread recipe) for a savoury surprise or go nutty with pumpkin seed for crunch.
For a gorgeous crust, top it with sesame seeds, nigella seeds, or onion seeds - or a creative combo of all three! We have plenty of tips on our Sesame Seed Sourdough Recipe!
Want something sweet and spicy? A swirl of dates and a dusting of cinnamon gives it serious turmeric latte vibes.
More Creative Sourdough Recipes
Ready to expand your sourdough journey beyond the basics? If you loved this turmeric sourdough loaf, try baking your own sourdough bread with even more creative twists below!
Turmeric Sourdough Bread
Equipment
- Bench Scraper
- Proofing Basket
- Razor Blade or Bread Lame
Ingredients
For Plain Sourdough:
- 200 g strong bread flour with at least 12% protein content (we used 13.5%)
- 4 g salt
- 80 g active sourdough starter 100% hydration
- 130 ml water
For Turmeric Sourdough:
- 200 g strong bread flour with at least 12% protein content
- 5 g ground turmeric
- 4 g salt
- 80 g active sourdough starter 100% hydration
- 135 ml water
Instructions
DAY 1:
Feed Sourdough Starter
- First thing in the morning, feed your sourdough starter. I typically feed 70g of my starter in a ratio of 1 part starter:1 part water:1 part flour. This simply means that I mix 70g of starter with 70g water and 70g flour. Scoop the mixture into a clean jar, and leave it in a warm spot (ideally, 21-27°C), semi-covered for 4 hours. Your starter should at least double in volume in this time. If it doesn't, it may need a couple of good feeds before it's fit for purpose.
- I use 160g of active starter for baking and feed the remaining 50g before storing it for the future.
Mixing The Plain Dough
- Once the sourdough starter is active and bubbly (and at least doubled in volume), mix the plain dough. I use a stand mixer for this. Simply mix the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Then add the water and sourdough starter. Run the mixer, fitted with a dough hook attachment for 10 minutes, until your dough is smooth and elastic. It does not need to pass the windowpane test just yet (the gluten will continue developing when we fold the dough during the bulk fermentation period).
- Scoop the dough into a large bowl (reserve the mixer bowl and dough hook attachment for the next step- no need to wash them), cover with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and leave it in a warm place (21-27°C) for 30 minutes.
Mixing Turmeric Sourdough
- To the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, ground turmeric powder and salt. Add sourdough starter and water, and, just like before, run the mixer for 10 minutes, until smooth dough forms.
- Scoop it into a separate container, cover and place in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
Coil Folds And Bulk Fermentation
- You will have to repeat the same steps to fold the two doughs in this section.
- After 30 minutes, with wet hands, perform the first set of coil folds on the plain sourdough. Simply lift the bread dough with both hands from the sides and tuck it under to form a coil (video below). Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and coil again. Cover the bowl again, and let the dough rest for 30 minutes again. Repeat with the turmeric dough.
- You should repeat the process every 30 minutes until you have done 4-6 sets of coil folds. Your doughs will spread less with every set of folds, and by the end of it, you will have a much less sticky, very soft and elastic doughs that have blisters on top. For more information on how to coil fold and when to know when you've done enough folding, head to our dedicated article about Sourdough Coil Folds.
- Once all the folds have been completed, cover both doughs and let them rise at a warm room temperature for 1-2 hours. Your dough should just about double its original size. If you are using a see-through glass bowl for bulk fermenting, you should see a lot of activity and bubbles forming at the base and sides of the bowls.
Shaping and Cold Retardation
- At the end of bulk fermentation, using a bowl scraper, scoop the plain dough onto a kitchen surface sprayed with a little water to prevent sticking.
- Stretch the dough into a rough square of about 35x35cm (14 x14 inches) by pulling on the sides of the dough. It doesn't have to be precise, but try to keep the dough thickness relatively even.
- Take the turmeric dough and spread it into a square on top of your plain dough, by pulling the sides of the dough (see video below for more guidance).
- Fold ⅓ of the right side of the layered dough into the centre, then ⅓ of the left side over (like a pamphlet).
- Roll the dough away from you into a tight log, and pinch the seam together.
- Place it on a lightly floured section of the worktop, covered with an upside-down large bowl or a light tea towel for 30-60 minutes.
- After the rest period, come back to the dough. With your bench scraper held at a shallow angle to the work surface, push the dough while using your hand to tuck it under itself, creating tension. This fluid circular motion involves pushing and gently rounding with the bench knife, while your free hand continues the rounding motion, tucking the dough slightly under itself. It takes some practice, but you should aim for a tight round ball of dough that holds its shape and doesn't spread much.
- Place the dough ball into a well-floured banneton basket (or any proofing basket alternatives). We recommend using rice flour for dusting your proofing baskets. The smooth side of the sourdough ball should be at the bottom, with the seam at the top.
- Pinch the seam together with your fingers, if the dough starts spreading in the bowl to make sure the dough is tight. Sprinkle with some flour, and cover the dough with a clean fabric napkin or small lightweight tea towel.
- Place the whole thing in the fridge for its final rise (a.k.a. second rise) in the fridge for 12-36 hours (NOTE: If your fridge tends to dry things out, place the dough (in its basket) into a large plastic bag).
DAY 2:
- The next day, place the Dutch Oven in the oven, and preheat it to 240°C (typically, it is the highest temperature home ovens will go to) with the Dutch oven in it. It needs to be piping hot!
Scoring The Dough
- Once the oven is hot, take the dough out of the fridge and out of the bag.
- Invert the dough gently onto a large piece of parchment paper. If your dough was properly bulk fermented and shaped correctly, it should not spread once inverted.
- Dust the surface of the dough with flour. Using a bread lame or a razor blade, score the dough deeply (approximately 1cm deep) at a 30- 45º angle. One single deep slash is all that's needed for that sought-after sourdough "ear".
Baking
- Take the hot Dutch Oven out of the oven, take the lid off, and lift the sourdough into it, holding the edges of the parchment paper. Be mindful of how you lift the paper. Sometimes, the scored slash can begin to close up during this process. To prevent this, lift the parchment from the sides that won't push the two edges of the scored dough back together.
- Place the lid back on the Dutch Oven and place the bread into the hot oven for 25 minutes.
- After 25 minutes, take the lid off, and return the sourdough to the oven for another 25 minutes. If you don't want your loaf of bread too dark in colour, you can reduce the oven temperature to 200°C.
Cooling
- Once baked, take the Dutch Oven out of the oven. Lift the bread out by holding the corners of the parchment paper. Place the bread onto the wire rack, and slide the parchment paper from underneath the loaf.
- Leave the turmeric swirl sourdough to cool down to room temperature before slicing.
Video
Nutrition
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