How about some homemade sourdough with a fruity twist on a fine summer day? If you've been enjoying the tangy goodness of regular sourdough, we challenge you to try and incorporate some fresh strawberries and a hint of lemon zest into it! This Strawberry Sourdough Bread is perfect for a summer brunch or just a treat to make your mornings special. Let's get baking!
Once your sourdough starter has doubled in size, mix flour, salt and sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer.
Add the water and sourdough starter and run your stand mixer, fitted with dough hook attachment for 6-8 minutes.
Scoop the dough in a large clean bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel of plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, mix cubed strawberries and lemon zest, cover and place the mixture in the fridge.
After 30 minutes, with wet hands, coil fold the dough. Cover and let it rise for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, perform a second set of coil folds, cover and leave the dough for 30 minutes.
Scatter half of the starwberries on top of the dough, and stratch each of the four corners over into the centre to encase the strawberries. Flip the dough upsidedown and scatter the rest of the strawberries, and fold the four corners in again. Cover and leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes and 1 hour perfroma two more sets of coil folds. By the end of it you would have done: 2 x coil folds, 1 x stretch and folds incorporating the strawberries and 2 x coil folds again.
Cover the dough and leave it undisturned for 1-1.5 hours.
Once the bulk fermentation is finished, scoop thed strawberry sourdough onto a lightly floured kitchen worktop. Shape it into a tight boule and pop it into a VERY WELL FLOURED banetton basket (or a large bowl lined with a generously floured tea towel). Cover the top (or pop the basket in a large plastic bag) and pop it in the fridge for its final proof overnight.
Day 2:
The next morning or once you’re ready to bake, set the oven temperature to 230°C Fan. Place the Dutch oven into the oven whilst it is preheating.
Take the sourdough out of the fridge and invert it onto a large piece of parchment paper. Dust the top of the dough with a little bit of flour.
Using a dough scorer or a thin blade, score the top of the loaf.
Lift the dough into the pre-heated Dutch oven by the sides of the parchment paper, cover it with a lid and place it in the oven for 25 minutes.
After 25 minutes, take the lid off and continue cooking for a further 25 minutes.
Once baked, lift the bread out onto a cooling rack, and slide the parchment paper from the base. Leave it to cool down to room temperature before slicing!