A beautiful rustic sourdough boule packed with juicy strawberries. It has a crisp golden crust, soft chewy crumb, and bursts of strawberry flavor throughout.

🥖 Ingredients

For the dough:

• 100 g active sourdough starter, 100% hydration
• 350 g bread flour
• 50 g whole wheat flour
• 270 g water
• 8 g fine sea salt
• 150–180 g fresh strawberries
• 20–30 g honey or sugar (optional; helps with browning and strawberry flavor)

Optional:

• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon zest

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👩‍🍳 Step-by-Step Guide

1. Prepare the strawberries

1. Wash and thoroughly dry the strawberries.
2. Remove the green tops.
3. Cut them into small pieces, about 1–2 cm.
4. Spread them on a paper towel and gently pat dry.
5. Let them sit uncovered for 15–20 minutes to remove excess moisture.

Tip: Very wet strawberries can make the dough difficult to handle, so drying them well is important.

2. Mix the dough

1. In a large bowl, combine 350 g bread flour + 50 g whole wheat flour.
2. Add 250 g of the water and mix until no dry flour remains.
3. Cover and let rest for 30–45 minutes. This is the autolyse.

3. Add starter and salt

1. Add 100 g active sourdough starter.
2. Add the remaining 20 g water gradually.
3. Mix by squeezing and folding the dough until the starter is fully incorporated.
4. Add 8 g salt.
5. Continue mixing until the dough becomes cohesive.

4. First stretch and fold

Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

Then:

• Grab one side of the dough.
• Stretch it upward.
• Fold it over the center.
• Turn the bowl and repeat 3–4 times.

Do this every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours, for about 4 rounds.

5. Add the strawberries

After the dough has developed some strength:

1. Gently stretch the dough into a rectangle.
2. Scatter about half of the strawberries over the surface.
3. Fold the dough over itself.
4. Add the remaining strawberries.
5. Fold gently again to enclose the fruit.

Don’t knead aggressively—the strawberries can crush and stain the dough.

6. Bulk fermentation

Cover the bowl and leave the dough at room temperature for approximately 4–6 hours, depending on room temperature and starter strength.

Look for:

• Dough becoming noticeably puffy
• Bubbles around the edges
• A smoother, stronger appearance
• Approximately 50–75% increase in volume

Don’t rely only on the clock; sourdough fermentation varies with temperature.

7. Pre-shape

1. Lightly flour your work surface.
2. Turn the dough out gently.
3. Form it into a loose round.
4. Let it rest uncovered for 20–30 minutes.

8. Final shaping

1. Lightly flour the top of the dough.
2. Flip it over.
3. Fold the bottom toward the center.
4. Fold the sides inward.
5. Roll/fold the dough toward the top to create a tight boule.
6. Pinch the seam gently closed.

Place it seam-side up in a well-floured banneton.

9. Cold proof

Cover the banneton and refrigerate for 8–14 hours.

The cold fermentation develops better flavor and makes the dough easier to score.

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🔥 10. Bake the Strawberry Sourdough

1. Place a Dutch oven inside your oven.
2. Preheat to 475°F (245°C) for at least 45 minutes.
3. Take the dough directly from the refrigerator.
4. Turn it onto parchment paper.
5. Score the top with a sharp bread lame or knife.

Covered bake

Carefully transfer the dough into the hot Dutch oven.

Bake:

• 20 minutes at 475°F / 245°C, covered.

Uncovered bake

Remove the lid.

Reduce temperature to 450°F / 230°C and bake for another 20–25 minutes, until deeply golden brown.

If the crust is browning too quickly, reduce the temperature slightly.

11. Cool completely

Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and place it on a wire rack.

Allow it to cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.

This is especially important because the strawberries add extra moisture to the crumb.

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🍓 Serving Ideas

Slice the cooled bread and serve with:

• Salted butter
• Cream cheese
• Mascarpone
• Strawberry jam
• Honey
• Whipped ricotta
• Fresh strawberries

💡 Important Tip

Fresh strawberries release water during fermentation and baking. Drying the strawberries well and adding them after the dough has developed strength helps prevent a gummy loaf.

Category: 🍞 Sourdough / Fruit Bread
Yield: 1 rustic boule
Prep + fermentation: About 12–18 hours
Bake: 40–45 minutes