For the Dreamiest Blueberry Sourdough, I Ditched Fresh Berries for This Instead
I love adding fillings like fruit to my sourdough, but fresh and frozen berries don’t always give me the texture I want. Big blueberries can leave wet spots in the bread and don’t always distribute evenly. That’s why I was curious to try King Arthur Baking’s Blueberry Jammy Bits.
I’ve made this blueberry-and-lemon version twice now. The first loaf had a light, sweet swirl. For the second, I added more Jammy Bits to see how much of a difference it would make. When I cut into it, pronounced blueberry ribbons wound through the soft bread, and a little jam peeked out where the crust had split open.
How Much Blueberry and Lemon to Add
For the loaf in these photos, I used ½ cup of Blueberry Jammy Bits and the zest of one lemon. I scattered the bits and zest over the dough after the third stretch and fold, folded them in, and moved on to final shaping. Because Jammy Bits aren’t wet like fresh fruit, I didn’t need to adjust the hydration or any other ingredients. They melted into swirls that showed up in every slice, with no wet pockets and a more consistent blueberry flavor throughout.
The loaf looked beautiful, but it was a little sweeter than I prefer. The first time I made it, I used about ⅓ cup of Jammy Bits, and that’s the amount I’d recommend if you want a lighter swirl. You’ll still get blueberry throughout, and more of the sourdough flavor comes through.
I like a noticeable lemon flavor, so the zest of a whole lemon worked for me. If you’d rather keep it subtle, use the zest of half a lemon.
How I Served It
I had fresh burrata on hand, so I brushed a few slices with melted butter, toasted them, and served them with the cheese. I highly recommend this combination. I can also see this bread making a great grilled cheese with a sharp cheddar or creamy brie, and maybe a few slices of bacon. And of course, it’s lovely on its own, toasted and buttered by the slice.
The Sourdough Recipe I Use
I’ve been making sourdough for four years using Sylvia Fountaine’s recipe at Feasting at Home. It’s forgiving and consistently gives me a soft, tender loaf, no matter what I fill it with. You can follow her recipe and add the Jammy Bits and zest, or use whatever sourdough recipe already works for you. But I’d start with ⅓ cup of Jammy Bits, then add more next time if you want a sweeter loaf with bigger blueberry swirls.
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