Sourdough Lemon Blueberry Focaccia Recipe

Yield: loaf

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 30

Rise Time: 10

Total Time: 11

This Sourdough Lemon Blueberry Focaccia recipe has a light, airy crumb with that subtle sourdough tang, layered with juicy blueberries and bright lemon flavor in every bite. The buttery streusel on top adds the best muffin-like crunch (honestly, it might be my favorite part), and the lemon glaze ties everything together with a fresh, citrusy finish.

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Equipment

Ingredients

50 grams active sourdough starter 1/4 cup
400 grams filtered water scant 1 3/4 cups
500 grams bread flour * see notes below 3 1/2 cups
10 grams salt 1 1/2 teaspoons
28 grams olive oil, plus more for drizzling 2 Tablespoons
45 grams sugar 2 Tablespoons
4 grams zest of one lemon
200 grams fresh blueberries 1 1/2 cups
28 grams unsalted butter, melted 2 Tablespoons

Crumble Topping

50 grams sugar 1/4 cup
55 grams light brown sugar 1/4 cup
70 grams all-purpose flour 1/2 cup
57 grams unsalted butter, melted 4 Tablespoons
pinch pinch of salt

Lemon Glaze

130 grams powdered sugar 1 cup
45 grams lemon juice, freshly squeezed about 1 lemon
4 grams lemon zest about 1 lemon
pinch of salt

Instructions

MAKE DOUGH

In a straight-edge bowl, mix the active starter and filtered water with a Danish dough whisk or your hand until it looks like a milky liquid.
I love using a straight-edge bowl because it allows me to clearly see when the dough is done rising.
50 grams active sourdough starter, 400 grams filtered water
To the wet ingredients, add the bread flour and salt. Again, mix with a whisk or by hand. Be sure to mix until all of the flour is incorporated. This recipe has a higher amount of water, so it will an extra sticky and wet dough. This is normal.
500 grams bread flour * see notes below, 10 grams salt
Cover the bowl with the plastic cover or plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

INCLUSIONS

While you wait, prepare the inclusions. To a small bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest. With clean hands, rub the lemon sugar in between your fingers. This helps release the oils for more lemon flavor! Set aside.
45 grams sugar, 4 grams zest of one lemon

STRETCH AND FOLDS:

With a bowl scraper, scrape the dough away from the the sides of the bowl.
Pour the lemon sugar and 130g (1cup) of the blueberries on top of the focaccia dough. Save the remaining blueberries for the top of the dough just before baking.
200 grams fresh blueberries
Now, with slightly wet hands, grab a section of the focaccia dough and stretch it above the bowl, then fold it over on top of the dough. Rotate your bowl clockwise a quarter of the way and repeat an identical stretch and fold. Repeat the process until you come full circle. You will notice the dough will start to look much smoother than before.
Then, flip the dough ball with the seam side down. Continue to cup the sides of the dough by scooping and tucking the dough underneath itself to create a more smooth looking dough ball. Do this about 10-20 times while turning the dough in a circle. Stop if you start to see the top of the focaccia dough begin to rip.
Cover the bowl again, and let rest for 30 more minutes.
After another quick rest, remove the cover. With slightly wet hand, perform a coil fold by scooping underneath the dough with both hands and pulling the dough straight up towards you. This will gently stretch the dough, while continuing to mix in the inclusions. Repeats this 3-4 times. Cover the bowl again and leave to rest until it doubles in size.

BULK FERMENTATION:

Now this is the most finicky part of sourdough. There isn’t a set time for your bulk ferment. It is greatly dependent on the temperature of your environment. The warmer it is, the faster your dough will ferment. The opposite is true for cooler temperatures.
In my 70 degree F kitchen, this took about 7-8 hours. If your kitchen is cooler, it will take longer. If your kitchen is warmer, it will take less time.

Here’s what to look for:

-The dough should has doubled in size.
-The dough looks light and airy, and jiggles when shaken.
-There should be visible bubbles in the dough.

SECOND RISE

Once the dough has doubled in size, pour olive oil on the bottom of a 9-inch metal cake pan and spread it evenly all over the bottom and the side.
You can use a different sized baking dish, but I prefer this size because it makes the slices nice and tall! You could also bake it in a 12-inch cast iron or a 9x13 metal baking dish, but you will need to shorten the baking time. Start checking around 20 minutes. I prefer baking in a metal pan so that the exterior gets nice and crispy. You can bake this in glass or ceramic, but I would also recommend that you line the baking dish with parchment paper before greasing it with oil.
28 grams olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Release the dough gently from the sides of the bowl with a dough scraper and tilt it into the prepared baking dish.
Pour the sourdough lemon blueberry focaccia dough into the pan. Then take the top of the dough and fold it towards the middle and lightly press it with your fingers so that it sticks. Repeat the same motion with the bottom of the dough, to create like a tri-fold. Now flip the dough with the seam side down.
Cover the dough and allow it to rise again until the dough has doubled in size and fills the baking dish. In my 70 degree F kitchen, this took about 2-3 hours. Not ready to bake? No worries! See the notes for make ahead options.

SHAPE

Once the risen, it should fill the space of the baking dish and be very light and jiggly when you shake the pan. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
While the oven preheats, prepare the crumble topping. To a bowl, add the sugars, flour, cinnamon and salt. Whisk until combined. Then pout in the melted butter and mix until small pea-sized pieces form.
50 grams sugar , 55 grams light brown sugar , 70 grams all-purpose flour, 57 grams unsalted butter, melted, pinch pinch of salt
Drizzle melted butter on top of the dough, then top it with the remaining 70g (1/2 cup) blueberries and crumble topping. To dimple the dough, gently press your greased fingers into the sourdough focaccia until you lightly touch the bottom of the dish. Repeat until the entire dough has been dimpled. Be sure not to over-dimple the dough. This can cause the lovely air pockets to pop and create a dense crumb.
28 grams unsalted butter, melted

BAKE

Place a baking sheet on the rack below, just incase some blueberry juice or melted butter runs over the pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until perfectly golden brown with an internal temperature of 205 degrees F.
If the top of the focaccia is browning too quickly, top with a piece of aluminum foil and continue to bake.
Remove the Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Focaccia from the oven and allow it to cool in the baking dish for a few minutes before removing it and placing the bread on a wire rack.

LEMON GLAZE

In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. You want the glaze to be thicker, not runny. If the glaze is too thick, add 5g (1/2 teaspoon) of lemon juice until you have reached desired consistency. If the glaze is too runny, add 28g (1/4 cup) of powdered sugar until you have reached desired consistency.
130 grams powdered sugar, 45 grams lemon juice, freshly squeezed, 4 grams lemon zest , pinch of salt
Using a whisk, drizzle the lemon glaze on top of the Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Focaccia. Slice and enjoy!

Notes

Make-Ahead Options

If you want to prepare this Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Focaccia the night before and bake it the following morning, here are some make-ahead options:

Option #1: Prepare the dough and once it has doubled in size, cover the bowl and chill in the fridge overnight. The following morning, shape the focaccia and allow it to double in size in a warm place before baking as normal. In my 70°F kitchen, this took about 3-4 hours. Since the dough is cool from the fridge, the second rise will take longer to complete. Once the dough has doubled in size, top with toppings, dimple, and bake as usual.
Option #2: Prepare the dough and place it in the metal baking dish, cover, and pop it into the fridge overnight. Pull it out the following morning and allow the dough to rise and get fluffy in a warm place. In my 70°F kitchen, this took about 3-4 hours. Since the dough is cool from the fridge, the second rise will take longer to complete. Once the dough has doubled in size, top with toppings, dimple, and bake as usual.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Water - Use warm water around 110°F. That's warm enough to help the dough rise without harming the starter. Keep it under 120°F because anything hotter can kill your starter and prevent the dough from rising.
Sourdough Starter - A bubbly, active starter makes this dough rise. If you want a focaccia that rises in about 3 hours, check out my Sourdough Discard Focaccia recipe instead.
Bread Flour - Go with bread flour for this recipe. The higher protein content gives you a better rise, a softer texture, and an airier crumb. All-purpose flour works too, but bread flour gives you the best results.
Blueberries - Use fresh blueberries for this recipe. Frozen blueberries release too much moisture and will leave streaks in the dough.
Crumble Topping - Adds crunch and sweetness to every bite. It reminds me of a blueberry muffin. You can leave it out if you prefer, but you'll miss it.

Lemon Glaze

Lemons - Use freshly squeezed lemon juice, not bottled. And don't skip the lemon zest because it makes a real difference in flavor.

Nutrition

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