Bring the Joy of Freshly Baked Bread Back to Your Home

100% Gluten-Free

Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Bread

A bright, naturally leavened gluten-free loaf with fresh lemon zest and sweet blueberry pockets folded into every slice. Soft crumb, a golden crust, and just enough honey to round out the tang — the kind of loaf you slice thick and eat warm with butter.

Ingredients

• 300g water
• 100g active gluten-free sourdough starter
• 500g gluten-free bread flour blend (with xanthan gum)
• 2 tsp psyllium husk powder
• 10g salt
• 50g honey
• 20g lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Freeze-dried blueberries, to taste
• Blueberry powder, to taste

Method

1. Mix. Combine the water, gluten-free starter, gluten-free flour blend, psyllium husk, salt, honey, lemon juice, and zest in a large bowl until no dry flour remains. Gluten-free dough tends to be thicker and stickier than wheat dough — that's normal here. Cover and let it rest so the psyllium husk can absorb moisture and firm up the dough.
2. Fold. Once rested, do a gentle round of folds: with a wet hand, pull one side of the dough up and over itself, rotate the bowl, and repeat until you've worked all sides. Since there's no gluten to develop, this is mainly to redistribute the starter and keep fermentation even — no need to be rough with it. Cover between rounds.
3. Fold in the fruit. On your second round of folds, scatter the freeze-dried blueberries and blueberry powder over the dough and fold them in gently, taking care not to crush the berries.
4. Bulk ferment. Let the dough continue rising until it looks puffy and airy, with a few bubbles at the surface. Go by how the dough looks and feels rather than the clock — timing depends on your kitchen and your starter.
5. Shape. With wet or lightly oiled hands (gluten-free dough sticks to flour more than it releases from it), gently shape it into a round or oval loaf, keeping the fruit tucked inside.
6. Proof. Place the shaped loaf into a banneton dusted with rice flour, cover, and proof — either at room temperature or in the fridge overnight, whichever fits your routine.
7. Bake. Preheat your Dutch oven, turn the loaf out onto parchment, score the top, and bake until deeply golden. Let it cool completely before slicing — gluten-free crumb especially needs the extra time to fully set.

Notes

• Use an active, bubbly gluten-free starter for the best rise.
• The psyllium husk is what gives this loaf its structure — don't skip it, since gluten-free flour alone won't hold together the same way.
• Freeze-dried blueberries hold up better than fresh — they add flavor and color without extra moisture in the dough.
• Don't skip the lemon zest; it carries far more flavor than the juice alone.
• Let the loaf cool fully before cutting, or the crumb can turn gummy.

Adapted to be gluten-free, from a recipe originally published on CatchyMeals.