This strawberry sourdough bread is absolutely delicious. Freeze-dried strawberries and white chocolate chips give the loaf a lovely strawberry flavor and pretty marbling without changing the dough’s texture. I often add mix-ins to my sourdough recipes for a fun twist. This is a classic long-rise sourdough loaf that requires minimal hands-on time and yields a flavorful, tender crumb.
This loaf brightens breakfast and also works beautifully as a snack or a simple dessert. The white chocolate adds a creamy sweetness that pairs perfectly with the bright, slightly tart strawberry notes.
Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need
For best results, use freeze-dried strawberries. They rehydrate slightly inside the dough and contribute flavor without releasing extra water that would make the dough soggy—fresh or frozen strawberries will make the dough too wet.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Digital scale
- Bread banneton basket (or a mixing bowl lined with flour and covered with a tea towel)
- Parchment paper
- Dutch oven
- Wooden spoon and spatula
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water (about 90°F)
- ½ cup activated sourdough starter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (zest of 1 large or 2 small lemons)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- One 28-gram package freeze-dried strawberries
If you’d like to scale this recipe or convert to metric, adjust quantities proportionally. Doubling or tripling is straightforward if you keep the flour-to-water ratios consistent.
How to Make Strawberry Sourdough Bread
Step One: Activate Starter
A few hours before you begin, feed your starter. Mix 20 grams mature starter with 40 grams filtered water and 40 grams all-purpose flour. Stir and leave at room temperature until it has doubled in size and is bubbly and active.
Step Two: Make the Dough
Combine the warm water and the activated starter in a mixing bowl. Stir until the starter is mostly dissolved. Add the sugar, salt, and lemon zest, and mix briefly. Add the flour and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until all the flour is hydrated and the dough comes together. The dough should feel sticky.
Step Three: Autolyse / Rest
Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. This relaxes the gluten and makes the dough easier to work with.
Step Four: Stretch and Folds
Perform a set of stretch-and-folds: lift one side of the dough, stretch it upward and fold it over toward the center. Rotate the bowl and repeat until all sides have been folded. Cover and rest 30 minutes. Repeat this cycle 3–4 more times, or until the dough develops elasticity and you can achieve a longer stretch. Early sessions may tear; that’s normal—gluten development improves with each set.
Step Five: Bulk Rise
After your final stretch-and-fold, cover the dough and let it rise at room temperature until it has roughly doubled in volume, about 8–12 hours depending on room temperature and starter activity. This slow bulk fermentation builds flavor.
Step Six: Add Strawberries and Chocolate Chips
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and flatten it to about 1 inch thickness. Scatter two-thirds of the freeze-dried strawberries and white chocolate chips across the dough.
Step Seven: Fold and Mix In
Fold the dough in thirds (like a letter) so that the fruit and chips become incorporated. Sprinkle the remaining strawberries and chips on top, then roll the dough from the bottom edge up to form a tight round or oval loaf.
Step Eight: Second Rise (Proof)
Place the shaped dough seam-side up in a well-floured banneton or bowl lined with a floured towel. Cover and refrigerate for 6–8 hours or overnight. Two hours before baking, remove the dough from the fridge to allow it to warm toward room temperature.
Step Nine: Preheat Oven and Dutch Oven
Set a rack in the lowest position and place your empty Dutch oven inside. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Allow the Dutch oven to heat for 10–15 minutes after the oven reaches temperature.
Step Ten: Score
Gently invert the dough onto a piece of parchment paper, seam-side down. Use a lame or a sharp knife to score the top of the loaf with one or two slashes to control expansion. Carefully lift the dough with the parchment and place it into the preheated Dutch oven.
Step Eleven: Bake
Cover the Dutch oven and bake at 450°F for 20 minutes to create steam and oven spring. Remove the lid, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F, and bake for another 20 minutes or until the crust is golden and the internal temperature reaches about 200°F. Baking times may vary by oven.
Step Twelve: Cool
Remove the bread from the oven and transfer it to a cooling rack. Let it cool for 30 minutes to one hour before slicing so the crumb finishes setting and the flavor develops.
Serving & Storing
Lightly toast slices and serve with butter, cream cheese, or a strawberry jam to enhance the fruit notes. A hot cup of tea or coffee pairs nicely.
Store the loaf in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. For longer storage, slice the bread, separate slices with parchment, and freeze. Toast slices directly from the freezer when needed.
Make It Your Own
This recipe is flexible—try different add-ins or flavorings to create new variations.
- Swap in freeze-dried raspberries or blueberries for a different berry flavor.
- Use dark chocolate for a less sweet loaf or omit chocolate entirely.
- Add chopped pistachios or almonds for crunch.
- Try orange zest instead of lemon for a citrus twist.
- Day-old slices make excellent French toast for a special weekend breakfast.
Related Recipes
- Cranberry orange sourdough bread for a bright, festive loaf.
- A no-knead sourdough bread if you prefer a simpler method.
- Strawberry buttermilk bread as a quicker, starter-free alternative.
- Sourdough berry sweet rolls for a fruity breakfast pastry.
Strawberry Sourdough Bread
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Digital scale
- Banneton or floured bowl
- Parchment paper
- Dutch oven
- Wooden spoon and spatula
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water (90℉)
- ½ cup activated sourdough starter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 3 cups flour
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- One 28-gram package freeze-dried strawberries
Instructions
- Activate Starter: Feed 20 g starter with 40 g water and 40 g flour. Let it double at room temperature.
- Make Dough: Mix warm water and starter. Add sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Stir in flour until combined; dough will be sticky.
- Rest: Cover and rest 30 minutes.
- Stretch and Folds: Stretch and fold each side, rest 30 minutes, and repeat 3–4 times until dough is elastic.
- Bulk Rise: Cover and let dough double, 8–12 hours.
- Add Mix-ins: Flatten dough, add 2/3 of strawberries and chips.
- Fold and Shape: Fold in thirds, add remaining mix-ins, and shape into a ball.
- Second Rise: Proof in floured banneton in the fridge 6–8 hours or overnight. Bring to room temperature 2 hours before baking.
- Prep Oven: Preheat oven to 450°F with the Dutch oven inside on the lowest rack.
- Score: Turn dough onto parchment, score the top, and place it in the preheated Dutch oven.
- Bake: Bake covered at 450°F for 20 minutes, uncover, reduce to 375°F and bake 20 more minutes.
- Cool: Cool 30–60 minutes before slicing.
Notes
I used Great Value freeze-dried strawberries and Ghirardelli white chocolate chips. Fresh or frozen strawberries will make the dough too wet; freeze-dried fruit is preferred because it absorbs some moisture from the dough.