Lemon Poppy Seed Sourdough Bread Recipe
Craving a bread that's both tangy and nutty? This Lemon Poppy Seed Sourdough Bread combines the fresh, vibrant flavor of lemon with the delightful crunch of poppy seeds, all wrapped in a perfectly baked sourdough crust.
Print
Pin
Servings: 12 servings
Notes
Ingredients
For the Levain:- 15g sourdough starter (100% hydration, 50:50 all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour)
- 50g bread flour
- 25g whole wheat flour
- 75g water
- 375g bread flour
- 50g rye flour
- 140g levain
- 320g water
- 10g lemon zest (about 3 lemons)
- 16g poppy seeds
- 9g salt
Instructions:
- Make the Levain:
- In the morning, combine 2 tablespoons (15-20g) of unfed sourdough starter with 75g of water, 50g of bread flour, and 25g of whole wheat flour.
- Mix well until there are no dry bits.
- Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 4-5 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Prepare the Autolyse:
- About 4 hours into the levain process, mix all the flours with 317g of water in a large bowl.
- Stir with your hands until there are no dry spots.
- Knead for 1-2 minutes until the dough is well combined.
- Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Make the Dough:
- Once the levain is ready, mix it into the autolyzed dough.
- After 30 minutes, add salt and mix well.
- Cover the dough again and set aside.
- Stretch and Fold:
- Stretch and fold the dough every hour for the next 2 hours.
- To stretch and fold, grab the underside of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over the top. Repeat this a few times each time you handle the dough.
- Lamination:
- After the final stretch and fold, wait for an hour, then perform a lamination.
- Spread the dough into a thin sheet, then sprinkle lemon zest and poppy seeds over the top.
- Fold the dough in a letter fold, trapping the zest and seeds inside.
- Coil Fold:
- If you plan to do 1 coil fold, perform it 2 hours after lamination.
- For two coil folds, give a 1-hour rest between each fold.
- Shape the Dough:
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured workspace and shape it into a round boule.
- Start by folding the bottom third of the dough towards you, then stretch the dough outwards.
- Fold in the right and left sides toward the center, then fold the top of the dough in.
- Wrap the bottom part of the dough over to seal.
- If desired, pre-shape the dough, let it rest for 15 minutes, then shape it again into a final boule.
- Cold Proofing:
- Place the shaped dough seam-side up in a floured proofing basket (banneton).
- Cover and let it rise in the refrigerator overnight. You can cold proof it for up to 14 hours.
- Bake the Bread:
- Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C).
- Once ready, remove the dough from the proofing basket, score the top, and transfer it to a preheated Dutch oven.
- Cover the Dutch oven with its lid and immediately place it in the oven.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 450°F (230°C) and bake for 15 minutes.
- Final Baking:
- After 15 minutes, remove the lid, rotate the Dutch oven, and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes, or until the crust is deeply caramelized.
- For a crunchier crust, bake for an extra 10-15 minutes.
- Cool and Serve:
- Once the bread is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.
- Once completely cooled, slice and enjoy with some butter.
Notes:
- For extra tang, you can add 5g of lemon juice, though it may make the bread slightly more sour.
- You can substitute lemon zest with lime zest for a lime poppy seed version.