Description
A delightful Lemon Poppy Seed Sourdough recipe combining tangy lemon curd with the nutty crunch of poppy seeds in a naturally leavened bread. This artisan loaf offers a fragrant citrus aroma balanced with a tender crumb and a crisp crust, perfect for breakfast or as a unique accompaniment to meals.
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- 100 g sugar
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 78 ml lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- Pinch sea salt
- 85 g unsalted butter
Dough
- 350 g spring water (preferably room temperature)
- 100 g active sourdough starter
- 50 g raw honey
- 500 g unbleached bread flour
- 20 g poppy seeds (about 2 tablespoons)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 6 g sea salt
Additional
- 1/2 cup lemon curd (prepared as above, for marbling)
Instructions
- Make the lemon curd: Combine egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and a pinch of sea salt in a saucepan. Whisk thoroughly until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Cook the curd: Place the saucepan over medium-low heat on the stovetop, continuously whisking for 5-8 minutes until the mixture thickens nicely into a curd.
- Finish lemon curd: Remove from heat and whisk in unsalted butter until fully incorporated. Strain the curd through a sieve into a mason jar, cover the surface with cling film to prevent skin formation, and refrigerate until set.
- Prepare the dough base: In a large bowl, mix spring water, active sourdough starter, and honey with your hands or a Danish dough hook until evenly combined.
- Add dry ingredients: Incorporate bread flour, poppy seeds, lemon zest, and sea salt. Mix gently by hand until a shaggy, sticky dough forms. Avoid overmixing at this stage.
- Initial rest: Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes to hydrate the flour.
- Stretch and folds: Every 30 minutes, perform four stretch and fold sets by stretching the dough upwards and folding it towards the center, rotating the bowl between folds. Repeat this routine a total of four times (spaced 30 minutes apart).
- Bulk fermentation: Allow the dough to rest and rise until at least doubled in size, which can take 5 to 10 hours or longer depending on room temperature. The dough may nearly triple in size for best flavor and digestibility.
- Shape the dough: Lightly flour your work surface and turn the dough out gently. Stretch the dough, spreading lemon curd on it. Fold the sides in, add more lemon curd, then roll it gently but tightly. Roll the loaf against the counter a few times to create surface tension for a better crust.
- Proof the shaped dough: Place the loaf in a heavily floured banneton or a small bowl. Cover with a paper towel and place inside a plastic bag. Refrigerate for 12 to 72 hours for cold proofing, or proof at room temperature for approximately 2 hours until the dough springs back when gently poked.
- Preheat oven and Dutch oven: About 30 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) with the Dutch oven inside to heat thoroughly.
- Score and bake: Score the top of the loaf with a sharp blade to allow expansion. Place the dough carefully inside the hot Dutch oven with the lid on. Bake for 20 minutes with the lid on to steam the bread.
- Finish baking: Remove the lid and bake for an additional 20 minutes until the crust is deeply golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Cool and store: Allow the bread to cool completely on a wire rack for best texture and crumb development before slicing. If short on time, a 20-minute cool down is sufficient to enjoy the loaf. Store the sourdough in a bread box, Dutch oven, or bread tin to keep it fresh.
Notes
- Proofing times are highly dependent on ambient temperature; colder environments require longer fermentation.
- Using a Dutch oven helps replicate the steam environment for superior crust formation.
- Lemon curd marbled throughout the dough adds a unique tangy flavor and moisture.
- Handle the dough gently during shaping to retain its natural gas bubbles for a light crumb.
- Stretch and fold technique strengthens the dough’s gluten network without kneading.