Strawberry Sourdough Bread
If you’ve been looking for a way to bring a little more joy (and maybe a little pink) into your sourdough baking, this strawberry sourdough bread is here to brighten your day. Made with both strawberry purée and fresh diced strawberries, this loaf is fruity, chewy, slightly tangy, and so much fun to bake.
It’s not your everyday sourdough loaf—this one leans into flavor and texture. The purée brings the berry goodness right into the dough, while the fresh strawberry bits add juicy pops of flavor throughout. The result? A rustic, slightly dense loaf with a crisp crust, chewy crumb, and just enough natural sweetness to make every slice feel special.
This bread is fantastic sliced thick and toasted, with butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar—or even turned into the most incredible French toast.
Whether you’re baking for a weekend brunch, a cozy breakfast treat, or just because you love trying creative ways to use your starter, this is a fun, family-friendly loaf to add to your sourdough lineup.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Creative use for your starter – A fun twist on traditional sourdough that’s full of real strawberry flavor.
- Perfect for spring and summer – Fresh and fruity, this loaf feels like sunshine in bread form.
- Versatile and delicious – Enjoy it toasted, buttered, or turned into next-level sourdough French toast.
If you love playing with add-ins and making creative sourdough bakes, this strawberry bread is just the beginning. Try my rosemary sourdough bread, cinnamon swirl sourdough loaf, or roasted garlic sourdough bread next. And don’t miss the chocolate sourdough bread or sourdough beer bread—they’re all part of the fun when you realize your starter can do more than just plain bread.
How to make strawberry sourdough bread
For full instructions, ingredient measurements, and baking times, scroll to the recipe card below. Here’s a simplified overview to help you plan:
Step One: Mix the levain
The night before baking, combine your sourdough starter, flour, and water. Cover and let it rest at room temperature for 8–12 hours.
Make the strawberry puree and let it cool.
Step Two: Mix the dough
In the morning, mix your levain with flour, strawberry purée, water, and salt. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
Step Three: Stretch & fold
Do a series of stretch and folds every 30–60 minutes for about 3 hours total. Cover the dough and place it in the fridge to proof overnight.
Step Four: Add the diced strawberries & shape
The next day, gently stretch the dough into a rectangle, sprinkle on the diced strawberries, and roll it up. Place the dough seam-side up in a well-floured proofing basket and let it rest while the oven preheats.
Step Five: Bake
Bake the loaf in a preheated Dutch oven for 30 minutes with the lid on and 15–20 minutes with the lid off. Let it cool for at least an hour before slicing.
Baker’s Schedule
Want fresh bread by lunchtime? Here’s a general breakdown to help you plan:
- Evening (Day 1): Mix levain (5 minutes)
- Morning (Day 2): Mix dough + stretch & folds (3 hours)
- Midday: Refrigerate for overnight proof
- Next Morning (Day 3): Shape, bake, and cool (2–3 hours)
As always, the proofing time depends on your kitchen’s temperature—watch the dough, not the clock!
Sourdough is better when shared
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and rating below.
Love and links are always appreciated! If you’d like to share this recipe, please link to the post directly for the recipe, please do not copy and paste or screenshot. Thank you so much for supporting me. XOXO – Jenni
Strawberry Sourdough Bread
This strawberry sourdough bread is bursting with real berry flavor! Made with strawberry purée and fresh fruit, it’s chewy, crusty, and perfect for toast or French toast. A fun and flavorful way to use your sourdough starter.
- Prep Time: 2 days 6 hours 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 54 hours 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Levain:
- 85 grams sourdough starter
- 149 grams water
- 227 grams all purpose flour
Final Dough:
- all of the levain
- 262 grams all purpose flour
- 92 grams water
- 135 grams strawberry puree
- 100 grams diced strawberries
- 2.5 grams salt
Instructions
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The night before baking, mix together the ingredients for the levain and let sit on the counter.
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Mix together the levain, flour, water, salt and strawberry puree and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
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Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rest for 1 hour.
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Stretch and fold the dough, place back in the bowl and allow to rest for 1 hour.
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Make another stretch and fold, place back in the bowl, cover, and place in the refrigerator overnight.
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On a lightly floured counter, stretch out the dough into a long rectangle-ish shape.
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Sprinkle the diced strawberries and fold/roll the dough over top (which ever method you want to do this is fine, you just need to get it in there).
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Flour the top of the dough and place it in a proofing basket or a bowl lined with a tea towel and dusted with all-purpose or rice flour. I prefer rice flour.
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The next morning, pull the dough out of the fridge and place in a well floured couche.
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Allow the dough to proof overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for about 3 hours.
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Preheat the oven to 500 F with a dutch oven and lid on the middle rack.
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While the oven is preheating, gently dump the dough out onto a floured parchment paper and score as desired.
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Place the bread in the dutch oven, place the lid on, and turn the oven temperature down to 450.
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Bake for 30 minutes.
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Remove the lid, and bake another 15-20 minutes, until nicely golden brown.
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Cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.
Notes
Recipe Note: How to Make Strawberry Purée
To make the strawberry purée for this recipe, simply combine 1 heaping cup of chopped strawberries (about 150–160 grams fresh or frozen) with a 1-2 Tablespoons of water in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until the berries are soft and juicy, about 10–15 minutes. Use a fork or immersion blender to mash or purée the mixture until smooth. Let it cool before using in your dough. This purée should be unsweetened—no sugar added—so the natural strawberry flavor shines through.
