Flavored Sourdough
Making sourdough is so much fun, but with hundreds of recipes it it hard to know where to start. This is why I have complied my strategy for creating the easiest flavored artisan sourdough bread. I use the same base dough for ALL breads, sweet, savory, etc. This makes it easy to make a big batch of dough and split it to create multiple flavor profiles. Click here for my base dough recipe.
Please note that if you have an artisan sourdough recipe that you love and know works for you. Please use it! I use my simple sourdough recipe as a base, but you can use any that you like.
I have complied all my notes taken from other sourdough experts to try to come up with all the best tips to creating delicious flavored bread. Hopefully this is helpful in your sourdough journey. I know I had fun while making these!
FIRST things FIRST!!!
When coming up with flavor profiles, there are multiple things to keep in mind.
The biggest concern is the moisture level of the bread. If you add something to the dough, like peaches, which contain high amounts of water, you must reduce the water added to the dough to offset the moisture content (Don’t worry, I’ll explain this later). If you are a beginner bread maker, I would highly recommend not adding items to the bread that have high moisture levels, this will keep your life easier and still result is amazing tasting bread! The same goes to adding large amounts of powdery substances to the dough, such as pb2 powder. This will additionally offset the moisture ratio, so less flour should be added.
Next, decide how you want the flavor to be incorporated. Do you want a swirl, like in cinnamon rolls, or do you want the flavors evenly dispersed throughout the bread? This will lead to you deciding when to incorporate the flavoring.
Additionally, trial and error is a great strategy! Every dough and oven behave a bit differently and keep in mind that sourdough is an ‘art’, not a ‘science’. So, don’t be afraid to experiment!
Sweet Flavors
Any combination of sweet flavors can turn your sourdough almost into cake. I like to pretend it’s a ‘healthy’ dessert. Anyways, it is important to note a few things when adding sugar into the dough.
Sugar will affect the glucose structure. Therefore any sugary addition should be added into the bread during the folds, rather than in the mix.
Sugar will soften the dough, meaning you will not be able to get as crispy and crunchy edges as a traditional artisan loaf. This is why you add sugar to sandwich loafs.
Lastly, sugar burns faster than flour, and because sourdough cooks at such a high temperature, it is imperative to keep a watchful eye on your bread. The last thing you want is burnt chocolate bread!
Other than those tips, making sweet flavored sourdough is relatively easy and definitely worth it!
Below are links to my sweet flavor recipes, or you can experiment with your own!!
Cinnamon Crunch Sourdough
combine 2 tsp cinnamon, 4 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp melted butter, and 2 tbsp flour. Place half in the dough during the shaping process and the other half on top before cooking.
Blueberry Cobbler Sourdough
1 cup of fresh/frozen or freeze dried blueberries folded into dough, crumble on top with sugar, butter, and flour
Chocolate Chip Sourdough
fold 2/3 cup of chocolate chips into the dough
Dark Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Sourdough
after bulk rise, laminate the dough and add 2 tbsp of coco powder, 3 tbsp of sugar, 1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips, and 1/2 cup of raspberries, then roll
Savory Flavors
Savory flavored sourdough can make great sandwiches, toast, or side to a meal. Below are some tips to keep in mind when adding savory items.
Dry items can steal moisture from the dough. For example, adding PB2 powder or oats can lead to a harder, drier bread. When adding these items remove an equivalent weight of flour from the recipe to compensate. Additionally, a good rule of thumb is not to add more than 25% of the weight of the flour.
Certain Spices and nuts can also cut the glucose strands during the stretch and fold process, leading to the bread not rising as much. Therefore, always add them during the last or 2nd to last fold in order to allow the glucose structures to already be built.
It is hard to mess up a savory loaf of bread, so have fun with the spices and be creative with additives.
Below are links to my savory flavor recipes!
4 Cheese Sourdough
fold in 1 cup of 4 cheese Mexican blend
Tomato Basil Whole Wheat Sourdough
Substitute 200grams of whole wheat flour. During first fold add 3 Tbsp of tomato paste. During 3rd fold add 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese, 2 Tbsp of fresh basil and 2 Tbsp of fresh oregano.
Sausage and Cheddar Sourdough
fold in 1 cup of cooked crumbled Italian sausage and 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
Everything Bagel Sourdough
mix in 3tbsp of everything bagel seasoning with water, flour, and starter. Decrease the amount of salt added by 3 grams. Top loaf with more everything bagel seasoning.
Additional Tips
Below are just some last tips to think about when adding flavor into your sourdough bread.
I add “wet” flavors (cut fruit) in early during the folds. This gives the water time to react to the dough and help to build the glucose structure.
I have found substituting some wheat flour in when adding '“wet” flavors has been very helpful in maintaining a good shape for my sourdough loafs. The whole wheat flour requires that extra moisture that this new ingredient is supplying and helps to give the bread form. I typically do 50/50 or 30/70 wheat/white depending on how much flavor I am adding and whether I would like the wheat flavor to also be apparent.
If I am nervous about the favor reacting with the glucose structure of the dough, I add it in during lamination. This will allow the dough to bulk rise and form structures prior to adding a new ingredient. To do this, stretch out the dough flat before shaping. Try and not break holes in the dough, instead gentle stretch it until it is thin. Finally, lay the new flavor evenly across the top of the dough and roll it up. Finish by shaping.
Don’t over-think adding in flavors. Nothing need to be exact because every dough acts differently. If you notice your dough is always very sticky, then start adding a bit more flour. If you notice your dough does not stretch well, then start adding more water.
If you don’t want to risk an entire loaf, you can separate the dough into quarters and make mini flavored loafs. Try adding a different flavor to each and seeing what works the best!
These are not hard fast rules, and I still have some loafs that don’t rise as much as I would like. That’s the fun with sourdough!
