Blueberry & Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough

One of the very first breads I tried after creating a sourdough starter from scratch was a cinnamon raisin loaf, yet without realizing it, our pantry was out of raisins. I did, however, have dried blueberries, which I love to keep on hand for making my traditional cream scones, and a fresh loaf of this delicious bread is now on our weekly rotation. Jim loves a slice or two toasted for breakfast or in the evenings with a cup of tea, drizzled with a simple powdered sugar glaze. It's truly delicious, with a tender, flaky crumb reminiscent of a croissant and a bright swirl of flavor, from the cinnamon sugar filling and sweet blueberries. Your house will smell amazing when baking a loaf of this gorgeous bread!

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INGREDIENTS

Dough

• 360 g All-Purpose Flour 3 C.
• 115 g Sourdough Starter ripe or discard
• 8 g Instant Yeast 2-½ tsp.
• 12-½ g Granulated Sugar 1 Tbsp.
• 6 g Kosher Salt 1-¼ tsp.
• 1 Lg. Egg
• 5 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, Softened
• 150 g Lukewarm Water (98℉-105℉) ⅔ C.

Filling

• 1 Lg. Egg whisked with 1 Tbsp. water
• 100 g Granulated Sugar ½ C.
• 1 Tbsp. Cinnamon
• 30 g All-Purpose Flour ¼ C.
• 100 g Dried Blueberries ¾ C.

Finishing

• 1 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, melted

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1) Gather your ingredients, setting aside those for your filling, along with a digital scale.

Step 2) Using the bowl of your stand mixer, weigh your all-purpose flour (remember to press the tare button beforehand, so you don't include the weight of the bowl itself).

Step 3) To the flour, add in the yeast, sugar and salt, then whisk to combine. Next, add in the sourdough starter, egg, cubed butter, and water.

Step 4) Set the bowl back onto the base of the mixture and work the dough at medium-low speed for about 8 minutes.

Step 5) While the dough is mixing, combine the flour, sugar and cinnamon for the filling, and set aside.

Step 6) Once the dough has come together and been properly kneaded by the mixer, remove it from the bowl and work it gently on a clean surface, just until smooth. Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl with a fitted lid or cover the top tightly with plastic wrap. Set the bowl aside for 60-90 minutes, or just until the dough has doubled in size.

Step 7) After the dough has risen, spray a clean work surface with cooking spray. Use clean hands to gently pull and stretch your dough into a 20" x 6" rectangle. Feel free to use a rolling pin, if desired, and a plastic ruler to ensure you have the proper size.

Step 8) Using a pastry brush, brush the entire surface of the dough generously with the beaten egg mixture.

Step 9) Cover the entire surface with the filling, leaving a small strip on one of the short ends (preferably the end farthest from you) without any filling.

Step 10) Gently press the dried blueberries evenly along the entire length of the dough. Starting at the end closest to you (not the plain strip end), begin carefully rolling up the dough, tucking in the ends as you go to keep the filling inside.

Step 11) Carefully place the entire loaf, seam side down, into a 9x5" loaf pan sprayed with cooking spray. Cover the top with plastic wrap and set the loaf aside for another 60 minutes to allow for a second, and final proof.

Step 12) About half-way through the final proof (abut 30 minutes), preheat the oven to 350℉.

Step 13) After the dough has rested, it should be visibly risen above the top edge of the loaf pan, about 1".

Step 14) Place the loaf pan, uncovered, into the preheated oven set on a middle rack for twenty minutes.

After twenty minutes, carefully tent a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the loaf, and continue baking an additional 25 minutes. The aluminum foil will help to keep the top of the loaf from over-browning.

Note: Bread is fully baked once the internal center temperature reaches 190℉. Use a digital thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf to ensure it's done before turning off the oven and allowing the bread to cool.

Step 16) Once the loaf has fully baked and been removed from the oven, carefully remove it from the loaf pan, and allow it to cool on a wire cooling rack. While still hot, brush the top of the loaf with melted butter. Wrap cooled bread tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

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