Every time spring comes around, I find myself thinking about this bread. Sweet, pillowy, tart, a little crisp on the edges… it’s Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Focaccia! The first time I made it, two years ago, I couldn’t quite decide whether it was a bread or a dessert. I still haven’t figured it out, and I don’t think I want to.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The dough is the same one I always use for focaccia, just with a touch of honey and a lemon-sugar rub. Then there’s a quick blueberry compote swirled in before baking, and a simple lemon glaze that soaks into all those golden dimples. It’s soft and pillowy with jammy pockets of fruit and a little tang from the glaze. Delish!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s built on a recipe that already works. If you’ve made my original focaccia, this will feel totally familiar.
- The sugar rub is a game-changer. Rubbing lemon zest with sugar before adding it to the dough releases the oils and makes the citrus flavor so much brighter.
- Great for sharing. Slice it into squares and bring it to literally any gathering. People always ask for the recipe.
- Beginner-friendly. If you can stir and stretch, you can make this.
Tools You’ll Need
- 9×13 baking pan (this is my favorite focaccia pan!)
- Mixing bowls
- Digital kitchen scale
- Bench scraper (optional, but makes dough handling easier)
- Microplane zester
- Small saucepan for the blueberry compote
How I Bulk Bake it:
Watch this video for an insight into my process of bulk baking focaccia! 🙂
When baking Lemon Blueberry Focaccia in my cottage bakery each Spring, I mix a big batch in my commercial mixer, let it fully proof, then divide into 500g potions. I find that the 500g portion actually works really well as a sold item and keeps it so that the product is actually profitable.
I lightly preshape it (the looser the better), slather them in olive oil, and put them in a pan to cold ferment overnight. I make the compote at this time so that I can refridgerate it and have it ready to go the next day. It takes a lot longer to cook down in the pan since I’m making a larger quantity. Just keep an eye on it and stir every few minutes so that the bottom doesn’t burn.
The next day, 1hr before you’re ready to bake, take the focaccias out of the fridge and transfer to the pans they’ll bake in.
After it’s baked, I package them in a sandwich bag and give the icing separately in 4oz containers. If i have leftover compote, I’ll also give them a container of that too! This is everything I use for making focaccia and packaging it in my cottage bakery.
Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Focaccia
Ingredients
Focaccia Dough
- 100 grams Active sourdough starter
- 375 grams Warm water
- 20 grams Olive oil plus more for later
- 20 grams Honey
- 500 grams Bread flour
- Zest of 1 lemon + 1 tbsp sugar for the sugar rub
Blueberry Compote
- 2 cups Blueberries fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup Sugar or honey/maple syrup
- 2 tsp Vanilla essence or paste
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
Lemon Glaze
- 2 cups Powdered sugar sifted
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 4 tbsp Melted butter
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 3 tbsp of cream to loosen, more if needed
Instructions
Make the lemon sugar rub.
In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest and 1 tbsp sugar. Use your fingertips to rub them together until the sugar is fragrant and slightly damp. Set aside – this goes into the dough in the next step.Mix the dough
In a large bowl, whisk together the sourdough starter, warm water, olive oil, and honey until cloudy. Add the flour, salt, and lemon sugar. Mix until there's no dry flour left. Cover and rest for 20–30 minutes.Stretch + fold
Do 3 rounds of stretch and folds, spaced 20–30 minutes apart. Each round, grab the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over itself. By the third set it should feel noticeably stronger and smoother.Bulk ferment
Cover and let the dough rise at room temperature until it's doubled in size, airy, and slightly jiggly, about 6-8 hours at 70°F. This is mostly hands-off time, so go about your day.Make the blueberry compote
While the dough is rising (or anytime before baking), combine blueberries, sugar, and lemon zest in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and syrupy (it will also thicken as it cools). Add the lemon juice at the end. Let it cool completely before using, putting it in the fridge if you need to cool it faster.Shape + assemble
Generously oil a 9×13 pan. Transfer the dough and stretch it out gently. Spoon 1/2 cup of the compote across the surface, reserving a few tablespoons to top the dough later, then loosely roll the dough and place it seam-side down in the pan.Gently stretch the dough so it reaches the edges, and spoon the remaining few tablespoons of compote over the top (just a thin layer, you don't want to add too much here otherwise it won't get crispy on the top… you can also skip the compote here and just dab more compote on top after it's baked) and drizzle with a little more olive oil.Rest for 30–60 minutes until slightly puffed.Dimple
Once nice and puffy, use oiled fingertips to dimple it all over.Bake
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Bake for 30 minutes until the edges are deeply golden and the top is set. You know it's baked all the way through when it has reached an internal temperature of 200F.Transfer to a cooling rack (it may be easier after a 10 minute rest) and let it rest for at least 20–30 minutes before glazing and serving.Make the lemon glaze
Whisk together the melted butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and salt until smooth. Add cream 1tbsp at a time if it feels too thick. It should pour easily but not be watery. Drizzle generously over the cooled focaccia and enjoy!
Notes
- The blueberry compote isn’t just for focaccia… You can use the compote in all sorts of seasonal ways! As a spread, a syrup (filter out the berry chunks for a smooth syrup), in yogurt, on top of ice cream, on pancakes… sooo much!
- Other berries work great here. Raspberries, blackberries, or a mixed berry blend are all lovely.
- Want more citrus? Add a little extra zest to the glaze or the compote.
- Best eaten the same day, but it keeps covered at room temp for 1–2 days. Warm individual squares in the microwave for 15–20 seconds to revive them.
- Make the compote ahead. It keeps in the fridge for up to a week, so you can make it the day before and just pull it out when you’re ready to bake.
