This post may contain affiliate links . Read my full Disclosure Policy.
This Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Focaccia is bright, chewy, and irresistibly easy. Made with lemonade instead of water, it’s packed with citrusy flavor and bursts of fresh blueberries, then finished with a sweet lemon glaze. And the best part? It comes together in just one day!
This recipe starts with my classic sourdough focaccia base but swaps water for lemonade, adding a subtle sweetness and a bright, citrusy tang to the dough, similar to my Strawberry Lemonade Sourdough Focaccia. The result is a soft, airy focaccia with golden edges, juicy blueberries, and a hint of lemon with a light, sweet lemon glaze. Find all my other unique sourdough focaccia flavors here!
More delicious recipes to try this blueberry season include Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Bread loaf, Sourdough Discard Blueberry muffins, and Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Protein Pancakes.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This is a same day sourdough recipe, giving you all the benefits of being naturally fermented without the wait!
- A slice of this Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Focaccia is the perfect sweet treat for breakfast or brunch for any spring or summer special occasion.
- You do not need any special equipment or Dutch oven to make this Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Focaccia.
- The flavors of tart lemon and blueberry goodness are the perfect combination.
Important Ingredients & Substitutions
- Lemonade- Instead of water, this recipe uses lemonade to infuse the lemon flavor throughout the dough. You can also use a flavored lemonade if you’d like to switch up the flavor.
- Fresh blueberries- The blueberries add pops of bright and fruity sweetness throughout the focaccia. If you want to substitute frozen blueberries I recommend rinsing the blueberries a few times and then patting them dry with paper towels. Also I recommend reducing the lemonade by 25 grams. Note when using frozen blueberries the dough will be colder taking longer to rise.
- Active sourdough starter- A sourdough starter is active and at its peak when it has doubled in size and has lots of bubbles.
- Bread flour- A flour with a higher protein content, like bread flour, is ideal for sourdough bread. In a pinch, you can swap bread flour for all-purpose flour but I recommend cutting the amount of liquid by 50 grams as all-purpose flour does not absorb as much liquid.
- Butter- Instead of olive oil, like a traditional focaccia recipe, this recipe uses butter to coat the focaccia dough. You can sub for coconut or olive oil if needed.
See all the ingredients and amounts in the recipe card below.
Helpful tools
- 9×13 pan– I recommend using a metal 9×13 baking pan for this recipe.
- Kitchen Scale– Using a kitchen scale and measuring the ingredients in grams will help give more accurate measurements.
- 2 quart proofing container– Using a container with a straight edge is the easiest way to tell when the dough has risen 50% for the first rise.
- Cooling Rack– Adding the focaccia to a wire rack after baking helps allow air under the bread and helps it cool down quicker.
Instructions to make Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Focaccia
In a bowl or straight edge container, mix together the lemonade, lemon zest, active starter, and salt until the starter is mostly dissolved. Add the bread flour and mix until a shaggy dough is formed. Cover bowl with a lid or dinner plate and let it sit in a warm spot for about 30 minutes.
Perform 2-3 sets of stretch and folds to develop the gluten in the dough with at least a 30 minute rest in between each set. Add the blueberries during the first set of stretch and folds. To stretch and fold the dough, grab one side with a damp hand and gently shimmy the dough up, and then fold it on itself. Repeat this 3 more times rotating the bowl 90 degrees each time.
Continue to let the dough rise for bulk fermentation until it is risen 50% and is jiggly with bubbles forming around the sides of the bowl. With dough in the mid 70’s F, the first rise will take about 4-5 hours total time.
Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a 9×13 pan and add the focaccia dough. Coat both sides with butter and spread out the dough. Let it rise another hour or two covered in a warm spot until it has risen well and is puffy.
Melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter and add on top of the dough. Dimple the dough with your fingers and bake in the oven at 425F degrees for 27-30 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
While the focaccia is baking, whisk together powdered sugar and lemonade to make the glaze.
After the focaccia has finished baking, add it to a cooling rack and let it cool. Drizzle the lemon glaze on top of the baked focaccia while it is still warm and serve.
Sample Schedule
This is based on the dough temperature being in the mid 70s. There are many factors that can impact how slowly or quickly dough rises so use this as a guideline but look for the visual cues the dough is ready to move on.
| Step | Time |
| Feed starter a 1:5:5 ratio (15 grams starter: 75 grams flour: 75 grams water) | 10 pm |
| Mix dough together | 8 am |
| Stretch & Folds | 8:30-9:30 am |
| Add dough to 9×13 pan | 1 pm |
| Bake | 3 pm |
Recipe Tips
- Make sure to let the dough get puffy and rise fully. Baking it too early will result in a denser focaccia.
- To speed up the process, find a warm spot for the dough to rise. If the counter is not warm enough, you can place it in other warm areas of your house. Using warm ingredients in the dough will help with this as well. Find more tips about how to keep your dough warm.
- Add dough to a straight edge container so you can easily see when the dough has risen 50%.
Storage Instructions
Store leftovers in an airtight container or cover in plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for 5-7 days. To reheat, you can warm it in the microwave, or to get a crispy crust again spray it lightly with water and add it back to a 400-degree oven or air fryer for a few minutes until warmed through.
FAQ
If you would like to use frozen blueberries, rinse the blueberries several times with cold water until the water becomes noticeably lighter. Then use a few layers of paper towels to pat them dry before adding to the dough. Since they still will add extra moisture to the dough I recommend reducing the lemonade by 25 grams as well. Also note the rise time may be longer due to the colder blueberries.
I prefer bread flour, but in a pinch, you can swap bread flour for all-purpose flour but I recommend cutting the amount of liquid by 50 grams as all-purpose flour does not absorb as much water.
Yes, you can use other berries instead of blueberries if you would like. For a strawberry version, try my Sourdough Lemonade Sourdough Focaccia.
To bake the next day, let it finish the first rise and then prepare it in the 9×13 inch pan. Let it sit out for 30 minutes to an hour to begin rising and then place it in the fridge covered. In the morning remove it from the fridge. If it is puffy and well risen, dimple it and bake straight from the fridge. If it has not risen much let it sit out for until it has puffed up and then bake.
Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Focaccia
Ingredients
- 400 grams lemonade, 1 ¾ cups
- 150 grams active sourdough starter, ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons
- 10 grams salt, 1 ½ teaspoon
- 500 grams bread flour, 3 ⅔ cups
- zest of 1 lemon
- 280 grams blueberries, scant 2 cups
- 56 grams butter, divided, 4 Tablespoons
Glaze
- 120 grams powdered sugar, 1 cup
- 30 grams lemonade, 2 Tablespoons
Instructions
- In a bowl or straight edge container, mix together the lemonade, lemon zest, active starter, and salt until the starter is dissolved with a dough whisk. Add the bread flour and mix until a shaggy dough is formed. Let sit in a warm spot covered for about 30 minutes.400 grams lemonade, zest of 1 lemon, 150 grams active sourdough starter, 10 grams salt, 500 grams bread flour
- Perform 2-3 sets of stretch and folds to develop the gluten in the dough with at least a 30 minute rest in between each set. Add the blueberries during the first set of stretch and folds. To stretch and fold the dough, grab one side with a damp hand and gently shimmy the dough up, and then fold it on itself. Repeat this 3 more times rotating the bowl 90 degrees each time.280 grams blueberries
- Continue to let the dough rise for bulk fermentation until it is risen 50% and is jiggly with bubbles forming around the sides of the bowl. With dough in the mid 70’s F, the first rise will take about 5 hours from the time it is mixed.
- Add 2 Tablespoons of melted butter in a greased 9×13 pan and add the focaccia dough. Spread out the dough and coat both sides with butter.
- Let it rise another hour or two covered in a warm spot until it has risen well and is puffy.
- Melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter and add on top of the dough. Dimple the dough with your fingers and bake in the oven at 425°F degrees for 27-30 minutes.
- While the focaccia is baking, whisk together powdered sugar and lemonade to make the glaze. If your glaze is too thick, add another Tablespoon of lemonade. 120 grams powdered sugar, 30 grams lemonade
- After the focaccia has finished baking, add it to a cooling rack and let it cool. Drizzle the lemon glaze on top of the baked focaccia while it is still warm and serve.
Notes
- Make sure to let the dough get puffy and rise fully. Baking it too early will result in a denser focaccia.
- To speed up the process, find a warmer spot for the dough to rise. Using warm ingredients in the dough will help with this as well.
- Add the dough to a straight edge container so you can easily see when the dough has risen 50%.
- To bake the next day, let it finish the first rise and then prepare it in the 9×13 inch pan. Let it sit out for 30 minutes to an hour to begin rising and then place it in the fridge covered. In the morning remove it from the fridge. If it is puffy and well risen, dimple it and bake straight from the fridge. If it has not risen much let it sit out for until it has puffed up and then bake.
- If you would like to use frozen blueberries, rinse the blueberries several times with cold water until the water becomes noticeably lighter. Then use a few layers of paper towels to pat them dry before adding to the dough. Since they still will add extra moisture to the dough I recommend reducing the lemonade by 25 grams as well. Also note the rise time may be longer due to the colder blueberries.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi I’m just trying your recipe a d while juggling the house and fur babies I missed where to reduce lemonade by 25 grams and my dough is very wet how can I help it .. I did rinse rinse rinse blueberries and patted em dry can I add flour or will it just mess it up?
Sorry just seeing this. If you add flour early enough on in the process it’s not a big issue but adding it later on will impact the texture and the flour won’t incorporate well. Hopefully with the stretch and folds the dough started getting stronger and it worked out ok.
Can I make the dough on Thursday and bake on Saturday morning?
Hi,
I want to make the dough on Thursday and bake on Saturday morning. Would that be possible?
There’s a chance of over proofing but if your fridge is cold enough it should be ok. It will get a stronger tang the longer it sits.
What stage do you put it in the fridge?
You don’t have to put it in the fridge unless you want to bake at a later time but it’s flexible what stage you can put it in the fridge. You could keep it in the bowl and put it in the fridge after the first rise or once it is in the pan and before or after the second rise. If you put it in after the second rise just bake from the fridge or if it is before let it rise on the counter until puffy before baking.
Sounds good.
Thanks! It’s delicious