Sourdough Fruit Loaf – Gratitude Sourdough Bread Recipe

Published Categorized as Sourdough Bread Recipes

“Breaking bread is the best way to feel connected.” This year I decided to bake this delicious bread (in simplified and non- traditional version) on my own and share it with others​. Rye flour, orange peel, roasted hazelnuts, chocolate chips, dry plums, dry apples, and roasted rye malt – MAGIC. Roasted rye malt? It gives the bread that special brown color and little bit of sweetness. And now, let’s hop to the recipe.

Sourdough fruit loaf - gratitude sourdough bread recipe

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Gratitude sourdough bread + free gift tags download!

Gratitude Sourdough Bread

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  • Total Time: 21 hrs 36 mins
  • Yield: 1 medium-sized loaf 1x

Ingredients

Scale

Sourdough starter

  • 50 g whole grain rye flour
  • 50 g water
  • 1 tablespoon of your base starter

Dough

  • all of the above sourdough starter (appr. 100 g)
  • 225 g whole grain rye flour
  • 225 white wheat flour (or bread flour)
  • 2 tablespoons of roasted rye malt
  • 350 g water – 77% hydration dough
  • 9 g fine sea salt

Fruit soaker

  • 40 g dry apples, chopped to small pieces
  • 100 g dry prunes
  • 50 g rum

Other

  • 60 g chocolate chips (I used these)
  • orange zest of 2 organic oranges
  • 70 g roasted hazelnuts, chopped

Instructions

  1. In the morning, first prepare your sourdough starter. Mix 50 g of whole grain rye starter, 50 g of water, and 1 tablespoon or your base starter. Leave it to ferment until risen, puffed, active and bubbly, so you will be able to mix it into the dough in the late afternoon.
  2. Next, prepare a fruit soaker. Mix rum, dry prunes and dry apples and let them soak until you are ready to mix the dough.
  3. In the afternoon, mix the dough. First, dissolve all of your starter in 350 g of water. Add all of the flour (450 g) and rye malt. Mix well, knead for couple of minutes, cover the bowl with a lid, kitchen cloth or plastic wrap and leave to rest for half an hour.
  4. Roast hazelnuts for 8-9 minutes at 230°C/446°F
  5. After half an hour add salt, all of the soaked fruits, roasted hazelnuts, and chocolate chips and knead them well into the dough.
  6. Leave the dough in the bowl for another 2.5 – 3 hours at the room temperature. Cover the bowl with a kitchen cloth to prevent the surface of the dough from drying out. If it’s too cold, you might put the bowl in a slightly warm oven. What we aim for is nicely puffed and slightly risen dough after this first rise (bulk fermentation) – the proof that the dough is getting alive. You don’t want to ferment it too much, as it can overproof in the fridge.
  7. In the meantime prepare the rising basket and flour it well. I lined my rising basket with a kitchen cloth and floured it with whole grain rye flour and white wheat flour.
  8. After 3 hours the dough should be puffed and alive. Take the dough to unfloured (!) working surface and use your wettened hands to gather the dough into ball. The dough is very sticky, so don’t bother too much with shaping.
  9. Transfer the dough to a rising basket, dust it with flour, cover it with the rest of the kitchen cloth, and then put everything into a plastic bag to prevent the dough from drying out in the fridge. Transfer the rising basket in a plastic bag into the fridge and let it rise until passing the poking test (when the indent you make with your finger springs back slowly and not all the way up). The dough should also be nicely risen.
  10. My dough needed 12 hours, yours might need less or more, depending on how well was the dough developed after the first rise and activity of your starter.
  11. At least 30 minutes before baking preheat your oven to the maximum temperature of your oven along with Dutch oven or a baking stone. I used Dutch oven.
  12. When the oven is preheated, take the loaf out of the rising basket and transfer it to Dutch oven. Don’t score the bread (it will make a beautiful pattern by itself) and put into oven.
  13. Bake the loaf for 20 minutes with the lid on at 240°C/465F°F and 20-25 minutes with lid off at 230°C/445°F and until bread gets nice dark color.
  14. Cool on a cooling rack before cutting for at least 1 hour and then enjoy every bite of it.

Notes

  • This bread was mixed in the evening (late afternoon), left to rise for 3 hours at the room temperature until slightly risen, shaped and then put in the fridge until passing the poking test (in my case 12 hours). It was baked in the morning of the following day.
  • Mix the dough, leave it to rise for 3 hours hours until the dough gets alive, slightly risen and puffed, shape it and leave it to rise at the room temperature until passes the poking test (time is dependent on the ambient temperature).
  • If you don’t have roasted rye malt at hand, substitute it for cocoa powder but make sure you add some (appr. 1-2 tablespoons) sweetener (honey, maple or agave syrup) to compensate for the bitterness.
  • Pay attention to the water level, adjust it to your flour’s absorbance – if you flour absorbs less water, add less water in the beginning, it is easy to add it more later if necessary
  • Author: Natasha Krajnc
  • Prep Time: 21 hrs 2 mins
  • Cook Time: 34 mins
  • Category: bread

Gratitude sourdough bread (with dry fruits, chocolate and nuts)

Yields: one medium-sized loaf

Baking schedule:

This bread was mixed in the evening (late afternoon), left to rise for 3 hours at the room temperature until slightly risen, shaped and then put in the fridge until passing the poking test (in my case 12 hours). It was baked in the morning of the following day.

Baking schedule alternative

Mix the dough, leave it to rise for 3 hours hours until the dough gets alive, slightly risen and puffed, shape it and leave it to rise at the room temperature until passes the poking test (time is dependent on the ambient temperature).

Ingredients

Sourdough Starter

  • 50 g whole grain rye flour
  • 50 g water
  • 1 tablespoon of your base starter (the one you keep alive)

Dough

  • all of the above sourdough starter (appr. 100 g)
  • 225 g whole grain rye flour
  • 225 white wheat flour (or bread flour)
  • 2 tablespoons of roasted rye malt*
  • 350 g water – 77% hydration dough (pay attention to the water level, adjust it to your flour’s absorbance – if you flour absorbs less water, add less water in the beginning, it is easy to add it more later if necessary)
  • 9 g fine sea salt

*If you don’t have roasted rye malt at hand, substitute it for cocoa powder but make sure you add some (appr. 1-2 tablespoons) sweetener (honey, maple or agave syrup) to compensate for the bitterness.

Fruit Soaker

  • 40 g dry apples, chopped to small pieces
  • 100 g dry prunes
  • 50 g rum

Other

  • 60 g chocolate chips (I used these)
  • orange zest of 2 organic oranges
  • 70 g roasted hazelnuts, chopped (roast them for 8-9 minutes at 230°C/446°F)
Sourdough fruit loaf - gratitude sourdough bread recipe
Left: roasted rye malt. Right: Dry apples, dry prunes, chocolate chips, and roasted hazelnuts.

Instructions

  • In the morning, first prepare your sourdough starter. Mix 50 g of whole grain rye starter, 50 g of water, and 1 tablespoon or your base starter. Leave it to ferment until risen, puffed, active and bubbly, so you will be able to mix it into the dough in the late afternoon.
  • Next, prepare a fruit soaker. Mix rum, dry prunes and dry apples and let them soak until you are ready to mix the dough.
Sourdough fruit loaf - gratitude sourdough bread recipe
Rye sourdough starter ready to be mixed in the dough.
  • In the afternoon, mix the dough. First, dissolve all of your starter in 350 g of water. Add all of the flour (450 g) and rye malt. Mix well, knead for couple of minutes, cover the bowl with a lid, kitchen cloth or plastic wrap and leave to rest for half an hour.
Sourdough fruit loaf - gratitude sourdough bread recipe
  • After half an hour add salt, all of the soaked fruits, roasted hazelnuts, and chocolate chips and knead them well into the dough.
  • Leave the dough in the bowl for another 2.5-3 hours at the room temperature. Cover the bowl with a kitchen cloth to prevent the surface of the dough from drying out. If it’s too cold, you might put the bowl in a slightly warm oven. What we aim for is nicely puffed and slightly risen dough after this first rise (bulk fermentation) – the proof that the dough is getting alive. You don’t want to ferment it too much, as it can overproof in the fridge.
  • In the meantime prepare the rising basket and flour it well. I lined my rising basket with a kitchen cloth and floured it with whole grain rye flour and white wheat flour.
Sourdough fruit loaf - gratitude sourdough bread recipe
  • After 3 hours the dough should be puffed and alive. Take the dough to unfloured (!) working surface and use your wettened hands to gather the dough into ball. The dough is very sticky, so don’t bother too much with shaping.
  • Transfer the bread dough to a rising basket, dust it with flour, cover it with the rest of the kitchen cloth, and then put everything into a plastic bag to prevent the dough from drying out in the fridge. Transfer the rising basket in a plastic bag into the fridge and let it rise until passing the poking test (when the indent you make with your finger springs back slowly and not all the way up). The dough should also be nicely risen.
  • My dough needed 12 hours, yours might need less or more, depending on how well was the dough developed after the first rise and activity of your starter.
  • At least 30 minutes before baking preheat your oven to the maximum temperature of your oven along with Dutch oven or a baking stone. I used Dutch oven.
  • When the oven is preheated, take the loaf out of the rising basket and transfer it to Dutch oven. Don’t score the bread (it will make a beautiful pattern by itself) and put your Dutch oven into oven.
  • Bake the loaf for 20 minutes with the lid on at 240°C/465F°F and 20-25 minutes with lid off at 230°C/445°F and until bread gets nice dark color.
Sourdough fruit loaf - gratitude sourdough bread recipe
Left: proofed dough just before being put in the oven. Right: baked bread.
  • Cool fruit bread on a cooling rack before cutting for at least 1 hour and then enjoy every bite of it.
Sourdough fruit loaf - gratitude sourdough bread recipe

​I later learnt that this fruit bread was well known bread in German spoken countries (Austria, Germany), where it is called kletzenbrot. Kletzen is a German word for dried pears and brot means bread. Kletzenbrot is traditional Christmas fruit bread (besides stollen).

Here’s a tutorial on drying pears:

And since I’m sure you’ll also be sharing your breads with others, I’ve prepared printable gift tags, which you only need to cut out and then simply decorate your delicious bread gift. Download the tags below.

Complement the fruits in this bread with this Christmas salad featuring oranges, pomegranate seeds, and cranberries!

What is your favorite way of sourdough baking and bread sharing? What are your favorite Christmas surprises and breads? Do you have a fruit bread to share? Tell me in a comment below.

FAQs

Can you add fruit to sourdough starter?

Yes, you can add fruit to sourdough starter. Adding fruit to the starter can help to create a unique flavor profile in the bread that you make with it. However, it is important to note that adding fruit can affect the consistency of the starter and may require some adjustments to the feeding schedule. Fruit in your sourdough starter can slow down the fermentation process. This means that it may take longer for your bread to rise and develop flavor.

When adding fruit to your starter, it is recommended to use dried fruit rather than fresh fruit. This is because fresh fruit can introduce unwanted bacteria and moisture to the starter, which can cause it to spoil.

Why do some recipes recommend adding berries or fruits to the sourdough starter?

Adding fruit to the sourdough starter can be a great way to experiment with different flavors and textures in your bread. However, it is important to note that adding fruit can also affect the consistency and behavior of the starter, so adjustments to the feeding schedule or baking process may be necessary.

What fruit is best for sourdough starter?

Some common fruits used are: raisins, dates, cranberries, figs, and apricots.

Ultimately, the best fruit to add to a sourdough starter will depend on your personal preference and the type of bread you are trying to make. It is always a good idea to experiment with different fruits to find the flavor profile that you like best.

When it comes to choosing the best fruit to add to a sourdough starter, it is recommended to use dried fruit rather than fresh fruit. This is because fresh fruit can introduce unwanted bacteria and moisture to the starter, which can cause it to spoil.

By Natasha Krajnc

Hi! My name is Natasha and I'm specialized in home sourdough bread baking and currently based in Slovakia - a very small country in Central Europe. My bread baking story began in 2011 when I decided to give up commercial yeast. I felt tired all the time (especially after eating bread and other foods made with yeast), I wasn’t motivated to do anything, had trouble concentrating throughout the day, my abdomen was bloated and I was like a trumpet on steroids – basically, I was quite a wreck. I was a big bread lover (and still am) and having to stop eating bread was quite hard at that time but I felt I was on a right way to give my body a chance to heal itself.

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