What is funfetti sourdough bread?

Funfetti sourdough is a festive twist on classic sourdough bread made by folding rainbow sprinkles into a wild-yeast-leavened dough. The result is a tangy, slightly sweet loaf with a colorful, confetti-dotted crumb. It uses the same slow fermentation process as traditional sourdough, just with a whole lot more personality.

What does funfetti sourdough bread taste like?

It tastes like the best of both worlds — the deep, complex tang of a long-fermented sourdough paired with little pops of sweetness from the sprinkles. A touch of vanilla extract rounds everything out, giving it a subtle birthday-cake warmth without being overly sweet. It's familiar, fun, and genuinely delicious.

How does funfetti sourdough compare to a classic loaf?

The structure and process are identical — same starter, same fermentation, same baking method. The difference is flavor and appearance. Funfetti sourdough is slightly sweeter, thanks to added sugar and sprinkles, and visually far more striking. If a classic sourdough is a little black dress, funfetti sourdough is the same dress covered in confetti.

Funfetti Sourdough: How to Make a Colorful Naturally Leavened Bread

Ingredients

Scale

450g bread flour
325g water (75% hydration)
90g active sourdough starter
9g salt
15g sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
80g rainbow jimmies (sprinkles)

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Instructions

Autolyse: Combine flour and water (holding back starter, salt, and sugar), mix until no dry flour remains, and rest 45–60 minutes.
Add starter and salt: Work in your active starter, salt, and sugar using the pinch-and-fold method until fully incorporated.
Stretch and fold: Every 30 minutes over the first 2 hours, perform a set of stretch and folds — four sets total.
Laminate in the sprinkles: During the second or third set, press the rainbow jimmies onto the dough as you fold, keeping colors vivid.
Bulk ferment: Let the dough rise at room temperature, 4–10 hours depending on kitchen warmth, until it’s grown 50–75% and feels airy and jiggly.
Check readiness: Poke the dough gently — a slow spring-back with a slight indent means it’s ready to shape.
Pre-shape: Turn the dough onto an unfloured surface without degassing it, fold into a rough round, and bench rest 20–30 minutes.
Final shape: Fold the sides in, then roll tightly on an unfloured surface to build tension.
Cold proof: Place seam-side up in a floured banneton and refrigerate overnight, 8–16 hours.
Preheat: Heat your Dutch oven inside the oven to 500°F for 45–60 minutes.
Score and bake covered: Score the cold dough confidently, then bake covered at 500°F for 20 minutes.
Bake uncovered: Reduce to 450°F and bake 20–25 minutes, tenting with foil if it browns too fast.
Cool: Rest on a wire rack for at least 1–2 hours before slicing.

Notes

Sprinkles on the surface will burn. Make sure they’re fully folded into the dough, not sitting on top. If the exterior is over-browning, tent foil over the loaf during the second phase of baking.

Author: Natasha Krajnc