Welcome to the Wild Bluebell Homestead blog, where we celebrate the bounty of the Pacific Northwest and the joy of baking with sourdough! As spring unfolds around us, the landscape bursts with new life and fresh ingredients, ideal for incorporating into our beloved sourdough recipes. Here in the Pacific Northwest, the arrival of spring offers a unique opportunity to explore the rich flora and fauna that our region provides. With a bit of research and a careful approach, foraging for local ingredients becomes not only a delightful endeavour but also a way to enhance the flavors of homemade sourdough bread.
Whether you’re a seasoned baker or just beginning your sourdough journey, incorporating locally foraged ingredients can transform your bread into something truly special. By consulting both reference books and local foraging experts, you can safely and sustainably gather ingredients like nettles, morel mushrooms, and rhubarb. These ingredients not only add unique flavors and textures to your bread but also connect us more deeply with our local environment. Today, we’re excited to share five spring-inspired sourdough recipes that celebrate the season’s harvest and are sure to elevate your home baking.
Nettle and Goat Cheese Sourdough Loaf
Ingredients:
- 400g bread flour
- 100g whole wheat flour
- 350g water
- 80g sourdough starter
- 10g salt
- 100g fresh nettles, blanched and chopped
- 100g goat cheese, crumbled
Steps:
- Combine the bread flour, whole wheat flour, water, and sourdough starter in a large bowl. Mix until just combined, then cover and let rest for 30 minutes (autolyse).
- Add salt and knead into the dough until well incorporated. Allow the dough to ferment at room temperature for about 4 hours, with stretch and folds every hour.
- Gently fold in the nettles and goat cheese, being careful not to deflate the dough completely.
- Shape the dough into a loaf and place it in a floured banneton. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 3-4 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C) with a baking stone or Dutch oven inside.
- Once heated, invert the loaf onto a parchment paper, score the top, and transfer to the preheated stone or Dutch oven.
- Bake with steam (by adding ice cubes or water to a hot pan below) for 25 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for another 20 minutes until the crust is golden and crisp.
- Let cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Morel Mushroom and Thyme Sourdough Flatbread
Ingredients:
- 450g bread flour
- 300g water
- 80g sourdough starter
- 10g salt
- 200g fresh morel mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt, to taste
Steps:
- Mix bread flour, water, and sourdough starter together in a bowl. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Add salt to the dough and knead until smooth and elastic. Let the dough rise for about 3 hours, until doubled.
- Gently fold in sliced morels and thyme.
- Stretch the dough out onto a greased baking sheet to form a large flatbread. Let it rise, lightly covered, for another hour.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).
- Just before baking, dimple the dough with your fingers, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and crisp. Slice and serve warm.
Rhubarb and Ginger Sourdough Sweet Bread
Ingredients:
- 350g bread flour
- 150g whole wheat flour
- 320g water
- 100g sourdough starter
- 10g salt
- 50g sugar
- 200g fresh rhubarb, diced
- 50g crystallized ginger, finely chopped
- Extra sugar for sprinkling
Steps:
- Mix both flours, water, starter, and sugar in a large bowl. Rest for 30 minutes.
- Add salt and knead until fully incorporated. Let the dough bulk ferment for about 4 hours, with folds every hour.
- Fold in the rhubarb and ginger carefully.
- Shape the dough into a loaf and place into a greased loaf pan. Cover and let it rise until puffy, about 2-3 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Sprinkle the top of the loaf with sugar. Bake for 45 minutes until the top is golden and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Spring Herb and Cheese Sourdough Boule
Ingredients:
- 450g bread flour
- 300g water
- 90g sourdough starter
- 10g salt
- 100g sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup mixed fresh herbs (parsley, chives, dill), chopped
Steps:
- In a large bowl, mix flour, water, and starter. Rest covered for 30 minutes.
- Add salt and knead until smooth. Let ferment for about 4 hours, stretching and folding hourly.
- Incorporate the cheese and herbs into the dough during the final fold.
- Shape into a boule and place in a well-floured banneton. Let rise until nearly doubled, about 3-4 hours.
- Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C) with a Dutch oven inside.
- Transfer the boule to the hot Dutch oven, score the top, and cover. Bake for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 20 minutes until golden.
- Cool on a rack before slicing.
Salmon and Dill Sourdough Bagels
Ingredients:
- 500g bread flour
- 240g water
- 100g sourdough starter
- 10g salt
- 100g smoked salmon, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- Cream cheese for serving
Steps:
- Combine flour, water, and starter in a bowl. Rest for 30 minutes.
- Add salt and knead until smooth. Mix in salmon and dill.
- Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape each into a ball. Push a hole through the center of each ball to form a bagel.
- Let the shaped bagels rise for about 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Boil a large pot of water.
- Boil each bagel for 30 seconds per side, then place on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Serve with cream cheese.
We hope these recipes inspire you to incorporate the vibrant, fresh flavours of spring into your sourdough creations. Baking with ingredients that you’ve foraged yourself adds a rewarding touch to the baking process, making each loaf a testament to both your skill and the natural bounty of the Pacific Northwest.
We’d love to hear from you! Share your favourite springtime sourdough recipes or tell us about your foraging and baking experiences in the comments section below. Thank you for visiting the Wild Bluebell Homestead blog. Happy baking, and may your spring be as fruitful and flavourful as your freshly baked sourdough bread!
