Delicious Lemon Poppy Seed Sourdough Bread made with rich citrusy notes with nutty and sweet touch of poppy seeds.
This lemon poppy seed sourdough bread is inspired from classic cake combo of same with equal dose of lemony flavor and studded with poppy seeds. Excellent summery taste in your toast or sandwich bread.
Poppy seeds are thought to have originated in Asia. The most familiar Poppy seeds that are present in cakes, bagels, pastries, noodles are blue poppy seeds, which are produced in Netherlands. Also, poppy seeds come in different colors such as cream, yellow, dark red and white. White seeds produced in India, Turkey, and Southeast Asia, are ground or toasted add to curries and other savory dishes.
White seeds have a neutral creamy nuttiness that makes sauces lush. They tolerate sauces and blend well with spices.
Poppy seed oils contain 86%–90% unsaturated fatty acids, and the most abundant fatty acid is linoleic acid (C18:2) 63%–75% (72% on average), followed by oleic acid (12%–17%) and palmitic acid (8%–10%). Their fine oils make the seeds naturally sweet with a nutty flavor .
They grow rancid so keep them frozen or refrigerated at home.
In addition to their culinary applications, poppy seeds have been used as a folk remedy in various cultures. Thought to promote everything from sleep and fertility to wealth and good fortune, it has even been said that poppy seeds can help you achieve invisibility or find true love!
How to make Lemon Poppy Seed Sourdough Bread ?
You need following ingredients to make Lemon poppy seed sourdough bread .
Leavain. I made leavain with100% sourdough starter of ( 50: 50 all purpose flour, whole wheat flour ) with bread flour and whole wheat flour.
Lemon Zest: You need 3 lemon zest around 10g, more the better.
Poppy seed: I used black / blue poppy seeds around 16g you can go up to 25g if you want.
Bread flour : Bread flour adds chewiness to the sourdough bread.
Rye flour : I like nuttiness of rye which adds to bread which compensate well with poppy seeds.
Water : I used around 77 % of hydration
Salt : which is added to control the rate of fermentation.
Lemon juice : I have not added if you want you can add 5g of lemon juice but keep in mind that bread will be little sour.
Points to remember while making this Lemon Poppy Seed Sourdough ?
Since it has 85% bread flour in the recipe, I have used only 30 minutes autolyse. You can increase up to 1 hour.
I have incorporated the poppy seeds and lemon zest during the time of lamination. If you want, you can incorporate in the beginning.
You can substitute the lemon zest for lime and make lime poppy seed sourdough also.
Baking Schedule
Make Leaven/Leavain 8. 00 A.M
Autolyse the Flours with water 12.30 A.M
Incorporate leaven/levain into the dough 1.00 P.M
Add salt into dough around 1.30 P.M
After 1 hour stretch and fold the dough around 2.30 P.M
Then around 3.30 P.M stretch and fold and dough for second time.
Around 4.30 P.M Laminate the dough. Incorporate, lemon zest poppy seeds
First coil fold 5.30 P.M Coil fold the dough.
second coil fold at 6.00 P.M
Pre-shape at 7.00 P.M.
Shape the dough 7.15 P.M
Cold Retard/ Refrigerator Overnight up to 14 hours
Bake at 7.00 A.M
If you try this bread, please tag me @nidhinikhil in Instagram and @zestysouthindiankitchen in Facebook.
These are delicious with hints of citrusy flavor and nutty and spicy, and has slightly fruity undertones from dark poppy seeds.
Lemon Poppy Seed Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
Leavain/ Leaven
- 15 g sourdough starter I used 100% hydration, 50: 50 all-purpose flour : whole wheat flour
- 50 bread flour
- 25 g whole wheat flour
- 75 g water
Dough
- 375 g bread flour
- 50 g rye flour
- 140 g leavain
- 320 g water
- 10 g lemon zests about 3 lemon
- 16 g Poppy seeds
- 9 g salt
Instructions
Make Leaven
- In the morning make your dough combine 2 tablespoons (15-20 grams) of unfed sourdough starter with 75g of water 50 g of bread flour and 25g whole wheat flour. Mix until there are no dry bits of flour, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit out for 4-5 hours or until it doubles in volume.
Make Autolyse
- Around 4 hours of Levain making, Mix all the flours in 317 g water in a large bowl. And mix by hand until there are no dry bits. Knead for 1-2 minutes until well combined. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes
Make Dough
- When levain is ready incorporate the levain into the autolyzed dough
- Then after 30 minutes add salt. Mix well and cover the dough again and set aside
Stretch and Fold
- Then stretch and fold the dough every 1 hour for until 2 hours. This means grabbing the underside of the dough and stretching it up and over the rest of the dough. Perform a few of these turns each time you handle the dough.
Laminate the dough
- One hour after last stretch and fold do a lamination of the dough. Means spread the dough into thin sheet and Then sprinkle lemon zest and poppy seeds on the top and fold them into a letter fold.
Coil fold
- If you are planning for 1 coil fold do that 2 hours of lamination. If you are doing 2 coil folds give 1 hour’s interval.
Shaping the dough
- Then transfer the dough lightly floured workspace and shape them into round Boule. Fold the third of the dough closest to you inward, and then stretch the dough out to the sides. Fold the right, and then left sides in toward the center. Fold the top of the dough inward, and then wrap the bottom part of the dough over it all. If you want, you can make pre-shape and set aside for 15 minutes and then make a final shape.
- Work this into a round shape, and place seam side up in a proofing basket lined well with flour.
Cold Proof
- After transferring to Banneton, Let rise the dough overnight in the refrigerator. You can keep this cold retard up to 14 hours.
Score and Bake
- When you are ready to bake preheat oven to 500°F.
- Remove the dough from the proofing basket and score and transfer to Dutch oven and close the lid and immediately place the top back on and return to the oven.
- Turn the heat down to 500°F and cook for 15 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 450 F for 15 minutes with lid.
- After 15 minutes remove the top of the Dutch oven and rotate the pan. Continue to bake the bread for another 15 minutes, until the crust is deeply caramelized. Give 10-15 minutes extra if you want more crusty bread.
- If you want crackling crust after switching off the oven keep oven door ajar and keep the bread inside.
- Once bread comes out of oven cool completely in the wire rack and cut it into slice and enjoy with some butter
Video
Notes
- Lemon juice : I have not added if you want you can add 5g of lemon juice but keep in mind that bread will be little sour
- You can substitute the lemon zest for lime and make lime poppy seed sourdough
Nutrition
This is Swathi ( Dr. Ambujom Saraswathy Ph.D) from Zesty South Indian Kitchen who loves to explore cuisines from all over the world. Whenever possible I try to to give an Indian touch to several of the world cuisine, and has weakness for freshly baked bread. All the recipes you see here are created by me and approved after taste-test by my family.
Rakia says
If I want to skip the lamination part because I mixed the poppy seeds and lemon zest with flour in autolys
How many coil fold I have to do before the pre shape
Swathi says
At least 1 hour
Anonymous says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Anonymous says
Anonymous says
Nicole says
This looks delicious for spring. These two flavors go together perfectly.
Tiffany says
I love this twist on a regular loaf of sourdough. Lemon and poppyseed are a family favorite combo! Thank you!
Gloria says
I love making bread. Lemon poppy seed loaf is a great sweet loaf. I need to try the sourdough version. I would love some toasted for breakfast.
Elizabeth says
Absolutely love lemon poppyseed! So good!
Padma says
Sourdough is one of my favourite types of bread. This one with its lemony flavor is so unique! Thank you!
Jj says
When would I add lemon juice? In the initial mix with the water, replacing some of the water ?
Swathi says
when you are adding water yes, replace for some water.
Andrea says
this sourdough bread is something special! so perfect with soup!
Mary says
Love anything with lemon and poppy seeds. This was no exception. Thanks for sharing another great recipe!
Shelley says
Can you please clarify the baking time? Step 3 says total of 30 minutes and so does step 4? I feel like an hour of baking would be too long? Thank you
It sounds delicious!
Swathi says
Yes it requires at least 45 to 50 minutes. you are baking at high temperature only in the beginning. next you are reducing the temperature.
Glenda says
Oh Swathi! It's absolutely gorgeous! If it tastes as good as it looks you must have a very happy family. Absolutely love your flavor profile. Gonna bake this one for myself.
Katie says
Delicious! Thank you!
Ann says
Hi Swathi, can I use lemon extract instead of zest? Thank you!
Swathi says
yes you can that will give flavor. Let me know how it turned out for you so that I can update the recipe.
Sangita says
I know making sourdough is not an easy job. Well explained recipe.
Mama Maggie's Kitchen says
My mouth is watering. I wish this were in front of me.
Angela says
I love making bread at home, thanks for this recipe !
Chef Dennis says
My sons loved this Lemon Poppy Seed Sourdough Bread so much! Can't wait to make more.
Angela says
I had to try this lemon poppy seed sour dough. What a treat! Thanks for sharing.
Msjane90 says
Oh wow! This looks so good and tasty! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Ann says
A terrific flavor combination the entire family will love!
Audrey says
I love the combination of lemon and sourdough!
Audrey says
Lemon and sourdough go great together in this recipe!
Jessica Formicola says
I am loving all things lemon right now. What a great idea to add it to sourdough bread! This looks wonderful and I can't wait to try it this week!
Deeba Kalanchvi says
Recipes sound delicious!!!
heather says
This is the perfect sour dough for spring! I love lemon poppyseed and never thought to use it for sourdough. Great recipe!
Marysa says
This sounds amazing! My aunt used to make lemon poppyseed bread all the time and I would love to give this a try.
natalia flores says
I haven't tried this and looks like an awesome recipe. I should try this
Catalina says
OMG! I love the texture of this bread! Such a great ide to use poppy seeds!
Nichole Muczynski says
This loaf honestly looks too pretty to break apart!!! I have a friend who has taken on bread baking during the pandemic and it truly does take heart and passion (and the right ingredients!) I'm going to pass this one along to her!
MELANIE EDJOURIAN says
This sounds soooo good. I love that you added lemon to it too. Definitely, a must try!!!
Lynndee says
I made sourdough bread last year and loved it. Will have to try this. Bet it's good!
Gervin Khan says
Wow! I haven't heard about this recipe but I'm sure the taste is gonna be awesome!
Eileen M Loya says
Your recipe is very detailed and the process is easy to follow. I will try my best to make my own lemon poppy seed sourdough bread tomorrow. Hopefully it would be a success.
Kathy says
This looks amazing. I love sourdough bread. It's my favorite kind of bread. I also really love lemon poppy seed. I'm going to give this a try.
Nikki Wayne says
It looks so good! I would make this and stock some on my fridge .
Tara Pittman says
This bread sounds delicious. I will have to make it soon.