Lemon Rosemary Sourdough Bread

Rustic and light, this zesty Lemon Rosemary Sourdough Bread recipe is just the right amount of savory with the addition of lemon zest. Perfect with a big slab of butter or toasted to perfection to dip in soup.

If you're looking for more homemade bread recipes, check out Sourdough Discard Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread, Organic French Baguettes With Instant Yeast, or Honey Butter Dinner Rolls.

A Quick Look At The Recipe

• Recipe Name: Lemon Rosemary Sourdough Bread
• Ready In: 16 hours 45 minutes
• Makes: 10 servings
• Main Ingredients: bread flour, whole wheat flour, sourdough starter
• Flavor Profile: golden, crispy crust, subtle lemon tang and herbal rosemary tones
• Dietary Info: no seed oils, eggless, vegan
• Difficulty: Medium
• Why You’ll Love It: soft and tender with a crispy crust rustic rosemary sourdough bread

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Beginner Friendly: This lemon rosemary bread recipe is one you can make even if you are beginner bread baker. And that is what I consider myself — a beginner or intermediate at best. I like easy organic bread recipes and this lemon rosemary bread recipe is easy!
• Proofs Overnight: This recipe is a two day process and this easy rosemary sourdough bread proofs in the fridge overnight. That way, you can wake up and bake it off right away. It gives you all day to eat this crusty and subtly sweet bread when it is at its best!
• High Altitude Tested: I baked my Lemon Rosemary Sourdough at high altitude and did the testing up here, Hannah baked hers at sea level. So, like all the recipes on my site, you can count on baking this no matter where you live! Just be sure to jump to the Notes section at the bottom for high altitude instructions.
• Bold and Zesty Flavor: The combination of aromatic rosemary and lemon compliment one another in this recipe giving you both bold and zesty flavor. This lemon rosemary bread is delicious with a slab of butter or even on a sandwich! If you love lemon and rosemary together, check out my Lemon Rosemary Sandwich Cookies too!

This recipe is a collaboration with my good friend Hannah at Make It Dough. We have come together on many sourdough recipes so you get double tested recipes that we both had a hand in creating!

Check out some of our other sourdough recipe collabs like Sourdough Blueberry Crumb Bars, Sourdough Crescent Rolls, Baked Chai Donuts with Sourdough Discard, or Sourdough Strawberry Pop Tarts.

Ingredients

• Bread Flour: I use King Arthur Organic Bread Flour, which is a favorite. Bread flour gives this a chewy texture as opposed to all purpose flour.
• Whole Wheat Flour: Whole wheat flour gives this bread some more depth of flavor and a little darker color.
• Lemons: This organic bread has fresh lemon rind in it, giving it extra flavor!
• Sourdough Starter: You'll need to have an active sourdough starter for this recipe.
• Dried Rosemary: Using dried rosemary over fresh herbs in this recipe gives you the best flavor as dried will have more flavor than fresh.

*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.

Organic Sourdough Bread Recipe Tips

• Make sure your starter is active. It will have bubbles in it when it's active.
• If your starter has not been in the fridge, ensure to remove it and feed it multiple times until it's active and shows bubbles. This may take a few hours or even up to 24 hours, depending how long it's been in the fridge.
• I use dried rosemary for the most potent flavor, but if you want to use fresh, you'll need double the amount.
• Fresh organic sourdough bread is best enjoyed the day of. If you need to store it, use an airtight container like a zip bag.
• This organic sourdough bread recipe is a 2 day process. If you need fresh bread the day of, try my Organic French Baguettes With Instant Yeast!
• High Altitude — Bake at 500°F covered for 15 to 20 minutes, and uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how dark you’d like the crust.

How to Make Lemon Rosemary Sourdough Bread

Step 1

Autolyse: In a large mixing bowl, combine bread flour, whole wheat flour, and water. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir the ingredients together until no traces of dry flour remain. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, set in a warm place and let the dough rest for 1 hour.

Step 2

Prepare the inclusions: Zest the lemon and set aside.

Step 3

Add the starter and inclusions: Add the sourdough starter, salt, dried rosemary and lemon zest to the autolysed dough. Fold the dough over the sourdough starter and the inclusions until fully incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Strengthen the dough: Perform a coil fold by picking the center of the dough with your fingertips. Lift the dough until the ends release from the bowl. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and perform another coil fold. Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly-oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Step 4

Working in the bowl, complete 3 to 4 more sets of stretches, these same coil folds, in 30 minute intervals. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm place after each fold. Once the dough looks smooth and feels strong, let the dough rest untouched for 1 hour.

Step 4

Preshape the dough: Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface. Using a bench scraper, turn the dough over and gently round it into a tight ball. Cover the dough with a tea towel and leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes.

Step 5

Shape the dough: Shape the dough into a boule or a batard. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

Cold proof: Place the dough in the refrigerator to proof overnight.

Step 6

Prep: Preheat the oven to 500°F with a Dutch oven inside. Score the dough: Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, cut a large gash on the dough at least ¼ to ½-inch deep.

Step 7

Bake: Transfer the dough into the Dutch oven with the parchment paper. Bake covered for 25 to 30 minutes and uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how dark you’d like the crust. Transfer the bread to a wire rack and allow it to cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Lemon Rosemary Sourdough Bread FAQ's

Serving Ideas

• I love this as a side to cozy meals like Mushroom Zucchini Baked Pasta, Butter Parmesan Pasta With Italian Sausage, Slow Cooker Beef Brisket Stew, Baked Butter Lemon Pasta Without Cheese, and Organic Meatloaf With Bone Broth.
• This makes a great sandwich bread with leftover holiday meats like Slow Cooker Turkey, Roasted Herb Butter Turkey, and Savory Mustard Herb Ham.
• Use slices that have lost some of their moisture to make Meyer Lemon French Toast.

More Homemade Bread Recipes

Sourdough Discard Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Sourdough Irish Brown Bread With Guinness

Honey Butter Dinner Rolls

Almond Butter Banana Bread