Description

This Tangy Dill Pickle Sourdough Bread is a delightful twist on classic sourdough, incorporating zesty dill pickles and fresh dill to create a uniquely flavorful loaf. Perfect for sandwiches or alongside soups, it uses your sourdough starter and pickle brine efficiently, making it a smart, tasty way to elevate everyday bread baking.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Dough:

50g active sourdough starter
7g fine sea salt
35g whole wheat flour
260g filtered water (warmed to 85°F)
375g white bread flour
30g dill pickle brine

For the Mix-ins:

1 1/2 tbsp fresh dill (finely chopped)
80g diced dill pickles (patted dry)

Instructions

Mix and Initial Rest: In a large bowl, combine the active sourdough starter, warm filtered water, and pickle brine using a fork until the starter is fully dispersed. Add both flours and mix with a spatula, then your hand until a shaggy dough forms with no visible dry flour. Sprinkle the salt evenly on top, cover with a damp cloth, and let rest for 40 minutes.
Knead and Incorporate Salt: After resting, knead the dough vigorously by hand for two minutes to fully incorporate the salt. Perform the first stretch and fold by grabbing a portion of dough, stretching it upwards, and folding over itself. Cover and rest again for 30 minutes.
Add Flavorings and Continue Stretch and Fold: Sprinkle the diced pickles and chopped fresh dill evenly over the dough, ensuring distribution to the sides of the bowl. Perform another stretch and fold to incorporate the mix-ins. Let the dough rest for another 30 minutes.
Complete Stretch and Fold Sequences: Perform two additional rounds of stretch and folds, each followed by a 30-minute rest, completing four total stretch and fold cycles to develop dough strength and structure.
Bulk Fermentation and Shaping: Let the dough bulk ferment covered on the counter at around 74°F until it rises about 75%, approximately 4 hours. The dough should appear glossy, slightly bubbly, and nearly doubled. Gently transfer to a floured surface and rest for 10-15 minutes. Shape the dough as desired, place seam-side up in a floured, linen-lined banneton, cover with a shower cap or damp cloth, and allow final proofing.
Final Proof and Baking: Proof the dough overnight in the fridge up to 12 hours for convenience and shape retention or about 1.5 hours at room temperature until slightly puffy. Preheat the oven to 450°F with a Dutch oven inside. Turn the dough out onto parchment paper, score the top deeply (at least 1/2 inch), place it in the hot Dutch oven covered, and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover, reduce the temperature to 435°F, and bake an additional 20 minutes until golden and crusty.
Cooling: Remove the bread and allow to cool completely for at least one hour before slicing to ensure the interior texture sets properly and avoids gumminess from residual steam. Enjoy your tangy dill pickle sourdough!

Notes

Use refrigerated kosher dill pickles that are firm and crisp to maintain texture during baking.
Pat pickles thoroughly dry to prevent excess moisture from affecting dough consistency.
Active sourdough starter is essential; ensure it is bubbly and passes the float test before use.
Substitute all-purpose flour for bread flour if needed, but expect a slightly less chewy loaf.
If fresh dill is unavailable, use 1½ teaspoons dried dill weed; do not use dill seeds.
Properly manage moisture by adding pickles during final stretch and fold, not earlier.
Store bread wrapped at room temperature for 4-5 days or freeze slices for up to 3 months.
Reheat frozen slices in a toaster or warm whole loaf at 350°F for 10 minutes with moisture sprinkled to refresh crust.

Prep Time: 60-75 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Category: Bread
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: sourdough bread, dill pickle bread, tangy bread, homemade sourdough, pickles, dill, artisan bread, sandwich bread