Lemon Blueberry Focaccia Bread

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Lemon Blueberry Focaccia Bread combines soft sourdough focaccia with juicy blueberries and fresh lemon flavor. This sweet focaccia includes a rich blueberry filling, a buttery crumble topping, and a light lemon glaze. The result is a soft, fluffy bread with bright citrus flavor that works well for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.

Lemon Blueberry Focaccia Bread Story and Inspiration

A Sweet Take on Focaccia

I usually bake focaccia as a savory bread with olive oil and herbs. One evening, while feeding my sourdough starter, I started thinking about desserts my grandmother used to make. She loved baking with blueberries and lemon. Those flavors always filled her kitchen with the most comforting smell.

That memory pushed me to try something different. I wondered if those bright, sweet flavors could work inside a soft focaccia dough.

The first time I baked Lemon Blueberry Focaccia Bread, the results surprised me. The bread rose beautifully, and the blueberries baked into a soft jam-like filling inside the fluffy dough. The lemon added a bright flavor that kept every bite balanced.

Now it has become one of my favorite ways to use sourdough starter.

Why Lemon and Blueberry Work Perfectly

Lemon and blueberry create a natural flavor pairing. Blueberries bring sweetness and a deep fruit flavor. Lemon adds brightness and keeps the bread from tasting too heavy.

In Lemon Blueberry Focaccia Bread, the combination works even better because of the soft sourdough texture. As the bread bakes, the blueberry filling melts slightly into the dough. This creates pockets of sweet fruit flavor throughout the bread.

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The crumble topping adds another texture layer. Soft bread, juicy berries, and buttery crumbs create contrast in every bite.

The final lemon glaze adds a light citrus finish that ties everything together. Each slice delivers soft bread, fruit filling, and bright lemon flavor in a simple homemade bake.

Ingredients for Lemon Blueberry Focaccia Bread

Focaccia Dough Ingredients

The base of Lemon Blueberry Focaccia Bread starts with a soft sourdough focaccia dough. This dough creates the fluffy texture that holds the fruit filling and toppings.

You will need the following ingredients:

75 grams sourdough starter
400 grams water warmed to 90°F
25 grams honey
500 grams bread flour
10 grams salt
35 grams olive oil

The sourdough starter helps the dough rise slowly overnight. This process builds flavor and creates the airy texture that focaccia is known for.

Warm water activates the starter and encourages fermentation. Honey adds a touch of sweetness that complements the blueberries later in the recipe.

Bread flour works best because it contains more protein than regular flour. That extra strength helps the dough stretch and hold the filling.

Olive oil gives the focaccia its soft texture and rich flavor.

Blueberry Filling, Crumble, and Lemon Glaze Ingredients

The blueberry filling gives Lemon Blueberry Focaccia Bread its sweet fruit center. It thickens slightly during cooking so it stays inside the bread while baking.

Blueberry filling ingredients:

16 ounces fresh or frozen blueberries
1 ounce butter
6 ounces water
2 ounces sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ounce ClearJel
1 ounce cold water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest

The crumble topping adds a buttery texture on top of the bread.

Crumble topping ingredients:

¼ cup all purpose flour
⅛ cup sugar
3 tablespoons soft butter

Finally, the lemon glaze adds a fresh citrus finish.

Lemon glaze ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

These simple ingredients come together to create a bright, soft, and fruit-filled Lemon Blueberry Focaccia Bread.

How to Make Lemon Blueberry Focaccia Bread

Day 1: Prepare the Dough

About 12 hours before baking, mix the sourdough starter, warm water, and honey in a large bowl.

Add the bread flour and mix until everything combines into a rough dough.

Cover the dough and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. This rest helps the flour absorb the water and begin forming gluten.

Add the salt and mix thoroughly.

With wet hands, pull the edges of the dough upward and fold them over the center. Repeat this folding process on all four sides of the dough.

Cover the bowl with lightly oiled plastic wrap and place it in a warm area between 65°F and 80°F. Let the dough rise overnight for about 12 hours.

Prepare the Blueberry Filling

Place the blueberries, sugar, water, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.

In a small bowl, combine the cold water and ClearJel to create a slurry.

Pour the slurry into the blueberry mixture and cook while stirring over medium-high heat until the filling thickens.

Remove the pan from the heat and allow the filling to cool. Cover and refrigerate it until the next day.

Baking Lemon Blueberry Focaccia Bread

Assemble the Focaccia

On the second day, coat a sheet pan with a thin, even layer of olive oil and melted butter.

Place the risen dough onto the sheet pan and gently stretch it into a rectangle.

Spread about one cup of the blueberry filling over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle lemon zest over the filling.

Fold the edges of the dough over each other to seal the filling inside, creating a book fold.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow it to rise for about two hours, or until it looks puffy.

Bake and Finish the Bread

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Use oiled fingers to press dimples across the surface of the dough. Drizzle additional olive oil and melted butter over the top.

Add small spoonfuls of the blueberry filling across the surface.

Prepare the crumble topping by mixing the flour, sugar, and butter together with a hand mixer until combined. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the dough.

Bake the focaccia for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top turns golden brown.

Remove the bread from the pan and allow it to cool on a wire rack before slicing.

To finish, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle the lemon glaze over the cooled Lemon Blueberry Focaccia Bread before serving.