How to Make the Best Christmas Sourdough Bread

Christmas Sourdough is filled with crunchy pistachios, tart cranberries, and sweet white chocolate. Whether you make this for a holiday brunch or give it as a delicious gift, these flavors will create memories.

Bread is something that can become a signature memory for the holiday season. It intertwines in our traditions, and before we know it, taking a bite out of a baked good can take a 35 year old back to being 5 years old. My children are still very young, so I’m working on building up some family traditions with them.

This year is hopefully the first of many making this phenomenally crusty sourdough loaf included with tart and fresh cranberries, crunchy and savory pistachios, and creamy and sweet white chocolate. So let’s dive into what makes this Christmas sourdough loaf so special and how to make it.

The Beauty of Christmas Sourdough

Sourdough bread is a labor of love. Unlike commercial yeast breads, sourdough relies on a fermented starter – a living culture of wild yeasts and bacteria that gives the bread its signature tangy and complex flavor profile. Each loaf tells a story of patience, tradition, and natural fermentation. And the combination of these inclusions playing a symphony of textures and tastes in each bite makes this perfect for the Christmas season.

This recipe starts with a simple sourdough loaf as its base. Click here to check out this basic sourdough recipe. That one is great for beginners just getting into the world of sourdough. And if you need a sourdough starter, enter your email below to receive a free ebook on how to create one at home.

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Supplies you may need

I start my dough in the same container I plan to bulk ferment. This Pyrex bowl with a lid has served me well over the years. When mixing the dough, I sometimes use a dough whisk and a bowl scraper. When shaping on the counter, I use a bench scraper. For cold proofing, I put my dough in a linen lined banneton, and I use disposable shower caps to cover. And for baking, I use a sheet of parchment paper and my cast iron Dutch oven. Finally, I’ll move the baked loaf onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

• Pyrex bowl with lid
• Dough whisk
• Bowl scraper
• Bench scraper
• Linen lined banneton
• Disposable shower caps
• Parchment paper
• Dutch oven
• Wire rack

Making Christmas sourdough step by step

Bread can be a tricky thing to get right, especially with inclusions. The following step by step guide with process pictures will hopefully help you know what to expect from your dough along the way.

Mix the dough

Start by mixing the fully ripened sourdough starter, water, and flours in a large bowl. Use a dough whisk or fork to completely incorporate everything together.

When the dough is fully mixed, it should be quite shaggy but cohesive. All the flour should be hydrated. Use a bowl scraper to get every bit of the dough if needed.

Stew the cranberries

Combine the cranberries, honey, and orange juice in a medium sauce pot. Cook on medium low for about 15 minutes until the cranberries have released some juices.

When finished the outer skin should be slightly cracked, and they should have some give when squeezed. I prefer the cranberries to finish baking in the loaf, so they are not fully cooked through at this point.

Stretch and folds

There are a total of three stretch and folds performed on this dough. The first is done 30 minutes after mixing, the second is done 30 minutes after that. I take the edge of the dough, pull it vertically and then fold it over on itself. I do this four times all the way around the dough ball. Here’s a helpful video if you’re new to stretching and folding.

After each stretch and fold, I like to roll the dough over and form into a taut, round ball. Cover and let rest in an undisturbed place in between folds.

Incorporate Christmas sourdough inclusions

After the second stretch and fold, weight out and prepare the inclusions. Drain excess moisture from the cranberries, chop the chocolate bar, and measure out the pistachios. I like to put each ingredient in its own bowl, so I can just throw them on top of the dough when I’m ready.

Using your fingers, press, pinch, and fold all the inclusions into the dough. I find it takes a few minutes to fully incorporate everything together. Be patient while working the dough. It all ends up coming together. Once everything is worked into the dough, cover and set aside for one last stretch and fold.

After 30 minutes of resting, perform one last stretch and fold on the dough. This not only continues gluten development but also encourages the inclusions to fully integrate into the dough.

Ferment and shape

Allow the dough to ferment and double in size at room temperature. This will take around 3 hours depending on the ambient temperature of your house. If it’s warmer, the dough will rise faster and vice versa. After bulk fermentation, turn the dough out of the bowl onto a clean and lightly floured work surface. Using a bench scraper and your fingertips, preshape the dough into a rough round shape. Let it rest for 15-20 minutes uncovered to develop a bit of a crust on the outside before shaping again.

To do the final shaping, use the bench scraper to turn the dough over after it’s been resting. The bottom should be on the top now. Fold each edge of the dough ball up and into the middle. Turn back over and shape into a taut, round ball. Pick up with the bench scraper and place the dough upside down so that the bottom is facing up in a banneton dusted with flour. I like to use white rice flour in this application because it doesn’t absorb into the dough during proofing.

Cold proof and bake

Cover tightly and put in the refrigerator to cold proof at least two hours. I prefer to do an overnight proof, so that I can bake in the morning for brunch.

When ready to bake, preheat the Dutch oven at 450F/230C for at least a half hour. Dust the dough with white rice flour and turn out onto a piece of parchment paper. Score the dough however you like, and lower it into the preheated Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 20 minutes with the lid on. After 20 minutes, remove the lid and continue baking for another 30 minutes with the lid off. When finished, carefully transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing into your beautifully brown and crusty Christmas sourdough!