Peach sourdough bread is that flavorful summer bread you didn't know you needed. Packed with a sweet brown sugar oat crisp and roasted peach chunks, every slice is more incredible than the last.
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Peach crisp sourdough bread will become your next summer sourdough obsession. Made with fresh peaches, homemade peach juice, and the subtle tang of sourdough in every slice, you're going to want to eat the loaf in one sitting, and then make another.
We've been making Low Hydration Sourdough Bread around here for well over a year now, and the more I experiment with flavors, the more I realize that sourdough is life. From our Apple Sourdough Bread to Cranberry Orange Sourdough Bread, and everything in between, sourdough pairs well with every flavor.
Because we've been canning up a storm with our fresh peaches (See: How to Can Peaches and Peach Peel Jelly), it only made sense that we eventually paired peaches with sourdough. Of course, we didn't stop at Peach Sourdough Bread.
We've also made Sourdough Peach Cobbler, Sourdough Peach Coffee Cake, and Sourdough Peaches and Cream Muffins. Because when you find a flavor pairing that works, you can't stop at just bread.
You're going to love this simple yet tasty recipe. All of the great flavors of peach cobbler are combined with the rustic, hearty taste of sourdough. There's nothing better.
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💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's Summery and Stunning. This Peach Sourdough Bread is golden, speckled with peach chunks, and smells like warm cobbler. It's the perfect centerpiece for brunch or a sweet-salty snack with cheese.
- It Reduces Food Waste. Have leftover peach skins and pits from canning? This bread puts them to work in a simmered peach juice, minimizing waste and maximizing flavor.
- It's Easy to Make. This is a pretty beginner-friendly sourdough recipe for anyone just getting into the flavor add-ins.
🛒 Ingredients
- Bread Flour: Its high protein helps develop strong gluten for a lofty, chewy sourdough loaf. You could also make your own using all-purpose flour. (See: How to Make Bread Flour)
- Active Sourdough Starter: The bubbly, living yeast gives the bread rise, flavor, and beautiful texture.
- Peach Juice: Adds natural sweetness and fruitiness. We make our own using the skins and pits of the fresh peaches used in this recipe.
- Optional Streusel Topping: Adds crunch, sweetness, and cinnamon warmth. I highly recommend swirling it throughout the dough. It's so tasty!
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
Fresh Peaches. If you do not have fresh peaches on hand, you can use canned peaches; you'll still want to roast them. Use water instead of peach juice in the bread, but note that your bread may not be as flavorful as a result.
🥣 Recipe Add-Ins
Want to add even more? Here are some tasty ideas:
- Chopped pecans or walnuts: Add crunch and a toasty nutty flavor.
- Cinnamon chips or white chocolate chips: Sweet mix-ins for a dessert-like vibe.
Limit mix-ins to about 150g total to avoid overwhelming the dough.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Use Seasonal Fruit - Fresh peaches are cheapest in summer. Stock up when they're in season and freeze extras for baking later.
Make Peach Juice from Scraps - Use the skins and pits to make your own peach juice or syrup instead of buying juice, zero waste and full flavor.
Buy Flour in Bulk - Large bags of all-purpose or bread flour cost less per pound and store well in airtight containers.
Repurpose Leftovers - Day-old Peach Sourdough Bread makes amazing French toast or bread pudding, stretching every slice further.
🥄 Instructions for Peach Sourdough Bread
Preparing the Peaches and the Peach Juice
Step 1: Peel your peaches by washing them, scoring an "X" on the bottom with a paring knife, and boiling for 30-60 seconds. Transfer to ice water for 1 minute, then gently rub the skin off with your thumbs. Reserve skins.
Step 2: Slice the peaches into chunks about ½ an inch thick and place them into a bowl filled with cold water and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (to prevent browning). Once all of the peaches have soaked for at least 1 minute, you can drain the liquid and place the peaches in a covered container in the fridge for later.
Step 3: Save all pits and skin from the peaches in a small pot on the stove and add 350g of water. Bring to a simmer and let cook for several minutes. The water should become colorful and flavorful- like unsweetened peach juice.
Step 4: Turn off the heat and let cool. Strain through a cheesecloth by letting the liquid drip through it. Do not squeeze.
Making the Bread
Step 5: In a large mixing bowl, combine the sourdough starter, bread flour, and 325g of the cooled peach juice until shaggy. Let rest 30-45 minutes before kneading in the salt. (Images 1 and 2).
Step 6: Mix the streusel ingredients in a bowl and place in the fridge to keep cold until needed later. (Images 3 & 4).
Step 7: Bulk ferment for 4-6 hours. Do 3-4 sets of stretch and folds every 30-45 minutes. After the final stretch and fold, gently fold in the peach chunks and streusel. See Step 8 for Peach Roasting Instructions. The dough should rise to be about 60-75% of its original size.
Step 8: Roasting the Peaches. (Image 5). You'll want to roast your peaches before the final stretch and fold, but give them enough time to cool down, so aim to do this around the third stretch and fold.
- Place the peaches on a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet (for easy cleanup). Sprinkle a little granulated sugar on top and then bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes. Let cool before mixing into the dough.
Step 9: Perform your final stretch and fold. (Image 6).
Step 10: Spread the dough out onto a clean counter and top with peaches and streusel. (Image 7). Fold in half and top with more peaches and streusel. (Image 8). Repeat until you can no longer add or fold. Shape the dough back into the bowl to continue its bulk fermenting.
Step 11: Sprinkle your banneton with rice flour to prevent sticking, and if desired, you can sprinkle additional streusel topping into the bowl as well. This will give the top of your loaf a textured sreusel appearance. (Image 9).
Step 12: Shape your dough as best as you can and place it seam-side up into the banneton. The dough may be hard to shape because of the moisture of the peach chunks. (Image 10).
Step 13: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place into the fridge to cold proof overnight. About 8-12 hours. (Image 11).
Step 14: When ready to bake, place a cold Dutch oven into your cold oven and preheat the oven to 475°F. When the oven is ready, grab your dough from the fridge and place it onto a silicone or parchment sling for easy transport in and out of the Dutch oven. (Image 12).
Step 15: Score the top with a razor blade as desired. I find a simple cut to work best as the peaches can be hard to cut through. (Image 13).
Step 16: Transfer your dough into the Dutch oven. (Image 14).
Step 17: Place the lid on the Dutch oven and return to oven. Bake covered at 475°F for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 450°F. Remove the lid and then bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes. The internal temp of the bread should be about 200°F-210°F.
Step 18: This is the hardest step of all. Let your bread cool completely (for a few hours). Before slicing in and enjoying. The bread needs this time to lock in moisture and finish the cooking process.
Serve and Enjoy!
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Roasted fruit adds flavor, but not much moisture: We roast the peaches to remove as much moisture as we can while caramelizing the fruit for added flavor depth. Make sure the roasted peaches are fully cooled before adding them to the dough to avoid gumminess.
- Sticky dough? That's okay. High hydration and fruit can make things tacky, so wet your hands slightly when folding or shaping.
- Dutch oven = best crust: The sealed steam helps achieve a golden, crackly crust without overbaking the inside.
- Chill your streusel: If using streusel, keep it cold so it holds its shape during baking.
- Check internal temp: Because we can't slice into the loaf for several hours, checking the internal temp helps us know that it's done without compromising the end results. Your bread is fully baked when it reaches about 200-205°F internally.
❄️ Storage, Reheating & Make Ahead
Storage
- Room Temp: Store in a paper bag or bread box up to 2 days. Avoid airtight containers to keep the crust crisp.
- Fridge: Not recommended; it dries the bread out faster.
- Freezer: Slice and freeze for easy, toast-ready portions. Wrap tightly in plastic, then foil or a freezer bag.
Reheating
- For slices: Toast in a skillet with butter or in the toaster until warm and golden. Avoid microwaving, it makes the crumb rubbery.
- For loaves: Wrap in foil and warm at 300°F for 10-15 minutes to restore freshness.
💡 Bonus Tip: Turn leftovers into delicious French toast or drizzle with 10 Minute Salted Caramel Sauce for a dessert twist.
Make Ahead
- Prepare roasted peaches or peach juice up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate. To make juice naturally, let peach skins, pits, and water sit covered in the fridge for a few days, then strain before using.
- Mix and bulk ferment the dough during the day, then cold-proof overnight for deeper flavor.
- Freeze fully cooled loaves up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature and refresh in the oven before serving.
🥗 Pairing Ideas
Pair this bread with any number of tasty jams and jellies, like our Watermelon Jelly and Small Batch Orange Marmalade. Even our Copycat Texas Roadhouse Butter would be phenomenal. Of course, eating it as-is is always an option too!
- Watermelon JellyRecipe $8.66 / Half Pint $1.73
- Small Batch Orange MarmaladeRecipe $1.38 / Serving $0.69
- Peach Peel JellyRecipe $5.23 / Half Pint $1.31
- How to Can PeachesRecipe $41.15 / Quart $5.87
❓ Peach Sourdough Bread FAQs
That's normal with high hydration and fruit! Wet your hands during folds and shaping, and don't worry, stickiness lessens as gluten strengthens.
You can, but the flavor and texture improve with a long cold ferment. If skipping, do a room temp rise until doubled, then bake.
Yes! Drain them well, then roast briefly to remove excess moisture and intensify flavor.
It's lightly sweet from the peaches, but not dessert-sweet unless you add streusel or extra sugar. Think: perfect for cheese boards or honey.
Yes, but reduce the oven temp to 375°F and bake for 35-40 minutes. The crust won't be quite as crisp, but it still turns out beautifully.
🍽️ More Recipes You'll Love
- Sourdough French Toast BakeRecipe $2.65 / Serving $0.66
- Sourdough Thumbprint CookiesRecipe $4.01 / Serving $0.13
- S'mores Sourdough BreadRecipe $3.02 / Serving $0.19
- Sourdough Pie CrustRecipe $3.10 / Crust $1.55
🐝 If you tried this Peach Sourdough Bread, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Peach Sourdough Bread
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
- Parchment Paper or silicone sling
- Banneton (proofing basket)
- Razor blade or bread lame
- Digital scale
Ingredients
Peach Liquid
- Skins and pits from 2-3 peaches - ($0.00)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar - ($0.02)
- 325 g water - ($0.00)
Dough
- 500 g bread flour - ($0.86)
- 325 g peach liquid, cooled - ($0.00)
- 100 g active sourdough starter - ($0.10)
- 10 g salt - ($0.01)
Roasted Peach Add-In
- 150 g peaches, roasted and diced, about 1 ¼ cups - ($2.49)
Cinnamon-Oat Streusel
- 30 g old-fashioned oats - ($0.10)
- 30 g brown sugar - ($0.16)
- 30 g all-purpose flour - ($0.03)
- 25 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed - ($0.24)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon - ($0.04)
Instructions
- Make the peach liquid. Wash peaches and score an X on the bottoms. Boil for 30 to 60 seconds, then transfer to ice water and remove skins. Reserve skins and pits. Simmer the skins and pits with the water and sugar until the liquid is peach-colored and fragrant. Cool completely, then strain without squeezing. Measure exactly 325 grams.
- Autolyse the dough. In a large bowl, combine the bread flour, peach liquid, and sourdough starter until a shaggy dough forms. Cover and rest for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Add salt and fold. Sprinkle the salt over the dough and knead gently to incorporate. Cover and rest.
- Prepare the streusel. In a small bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter. Mix until crumbly and refrigerate until needed.
- Bulk ferment. Let the dough ferment for 4 to 6 hours, performing 3 to 4 sets of stretch and folds every 30 to 45 minutes.
- Roast the peaches. During bulk fermentation, roast the diced peaches at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly caramelized. Cool completely.
- Incorporate add-ins. After the final fold, gently fold in the roasted peaches and a portion of the streusel. Return the dough to the bowl to finish fermenting.
- Shape and proof. Dust a banneton with rice flour. Shape the dough and place seam-side up in the banneton. Sprinkle additional streusel on top if desired. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.
- Bake. Place a Dutch oven in a cold oven and preheat to 475°F. Turn the dough onto parchment, score the top, and transfer to the hot Dutch oven. Bake covered for 20 minutes. Uncover, reduce temperature to 450°F, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes more, until the internal temperature reaches 200 to 210°F.
- Cool. Cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Flavor boost. Roasting peaches removes excess moisture and deepens flavor.
- Sticky dough. High hydration and fruit can make the dough tacky. Wet hands help during shaping.
- Streusel texture. Chilled streusel holds its shape better while baking.
- Doneness. Bread is fully baked at 200 to 210°F internally.
- Storage. Store at room temperature in a paper bag or bread box for up to 2 days.
- Freezing. Slice and freeze tightly wrapped for up to 3 months. Toast to reheat.
Nutritional Information
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Nicole Durham says
Peach sourdough bread has definitely become one of our favorites this year!