Sweet Swirls: The Strawberry Cheesecake Sourdough You Asked For!
If I had a nickel for every time someone messaged me saying, “You have to try a strawberry cheesecake dessert sourdough!” or “Can you make something with strawberries?”—well, I’d probably have enough nickels to buy a very fancy stand mixer.
You guys asked (and asked, and asked!), and I finally listened. Today, we are blurring the lines between “morning toast” and “decadent dessert.” We’re talking about Strawberry Cheesecake Sourdough.
Imagine a tangy, chewy crust opening up to reveal a vibrant pink swirl, pockets of creamy sweetened cheese, and bursts of tart freeze-dried strawberries. It’s colorful, it’s quirky, and yes, it tastes just as good as it looks.
Why This Works
The secret to that “cheesecake” vibe isn’t just the cream cheese—it’s the dragon fruit powder. It gives the dough a stunning magenta hue without adding moisture that might mess up your crumb. When you swirl the pink dough with the plain dough, you get that gorgeous marbled effect that looks like a gourmet pastry.
Pro Tip: Resisting the urge to cut into this while it’s hot is the hardest part of the recipe. Let it cool completely on a wire rack so the cream cheese sets and the crumb doesn’t get gummy!
This loaf is absolute magic when toasted with a little extra butter. If you make it, tag me on Instagram or TikTok—I want to see those pink swirls! Happy baking!
Strawberry Cheesecake Sourdough
Created by Sue Mun
Makes One, Sourdough Boule
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 110g ripe sourdough starter
- 350g water
- 500g bread flour
- 10g salt
For the Pink Dough:
- 10g dragon fruit powder (to be added to the dough above. See Instructions in Step 3)
For the Inclusions:
- 1 cup freeze dried strawberries
- 1/4 cup cream cheese mixed with 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4-1/3 cup white chocolate chips
For the Glaze Topping (Optional):
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1-3 tbsp whole milk, adjust for thickness
- a dash of vanilla extract
Instructions:
Make the Dough:
- In a large glass or ceramic bowl, mix together the warm water and the ripe sourdough starter.
- Add in the bread flour and salt and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Split the dough in half. It does not have to be perfect. Place both doughs in separate bowls. In one of the dough, massage in about 10 grams of dragon fruit powder until it is mix into the dough well.
- Cover both bowls and rest for 1 hour.
- Stretch and fold #1. Using wet hands, stretch both of the doughs into itself about 6-8 times or until gluten develops. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and fold #2. Using wet hands, stretch and fold the doughs into itself until it can not stretch anymore. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and fold #3. Repeat the steps from above. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and fold #4. Repeat the steps from above.
- Once all of the stretch and fold sessions have been performed, simply place both of the doughs together in a large bowl side by side. You do not need to mix the two dough together. It will swirl together when you shape it later.
- Cover and bulk ferment for 6-10 hours. Or until the dough has doubled in size and the dough peels away the sides of the bowl easily. If not, continue to proof longer.
Shape the Dough:
- Flip the dough over and gently stretch to a long rectangle. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture on top. Then sprinkle the freeze dried strawberries and white chocolate chips on top. Perform a book fold. Top with more cream cheese, white chocolate chips, and freeze dried strawberries on top and gently roll the dough up. Then gently push/pull dough into a tight round in a candy cane motion.
- Dust with rice flour and place into banneton bread mold.
- Gently pull the edges of the round into the center of the dough. Just so it adds tension to the dough and helps improve oven spring when it bakes.
- Cover and proof in the fridge overnight (8-10 hours)
The Bake:
- Preheat oven to 450F and place dutch oven in the oven to also preheat.
- Flip onto silpat or parchment and gently score the top of the dough using a lame knife.
- Carefully place the sourdough into your hot Dutch oven. Cover with the lid.
- Bake at 450F for 25 minutes with the lid covered.
- Lower the oven to 425F. Uncover the lid and bake again for 15-25 more minutes. Or until the internal temp is above 190F.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting and serving.
