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Pink Sourdough Bread

Halved pink sourdough bread in a wire-woven bowl.
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This pink sourdough bread is a naturally colored artisan loaf with a beautiful, bright pink crumb and crisp golden crust. Made with 3% dragon fruit powder, it adds vibrant color while keeping the classic tangy sourdough flavor and soft, airy texture.

Ingredients

Scale

For the levain (an active starter):

  • 22 g sourdough starter
  • 22 g bread flour
  • 22 g water

For sourdough bread:

  • 300 g bread flour (I use King Arthur organic bread flour)
  • 234 g water (75% hydration)
  • 60 g levain (active starter at peak)
  • 6 g fine sea salt (I use Redmond ancient fine sea salt)
  • 9 g dragon fruit powder (3%)

10 g white rice flour (for dusting)

Instructions

  1. Autolyse: Pour water into a mixing bowl. Mix with flour until a shaggy dough. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes.
  2. Incorporate levain and salt: Add levain (active starter at peak) and mix. Add the salt and dragon fruit powder, then mix using one of the bread dough mixing techniques. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes. Once you add levain (active sourdough starter), bulk fermentation starts.
  3. Bulk fermentation: With wet hands, perform two sets of stretch and folds and two sets of coil folds, with a 30-minute rest between sets. The number of coil folds depends on the dough's strength and extensibility. If the dough is strong, stop after two sets (don't overwork the dough!). If the dough is weaker and spreads noticeably, add one or two extra sets of coil folds. If you use a mixer to mix this bread dough, it will develop strong gluten. In that case, perform two sets of coil folds, with an optional half set if needed. After the final set of coil folds, allow the dough to continue bulk fermentation and monitor its rise closely. Bulk fermentation is complete when the dough shows bubbles on the surface and along the sides, the edges are slightly domed, and the dough gently wobbles when you shake the bowl.
  4. Preshape and shape: Lightly flour your work surface, preshape the dough into a round, and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. You can omit preshaping when making a single loaf. Perform the final shaping into a battard, then place it in a prepared 8-inch oval banneton.
  5. Proof: Cover the banneton with a clean towel or a disposable plastic cap, or place it in a reusable plastic bag. Refrigerate overnight (8–14 hours) for a slow, even fermentation.
  6. Bake the loaf: Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) with a Dutch oven inside for 30 minutes. Transfer the dough onto parchment paper, score the top, and place it inside the Dutch oven. Decrease the oven temperature to 450°F (232 °C), then bake, covered, for 20 minutes; uncover and bake for another 15-17 minutes. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Notes

  1. Prefer hand mixing: Dragon fruit pigments (betalains) are sensitive to oxidation and heat. Hand mixing limits oxidation, while mixers can dull the pink color toward brown, especially at 2–3%. 
  2. Mix gently: Dragon fruit powder slightly weakens gluten. Add it later when hand mixing. With a stand mixer, mix only to a partial windowpane. Do not chase a full windowpane to avoid overmixing.
  3. Always use oven mitts or silicone gloves when handling hot pans.
  4. Check the bread's internal temperature: It should reach 205–210°F (96–99°C). I usually aim for 207°F (97°C) or higher.
  5. Store sourdough bread for 3-5 days. Freeze individual slices for up to 1-2 weeks, a whole loaf for 1-2 months.
  6. Want to create a custom formula for your loaf? Try my sourdough calculator.
  7. Need help getting started? Check out my beginner's sourdough guide to learn sourdough basics first.
  8. Note: Nutritional information does not include the white rice flour used for dusting.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://sourdoughtalk.com/pink-sourdough-bread/