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Sourdough bread inclusions are a fun way to jazz up a traditional sourdough loaf. Whether you like savory sourdough bread, sweet sourdough bread or sourdough bread with herbs, the flavor combination opportunities are endless!

Sourdough bread in front of la crest and stove top. Red shirt

The best sourdough bread flavor combinations come from a variety of places. For us, we are inspired by the places we have been, the dishes we enjoy making on a regular basis and of course, the time of year (seasonality) other people in the community!

It is always fun to see what sweet and savory sourdough bread inclusions people come up with. There is always a variety of options to play around with whether it is added within the bread or to the top of the bread for visual appeal.

Plus, sourdough bread inclusions are not limited to the flavor combinations. It can also be the amount of inclusion within the dough and when add-ins are incorporated within the sourdough bread.

And, if you are wondering how to make sourdough more sour, I have a resource for you. Without adding any other inclusions, can always increase the sour flavor of your sourdough bread!

Playing around with factors like bulk fermentation and how often a starter is fed can increase the sour flavor of sourdough bread. We think this can be just as exciting as inclusions!

There are a variety of the best sourdough bread add-ins out there. This list includes savory sourdough bread inclusions, sourdough bread inclusions with herbs and sweet sourdough bread inclusions.

We hope you leave feeling inspired after reading these sourdough bread inclusion ideas. Perhaps you will feel encouraged to test out a new flavor combination in your next sourdough loaf.

Maybe it will be dubbed ‘the best loaf yet’ and will become a ‘regular’ in your sourdough bread rotation. So give your sourdough starter a name and start playing with inclusions. Enjoy!

cranberry orange sourdough bread in oven

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are adding an inclusion with liquid, more times than not – add it in when you would traditionally put in water. For example, orange juice, pumpkin puree, coffee, or beer would be added in before the bulk ferment.

Cocoa powder, citrus zest and sugar can be added in during the initial mixing phase.

Spices and inclusions like chocolate chips, sun-dried tomatoes, fruit and cheese would be added in after the bulk fermentation – while you are shaping and laminating your dough. A simple addition of liquid items like honey can change the texture of bread and should be added during lamination.

Some people like incorporating these in during the stretch and folds but it depends on what it is. Something like cheese or meat, I would not incorporate during the stretch and folds phase.

As mentioned above, add when mixing, during stretch and folds or lamination/shaping. It is really up to what you are adding in the bread and if it can change the overall texture of the bread – in a negative direction.

Due to the extra ingredients, the bread dough should be handled carefully. Tearing can occur on the surface of the bread.

You can add as much or as little of an inclusion to your sourdough as you want. Measure with your heart if you will!


If you want extra flavor, put more inclusions in. You can also consider the weight of the inclusions in relation to the dough.

If you are looking for a precise measurement, the ‘best way’ is to achieve balance between bread and add ins is to calculate 20% of your total flour weight.

Sourdough bread with inclusions can generally be stored the same as one without. However, if you have inclusions including a perishable item like meat and cheese, ensure this dough is stored in the refrigerator.

As a general rule of thumb, sourdough should be bulk fermented for as long as it takes to double in size. The dough should not be sticky when touched and there should be large bubbles which may even appear on the surface. When the dough is moved and poured out of the container – it should not stick to the sides.

When adding inclusions to sourdough, the fermentation process may change and either speed up or slow down. For example, cinnamon and butter will impede the speed of bulk fermentation. On the other hand, sugar will increase the speed of bulk fermentation.

The amount of flour and sourdough starter should not change when incorporating add ins.

Water content can vary based on what add in is included. However, you will want to be conscious of the amount of water – due to the moisture found in items like fresh fruit or pumpkin puree.

A lot of moisture could result in too dense of a bread. Consider reducing overall water rather than incorporating more flour.

Salt can be reduced as you do not want a loaf that is inedible due to increased sodium. The salt content of cheese and meat (if using things like pepperoni or a seasoned meat), can bring have extra salt which will change the flavor of the bread.

chocolate chip sourdough bread

Savory Sourdough Inclusions

These savory sourdough bread inclusions are perfect when you want to increase the flavor within your sourdough bread, without making it sweet. Savory sourdough bread is a great way to increase flavors of your basic sandwich, with eggs in the morning, and for something different.

sourdough cheese bread with smoked pizza dip in middle on a baking sheet

We even like this sourdough cheesy pull apart bread. It is not in the traditional ‘bread’ shape, though it is made with sourdough, is stuffed with mozzarella cheese and is drenched in a flavorful garlic butter. (This is the same garlic butter sauce we use on our popular sourdough garlic knots!).

Savory flavors include items like cheese, spices and fun flavor combinations like feta and olives or pepper and hot honey. We love a good sourdough cheese bread!

And speaking of cheese, if you are wondering what cheese goes with sourdough bread – the answer is ‘all’! Truly, any cheese can be placed within sourdough bread. Some melt into the bread more than others (like brie and feta), while others (like cheddar and mozzarella), are more firm even as they cool.

Is your mouth watering yet?

  • Asiago cheese
  • Bacon, scallion and cracked pepper
  • Beer and cheese
    • Replace water with beer and enjoy! Place chopped cheese within the bread or as a dip.
  • Black sesame seeds
  • Blue cheese and walnuts
  • Caramelized onion and gouda
  • Carmelized onion, cheddar, rosemary
  • Chives and cheddar cheese
  • Everything bagel seasoning
  • Goat cheese and blueberries
  • Gruyere cheese and caramelized onions
  • Jalapeño cheddar
  • Jalapeño white cheddar
  • Jalapeño, cheddar, bacon
  • Kalamata olive and feta
  • Kalamata olives and thyme
  • Olive parmesan
  • Olives (A good sourdough olive bread recipe is a must in our kitchen! Focaccia can be a good idea, too.)
    • Black olives
    • Green olives
    • Kalamata olives
    • Spanish olives
  • Onion
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Pepper jack cheese and green olives
  • Peppers
    • Red peppers
    • Yellow peppers
    • Orange peppers
    • Jalapeño peppers
  • Pesto and mozzarella
  • Pizza (mozzarella, pepperoni, olives)
    • We love a good ‘pizza bread’. It is a fun way to enjoy sourdough pizza without the hassle of cooking it separately.
  • Roasted red onion and red tomato
  • Scallions and cheddar cheese
  • Sea salt
  • Seeded bread
    • Any seed you have, consider adding it to the top of this bread! Try a combination of sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and more!
  • Sesame seeds
  • Smoked gouda and walnut
  • Sun-dried tomato and capers
  • Sun-dried tomato and feta
  • Sun-dried tomato pesto and mozzarella
  • Tomato
  • Tomato basil
  • Tomato, basil, mozzarella
  • White cheddar cranberry
50% hydration sourdough loaf

Herb Sourdough Inclusions

Herbs – we love fresh herbs, dried herbs and frozen herbs! Sourdough bread with herbs can be a delicious way to enjoy bread. You can add any herbs to sourdough bread – and really at any time. Just be cautious with cinnamon, as it can impact the fermentation of sourdough bread.

Parsley, thyme, cinnamon, sage, rosemary and basil are great herbs to add to sourdough. As you will see in this list, you can add a variety of herbs and can even combine them if you would prefer.

Outside of cinnamon, add herbs to sourdough bread during the initial stretch and folds while making your bread. This will ensure the herb flavors are able to infuse within the bread to make the flavor more pronounced when enjoyed.

  • Black pepper
  • Black pepper and toasted walnuts
  • Blanched almonds and rosemary
  • Caramelized onion and thyme
  • Cheddar and rosemary
  • Chili and hot honey
  • Chives
  • Cinnamon
    • See the sweet section for more cinnamon inclusion ideas
  • Dill
  • Dill and cheddar
  • Dill and pickle juice
  • Dill relish and cheddar
  • Garlic and lemon
  • Garlic and rosemary
  • Herbs de Provence and cheese
  • Honey lavender
  • Olive oil and thyme
  • Olives and rosemary
  • Parmesan and rosemary
  • Roasted garlic and rosemary
  • Rosemary
  • Rosemary and asiago
  • Rosemary and black pepper
  • Sundried tomato, cheese and thyme
  • Sundried tomato, lemon and basil
  • Walnut and rosemary
sourdough cinnamon roll bread with cream cheese glaze

Sweet Sourdough Inclusion Ideas

These sweet sourdough bread inclusion ideas are wonderful when you want to add a little sweetness to balance out the ‘tangy’ flavor of sourdough. Sweet sourdough options may be sweetened with fruit (fresh, dried or frozen) or sugar (brown sugar, white sugar).

Note, any added sugar will increase the speed of fermentation. Sugar will feed the yeast, therefore your bulk fermentation period may be quicker than anticipated.

Some of the best breads include a combination of flavors – including cream cheese or citrus. This not only elevates the sweet flavors, but provides incredible richness and bold flavors within the bread.

Sweet sourdough bread recipes are served by themselves or with something on top. Heat the slice of bread up and serve alongside breakfast, coffee or even with dessert.

We love to top sweet sourdough bread with butter and honey, though jam and cinnamon sugar do the trick, too.

  • Apple cider
  • Apples and cinnamon
  • Apple, cinnamon and brown sugar
  • Berries (fresh, frozen or dried)
  • Blueberry cream cheese
  • Blueberry lemon
  • Blueberry lemon cream cheese
  • Brown sugar and cinnamon (cinnamon swirl bread)
  • Brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins
  • Chocolate chips
    • Any type of chocolate chip works – milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, mini chocolate chips, peanut butter chocolate chips)
    • We use chocolate chips in a lot of recipes – mini chocolate chips are great in our sourdough chocolate chip bagels!
  • Cinnamon date
  • Cinnamon raisin
  • Cranberry and lemon zest
  • Cranberry and lime zest
  • Cranberry orange
  • Cranberry white chocolate
  • Cookies and cream
    • Half white bread, half with chocolate (and add in some chopped Oreos for good measure!)
  • Cookie Butter
    • Add some cookie butter in when shaping for sweet pockets of delight!
  • Coffee
  • Date orange
  • Dried cherries and chocolate chips
  • Dried figs and walnut
  • Dried fruit
    • Apricots
    • Cherries
    • Chopped dates
    • Prunes or raisins
  • Double chocolate (chocolate chips and cocoa powder)
  • Espresso and chocolate
  • Fennel and orange
  • Gingerbread
  • Honey pistachio
  • Lemon zest, lemon juice and poppy seeds
  • Lime zest, lime juice and poppy seeds
  • Macadamia white chocolate
  • Maple, Pecan and cinnamon
  • Nut butter
    • Peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower butter, Nutella
  • Oats
  • Oats and honey
  • Orange vanilla (orange creamsicle, anyone?!)
sourdough bread with cranberries with text on top

As a recap, you really can add any flavor to sourdough bread. Some sourdough inclusions might not work great or taste as amazing as they sound – but they will be fun to make! What is your favorite sourdough inclusion? let us know in the comments below!

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