Sourdough Strawberry Cream Cheese Loaf

This Sourdough Strawberry Cream Cheese Loaf is soft, tender, and filled with juicy strawberries and a creamy cheesecake-style swirl. It’s a wonderful way to use active sourdough starter or discard for a delicious breakfast or dessert.

Ingredients

For the Loaf

• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (120 g) sourdough discard (or active starter)
• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (55 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup (60 ml) milk
• 1½ cups (225 g) fresh strawberries, diced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (for coating the strawberries)

Cream Cheese Filling

• 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional Topping

• 2 tablespoons coarse sugar
• ¼ cup sliced almonds

Instructions

1. Prepare the Oven

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Grease and line a 9 × 5-inch (23 × 13 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper.

2. Prepare the Strawberries

• Toss the diced strawberries with 1 tablespoon flour to help prevent them from sinking during baking.

3. Mix the Dry Ingredients

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

4. Mix the Wet Ingredients

• In a large bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard, sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and milk until smooth.

5. Combine

• Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined.
• Gently fold in the floured strawberries.

6. Make the Cream Cheese Filling

• Beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth.

7. Assemble

1. Spread half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
2. Spoon the cream cheese mixture evenly over the batter.
3. Add the remaining batter on top.
4. Use a knife to gently swirl the cream cheese through the batter.
5. Sprinkle with coarse sugar and sliced almonds, if using.

8. Bake

• Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out clean. (Avoid testing directly in the cream cheese swirl.)
• If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil during the last 15 minutes.

9. Cool

• Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Tips

• Pat the strawberries dry before mixing them into the batter to reduce excess moisture.
• This recipe works best with sourdough discard that is no more than a week old.
• Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days because of the cream cheese filling.
• For longer storage, wrap slices individually and freeze for up to 2 months.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 55–65 minutes
Cooling Time: 1 hour
Total Time: About 2 hours 20 minutes
Makes: 1 loaf (10–12 slices)