Sourdough Dutch Sugar Bread (Sourdough Suikerbrood)
Sourdough Dutch Sugar Bread (Sourdough Suikerbrood) is filled with pockets of melted sugar and topped with crunchy sugar pearls. The enriched bread dough is made with sourdough starter and flavored with hints of cinnamon and ginger.
Suikerbrood is a real Dutch treat (pun intended). Growing up in the Netherlands, my husband had Suikerbrood only on special occasions.
How do you make a special bread even more so? Why, make it with sourdough starter, of course!
If you don’t already have one, I can show you how to make a sourdough starter and how to feed a sourdough starter.
In the meantime, go ahead and make this yeasted Dutch Sugar Bread.
Scroll through the photos to see how to make Sourdough Dutch Sugar Bread (Suikerbrood):
A timeline for making Sourdough Dutch Sugar Bread (Sourdough Suikerbrood):
- If your starter needs feeding, do that the night before or early in the morning of the day you want to make the dough.
- Mix the dough in the afternoon. Allow it to ferment at room temperature all day and refrigerate the dough in the evening before going to bed.
- The dough can stay in the refrigerator for 2-3 days at this point.
- Take the dough out first thing in the morning and shape the loaf.
- Leave it at room temperature to rise for 1 1/2- 2 hours.
- You can have fresh bread for breakfast or brunch.
- If you want to make the dough in one day feed your starter the night before. Make the dough in the morning and leave it to ferment until the afternoon. Form the loaf and leave it to rise, skipping the refrigeration step.
How do you serve Sourdough Suikerbrood?
- If the bread is freshly baked it’s perfect with lots of butter and a cup of coffee.
- Leftover Sourdough Dutch Sugar bread makes what is quite possibly the world’s most delicious French toast!
- The baked bread can be frozen.
I know you hate to throw away that sourdough discard. Check out these recipes that use sourdough discard.
Want More Authentic Dutch Recipes?
- Dutch Apple Tart
- Dutch Stroopwafel Recipe (with video)
- Dutch Speculaas Cookies
- Dutch Savory Pancake
- Dutch Breakfast Cake
- Dutch Boter Koek
- Dutch Filled Speculaas Cake
- Spekkoek (Thousand Layer Cake)
You might also enjoy Sourdough Cinnamon Swirl Bread.
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Sourdough Dutch Sugar Bread (Suikerbrood)
Sourdough Dutch Sugar Bread (Suikerbrood) is filled with pockets of melted sugar and topped with crunchy sugar pearls. The enriched bread dough is made with sourdough starter and flavored with hints of cinnamon and ginger. This recipe makes 1 loaf. The exact number of servings will vary based on how the loaf is sliced.
slices
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Ingredients
- 3 oz whole milk (⅓ cup)
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 8 oz active sourdough starter (1 cup, 100% hydration)
- 10 oz bread flour (2 cups, see note)
- 1 oz unsalted butter (melted)
- ½ oz granulated sugar (1 tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
Assembly
- 5 oz pearl sugar (1 cup, see note)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ oz unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 egg (for egg wash)
Instructions
- Pour 3 oz whole milk into a microwave safe container and microwave until scalding hot, but not boiling. Stir ½ teaspoon ground ginger into the milk and set it aside to cool to 100°F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon, combine8 oz active sourdough starter, milk, and 1/2 cup of the bread flour. Mix to form a thick batter. Cover the bowl and set aside for 30-60 minutes. Add 1 oz unsalted butter (melted), ½ oz granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 large egg.
- If working on a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook. With the mixer running, add the remaining flour. The dough should gather on the hook and clear the sides of the bowl. If working by hand mix as much flour as you can with the spoon, then finish kneading in the rest of the flour by hand. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead to a smooth ball.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat the dough. Cover the bowl and set it aside at room temperature. After 30 minutes uncover the bowl, lift one side of the dough over into the middle of the dough. Repeat with the other three sides of the dough then flip the dough over. Cover the bowl and after 30 minutes repeat the procedure. Cover the bowl and after 60 minutes repeat the procedure. Cover the bowl and after 60 minutes repeat the procedure one last time. By now the dough should be lively, elastic and airy. If the dough is still sluggish give it another hour or two at room temperature.
- At this point the dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or you can go ahead and shape and bake the loaf.
Assembly
- Generously butter a 9"x 5" loaf pan. Sprinkle the pan with granulated sugar to coat and dump out the excess. In a small bowl, toss together 5 oz pearl sugar with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon then mix in the tablespoon of melted butter.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat to a rough 12" square. Sprinkle the sugar pearls over the center of the dough and press them into an even layer. Fold the two sides of the dough like a letter and pat down to an even layer. Fold the dough again then knead until the sugar pearls are evenly distributed in the dough. Cover the dough and rest 20 minutes.
- Roll the dough to a 9" x 12" rectangle. From the short side, tightly roll the dough into a 9" long log, pinching the seam together. Place the dough, seam side down, into the prepared pan. Cover the pan and rise until the dough expands to fill the pan, about 2 hours (longer if the dough has been refrigerated). Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Brush the top of the loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with a handful of sugar pearls. Bake until the bread is golden brown and the internal temperature is 200 °F, about 40 minutes.
- Run a small paring knife or spatula around the sides of the loaf to separate it from the pan. Turn it out onto a cooling rack. Don't leave the loaf in the pan or the melted sugar will make the loaf stick.
- Cool completely before slicing.
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Notes
If measuring the flour by volume use the “dip & sweep” method. That is, dip the measuring cup into the flour bin, overfill it, then sweep away the excess.
If you don’t have access to pearl sugar you can use crushed sugar cubes.
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @eileen.bakingsense or tag #bakingsense!
Great recipe!
I’m Dutch and living in the Netherlands and I made this suikerbrood today. It is so good and exactly like it should be.
Thank you!
Thanks!
Thank you for suggesting crushing sugar cubes. My father-in-law was Dutch and I would love to try this recipe, especially since I love using starter instead of commercial yeast!
It’s so good. I hope you like it.
THANK YOU, Your Sour Dough Dutch Sugar Bread is Amazing!! Awesome textures and flavors. The outside layer sort of pealed here and there like a danish pastry, a chewy sour dough, an occasional tasteful crunch on the sugar/cinnamon/butter layer, and an ooze of cinnamon caramel that became a pleasant surprise. What a combination of textures and flavors to hit the taste buds!
IF you have leftovers, try making French toast, OMG.