Funfetti Sourdough Bread
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This Funfetti Sourdough Bread is a colorful twist on classic sourdough! With a chewy, artisan-style crumb, bursts of rainbow sprinkles, and chunks of creamy white chocolate, this recipe is perfect for birthdays, celebrations, or anytime you want a fun dessert-style sourdough loaf.
Learn how to make a festive sourdough bread at home with step-by-step instructions, shaping tips, and baking guidance. Whether you’re new to sourdough or an experienced baker, this sweet and chewy Funfetti loaf will become your go-to celebration bread.
My kiddos have been LOVING this funfetti sourdough bread recipe! The recipe testing included baking this loaf 5 different times, varying ways, and while I had a heck of a time with it, my kids weren’t complaining about all the extra birthday cake-flavored sourdough bread they were eating. 😉
I’ll walk you through the step-by-step instructions below, but a tip for you ahead of time: I tried this recipe with two variations of natural sprinkles and had no luck with them. The colors faded and it wasn’t anywhere near as vibrant. I also tried it with sprinkles that weren’t all jimmies–it also didn’t work very well. If you try a brand of natural sprinkles and it does work, please comment below to let us know which ones you used!
Looking for other sourdough bread recipes? Check these out!
Ingredients
- Active sourdough starter
- Warm water
- Bread flour
- Salt
- Rainbow sprinkles (jimmies work best)
- White chocolate, roughly chopped
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix the Dough
In a large bowl, stir together the sourdough starter, warm water, and bread flour. Mix until everything is combined and no dry flour remains. The dough will look shaggy at this stage—that’s exactly what you want. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30–45 minutes (this rest is called the autolyse).
Step 2: Add Salt
Sprinkle the salt over the dough and mix it in until fully incorporated.
Step 3: Bulk Fermentation
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for 3–4 hours. During this time, perform 3–4 sets of stretch and folds about every 30 minutes to build strength in the dough.
Step 4: Add the Funfetti Mix-Ins
During the second set of stretch and folds, gently fold in the rainbow sprinkles and chopped white chocolate. Try not to overmix—this keeps the sprinkles from bleeding too much into the dough.
Step 5: Pre-Shape
Once bulk fermentation is finished, lightly flour your work surface. Gently turn the dough out of the bowl, being careful not to deflate it. Using a bench scraper, tuck the edges toward the center to create a loose round. Flip the dough seam-side down and gently pull it toward you with the bench scraper to build surface tension. Let the dough rest, uncovered, for 20–30 minutes.
Step 6: Final Shape
Lightly flour the top of the dough, then flip it over so the floured side is down.
- For a round loaf (boule): Fold the bottom third up, fold in the sides, and then roll the top down toward you, tightening the surface as you go.
- For an oval loaf (batard): Fold the bottom up, fold in the sides, then roll the dough down from the top, gently lengthening it into an oval.
Place the shaped dough seam-side up into a floured banneton or a bowl lined with a floured kitchen towel. Cover and refrigerate overnight (8–12 hours) for the final proof.
Step 7: Preheat the Oven
The next day, place a Dutch oven inside your oven and preheat to 450°F (232°C). Allow it to heat for 30–60 minutes so it’s piping hot.
Step 8: Score and Bake
Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper. Use a bread lame or sharp knife to score the top, then carefully transfer it into the hot Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
Tip: To keep the bottom from burning, you can add a layer of uncooked rice to the bottom of the Dutch oven before placing the dough inside.
Step 9: Cool and Slice
Transfer the baked loaf to a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing. This step is key—cutting too soon will make the inside gummy.
Tips for the BEST Funfetti Sourdough Bread
- Use jimmies-style sprinkles – Nonpareils or powdered sprinkles can melt and bleed into the dough, making the loaf look less vibrant. Also, I had no luck with natural sprinkles, but let me know if you find a brand that does work!
- Add inclusions carefully – Fold in the sprinkles and white chocolate gently during the second set of stretch and folds to avoid overmixing and color bleeding.
- Room temperature ingredients – Make sure your sourdough starter is active and bubbly, and your water is slightly warm. This helps the dough ferment evenly.
- Don’t skip the autolyse – Letting the flour and water rest before adding salt and starter improves gluten development and makes a softer, chewier crumb.
- Build tension when shaping – Proper pre-shaping and final shaping with surface tension will give your loaf a beautiful rise and shape.
- Overnight proofing – Refrigerating the shaped dough overnight not only makes slicing easier but also develops deeper flavor in the bread.
- Hot Dutch oven baking – Preheat your Dutch oven for at least 30 minutes to get a crispy, golden crust and even oven spring.
- Cool completely before slicing – Cutting too early can result in a gummy texture; let the loaf rest on a wire rack until fully cooled.
Storage
- Room Temperature: Store the bread in a paper bag or wrapped in a clean kitchen towel for up to 2 days. This keeps the crust crisp while preventing it from drying out too quickly.
- Airtight Container: If you prefer a softer crust, keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days.
- Refrigeration: Avoid refrigerating sourdough—it tends to dry out the crumb and make the texture less pleasant.
- Freezing: For longer storage, slice the bread and freeze in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Toast or warm slices in the oven when ready to enjoy.
Funfetti Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
- 125 g active sourdough starter (½ cup)
- 325 g warm water (1⅓ cups)
- 450 g bread flour (3 ¾ cups)
- 10 g salt (1 ½ teaspoons)
- 60 g rainbow sprinkles jimmies work best (½ cup)
- 113.5 g white chocolate roughly chopped (4 oz bar)
Instructions
- Mix the dough: In a large bowl, combine sourdough starter, warm water, and bread flour. Mix until there are no dry spots–it will resemble a shaggy ball. Cover and let rest for 30–45 minutes (autolyse).
- Add salt: Sprinkle the salt over the dough and mix until incorporated.
- Bulk fermentation: Cover and let the dough rise at room temperature for 3–4 hours, performing 3–4 sets of stretch and folds every 30 minutes.
- Add inclusions: During the second set of stretch and folds, gently fold in the rainbow sprinkles and white chocolate chunks. Be careful not to overmix so the sprinkles don’t bleed.
- Pre-shape: Once bulk fermentation is finished, lightly flour your work surface.
- Gently turn the dough out of the bowl, being careful not to deflate it.
- Using a bench scraper, tuck the edges of the dough toward the center to form a loose round.
- Flip the dough seam-side down and use your bench scraper to gently pull the dough toward you, tightening the surface to create tension.
- Let the dough rest, uncovered, for 20–30 minutes. This resting period helps relax the gluten, making the final shape easier.
- Final shape: Lightly flour the top of the dough, then flip it over so the floured side is down.
- For a round (boule): Fold the bottom third of the dough up, then fold the sides in like an envelope. Finally, roll the top down toward you, creating surface tension as you go.
- For an oval (batard): Fold the bottom up, then fold each side inward. Roll the dough down from the top, lengthening it slightly as you tuck it into an oval shape.
- Place the shaped dough seam-side up into a floured banneton or a bowl lined with a floured kitchen towel.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight (8–12 hours) for the final proof.
- The next day, preheat the oven: Place a Dutch oven inside your oven and preheat to 450°F (232°C). Let the Dutch oven preheat for 30-60 minutes.
- Score and bake: Turn the dough onto parchment paper*, score the top, and carefully transfer it into the hot Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 25 minutes, until golden brown.*Tip: To prevent the bottom from getting burnt, add some uncooked rice to the bottom of the Dutch oven, add the parchment paper, and a bread sling if you have one, before adding the dough to the pan.
- Cool: Transfer the bread to a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Room Temperature: Store the bread in a paper bag or wrapped in a clean kitchen towel for up to 2 days. This keeps the crust crisp while preventing it from drying out too quickly.
- Airtight Container: If you prefer a softer crust, keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days.
- Refrigeration: Avoid refrigerating sourdough—it tends to dry out the crumb and make the texture less pleasant.
- Freezing: For longer storage, slice the bread and freeze in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Toast or warm slices in the oven when ready to enjoy.
This Funfetti White Chocolate Sourdough Bread has been an absolute hit around here! Love the sweet white chocolate and the kiddos love the fun sprinkles. Let me know what you think if you make it!