Air Fryer Blueberry Lemon Cream Cheese Sourdough Bread

A rich sourdough quick bread featuring a blueberry-lemon layer and a cream cheese swirl, baked in an air fryer for a golden crust and tender interior.

Equipment

• Air Fryer (Basket or Oven type)
• 6×3-inch mini loaf pan or cake barrel
• mixing bowls

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240g) Active Sourdough Starter (or sourdough discard for quick-bread style)
• 1 ½ cups (180g) All-Purpose Flour (or Bread Flour for extra chew)
• ½ cup (100g) Granulated White Sugar
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• ½ tsp Baking Soda
• ½ tsp Fine Sea Salt
• 1 Large Egg (room temperature)
• ¼ cup (60ml) Unsalted Butter (melted and slightly cooled)
• ¼ cup (60ml) Whole Milk
• 1 cup (150g) Fresh Blueberries (tossed in 1 tbsp flour so they don’t sink)
• 1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Zest (approx. 1 medium lemon)
• 1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
• 4 oz (115g) Cream Cheese (softened at room temperature)
• 2 tbsp Powdered Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp Lemon Zest
• ½ cup Powdered Sugar (for glaze)
• 1–2 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice (for glaze)

Instructions

1. Prepare the Cream Cheese Core: In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and 1 tsp of lemon zest using a hand mixer or whisk until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
2. Mix the Sourdough Base: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. In a separate jug, combine the sourdough starter, egg, melted butter, milk, lemon juice, and remaining lemon zest. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Gently fold in the flour-dusted blueberries.
3. Layer in the Air Fryer Pan: Grease a 6-inch air-fryer-safe loaf pan or cake barrel and line it with parchment paper. Pour half of the sourdough batter into the pan. Dollop the cream cheese mixture evenly over the batter, then top with the remaining sourdough batter. Use a butter knife to gently swirl the layers together.
4. Air Fry Phase 1 (Covered Bake): Preheat your air fryer to 330°F (165°C). Place the pan in the basket and loosely tent the top with aluminum foil to prevent the top from burning while the dense center bakes. Air fry for 25 minutes.
5. Air Fry Phase 2 (Golden Crust): Carefully remove the foil tent. Reduce the air fryer temperature to 325°F (162°C). Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the bread portion comes out clean and the top is deeply golden brown.
6. Cool and Glaze: Remove the pan from the air fryer and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Lift the bread out using the parchment sling and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Whisk the glaze ingredients together and drizzle over the cooled bread before slicing.

Notes

Storage: Never leave cream cheese-stuffed sourdough bread at room temperature for more than 4 hours after cooling. Refrigerate wrapped in parchment paper in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Freeze sliced portions wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 months. Thaw in the air fryer at 300°F (150°C) for 3–4 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 265 kcal · Total Fat: 11 g · Saturated Fat: 6.5 g · Trans Fat: 0 g · Cholesterol: 42 mg · Sodium: 210 mg · Total Carbohydrates: 36 g · Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g · Total Sugars: 18 g · Protein: 5.5 g · Calcium: 45 mg · Iron: 1.2 mg · Potassium: 95 mg