1. Prepare Your Sourdough Dough: Follow your favorite sourdough recipe up to the point of bulk fermentation. This means you’ve mixed your starter, flour, water, and salt, and the dough has begun its first rise.

2. Zest and Juice the Lemons: While your dough is in its initial bulk fermentation, zest your lemons, ensuring you only get the yellow part of the peel, avoiding the bitter white pith. Then, juice the lemons to get the required amount of fresh lemon juice.

3. Combine Inclusions: In a small bowl, gently mix the lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, poppy seeds, and optional granulated sugar. Stir until well combined. This pre-mixing helps distribute the flavors evenly.

4. Incorporate During Bulk Fermentation (First Fold): After your dough has rested for its first 30-60 minutes of bulk fermentation (typically after the first stretch and fold), gently spread the inclusion mixture over the surface of the dough. Perform your next stretch and fold, ensuring the inclusions are folded into the dough.

5. Continue Folding and Distributing: During subsequent stretch and folds (usually 2-3 more over the next few hours), continue to fold the dough, which will help further distribute the lemon and poppy seeds throughout the loaf. You’ll notice the specks of poppy seeds and zest becoming more evenly spread.

6. Shape and Proof: Once bulk fermentation is complete and your inclusions are well distributed, proceed with shaping your loaf as usual. Then, place it in a banneton or proofing basket for its final proof, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator overnight.

7. Bake Your Flavorful Loaf: Preheat your oven with your Dutch oven or baking stone. Score your loaf as desired, then bake according to your standard sourdough baking instructions until golden brown and cooked through. The kitchen will smell incredible!

8. Cool Completely: Once baked, transfer the loaf to a wire rack and allow it to cool completely before slicing. This is crucial for the crumb to set and for the flavors to fully develop.