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Chocolate Sourdough Bread

Medium

An indulgent fusion of tangy sourdough and decadent chocolate. This double chocolate bread uses both cocoa powder and real chocolate pieces for a rich flavor and marbled texture.

Total Time

26 hours

Active Time

1 hour

Yield

1 loaf

Difficulty

Medium

Ingredients

  • bread flour500g
  • water360ml
  • active sourdough starter100g
  • salt10g
  • sugar50g
  • cocoa powder30g
  • semi-sweet chocolate150g
  • dark malt powder10g

Steps

1

Autolyse

Passive
60 minutes

Weigh out starter, sugar, cocoa powder, and water into a large bowl. Mix until dissolved. Add flour (and dark malt powder if using) and salt. Mix to form a shaggy dough. Cover and rest at room temperature.

Autolyse timer
1:00:00
2

Form the Dough

Active
10 minutes

Work around the bowl, grabbing dough from outside, stretching up and over itself into the center until a smooth ball forms. About 20-30 stretches needed. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.

3

Stretch and Fold

Passive
2 hours

Perform 4-6 sets of stretch and folds. For each set, stretch dough up and over itself 4 times. Leave about 15 minutes between each set. This develops the gluten structure.

Stretch and Fold timer
2:00:00
4

Bulk Fermentation

Passive
3-4 hours

Cover and let rest at room temperature until dough has doubled in size. A plastic cover works best for this stage.

Bulk Fermentation timer
3:00:00
5

Shape with Chocolate

Active
15 minutes

Prepare banneton with rice flour or semolina. Turn dough onto counter smooth-side down. Pull into a rough rectangle. Sprinkle chopped chocolate over dough. Shape into a boule or batard, sprinkling more chocolate with each fold. Chocolate should be tucked inside when finished.

6

Place in Banneton

Active
5 minutes

Place shaped dough into banneton smooth-side down, seam on top. Handle gently to preserve air bubbles from bulk ferment.

7

Cold Ferment

Passive
5-36 hours

Cover loosely with plastic bag or damp towel. Refrigerate for minimum 5 hours, up to 36 hours. Longer ferment creates better blisters and deeper flavor.

Cold Ferment timer
5:00:00
8

Preheat Oven

Passive
60 minutes

Preheat oven to 230°C/450°F with Dutch oven inside. Heat for about 1 hour to ensure everything is very hot.

Preheat Oven timer
1:00:00
9

Score and Bake Covered

Passive
30 minutes

Remove dough from fridge onto parchment paper. Score with a lame or sharp blade. Place in hot Dutch oven using parchment as handle. Cover and bake at 230°C/450°F.

Score and Bake Covered timer
30:00
10

Bake Uncovered

Passive
10-15 minutes

Remove lid. Reduce temperature to 210°C/410°F. Bake until deep brown.

Bake Uncovered timer
12:00
11

Cool

Passive
60 minutes

Remove from Dutch oven immediately and place on wire rack. Wait at least 1 hour before slicing.

Cool timer
1:00:00

Tips & Notes

  • 1Bread flour is important when adding chocolate—the extra fat can inhibit gluten development
  • 2Use any chocolate you enjoy: dark, semi-sweet, milk, or white chocolate chips
  • 3Try adding 100-200g chopped pecans or dried blueberries for variation
  • 4Serve toasted with butter, Nutella, or use for chocolate bread pudding
  • 5Recipe adapted from The Pantry Mama