Description
This Double Chocolate Sourdough Bread combines the rich flavor of dark and semisweet chocolate with the unique tang of a naturally fermented sourdough. Perfectly crusty on the outside and moist with chocolate chips throughout, this loaf offers an indulgent yet artisan twist on traditional sourdough bread.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups (360g) bread flour
- 1/2 cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
Chocolate Add-ins
- 1/2 cup (100g) dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (100g) semisweet chocolate chunks
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup (240g) active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
- 1 1/4 cups (300ml) water, room temperature
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the bread flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt until well combined to create an even chocolate base for the dough.
- Add Starter and Water: Add the active sourdough starter and room temperature water to the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly until a shaggy dough forms with no large pockets of dry flour remaining.
- Bulk Autolyse: Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. This rest period hydrates the flour and begins gluten development.
- Stretch and Fold: Over the course of 2 hours, every 30 minutes, perform a series of stretch and folds by gently lifting and folding the dough over itself to improve dough strength. Repeat this process 4 times in total.
- Incorporate Chocolate: After the final stretch and fold, gently fold in the dark chocolate chips and semisweet chocolate chunks evenly throughout the dough without deflating it.
- Bulk Fermentation: Cover the dough and allow it to rise at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours, until it nearly doubles in size and appears puffy.
- Shape the Dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape it carefully into a round or oval loaf, maintaining as much air inside as possible.
- Proofing: Place the shaped loaf into a well-floured proofing basket or bowl. Cover and either refrigerate overnight for slow proofing or proof at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours until puffy and almost doubled.
- Preheat the Oven and Dutch Oven: Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C) with a Dutch oven inside to ensure it is extremely hot for baking.
- Bake Covered: Carefully transfer the dough to the hot Dutch oven, score the top with a sharp blade to allow controlled oven spring, cover with the lid, and bake for 20 minutes.
- Bake Uncovered: Remove the lid from the Dutch oven and continue baking the bread for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is deep brown, crisp, and fully baked through.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the bread from the oven and cool it completely on a wire rack before slicing to ensure the crumb sets properly.
Notes
- For a more intense chocolate flavor, use a mix of dark and bittersweet chocolate instead of semisweet.
- You can add chopped nuts such as walnuts or pecans to introduce extra texture and flavor.
- Ensure your sourdough starter is fully active and bubbly before starting the recipe for the best rise and fermentation.
- Scoring the dough properly helps control expansion and prevents tearing during baking.
- Cooling the bread fully is essential to avoid a gummy interior when sliced.
