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Double Chocolate Sourdough Bread Recipe

This chocolate sourdough has a bit of everything—bitterness from the chocolate, tanginess from the sourdough starter, and sweetness from the brown sugar and chocolate chips!
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Servings: 1 loaf
Author: Mae Martin

Ingredients

  • 50 grams dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 100 grams hot water or coffee
  • 350 grams room-temperature water
  • 50 grams light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (optional)
  • 500 grams bread flour
  • 150 grams active sourdough starter at its peak
  • 10 grams kosher salt
  • 120 grams chocolate chips of choice

Instructions

  • Prepare the starter. Feed your starter and let rise until it has reached its peak.
  • Bloom the cocoa powder. Place the cocoa powder into a large liquid measuring cup or bowl and add the 100g of hot water or coffee. Whisk the mixture until smooth and set aside for 5 minutes.
  • Add the 350g of room temperature water, the brown sugar, and the vanilla to the bloomed cocoa powder, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
  • Make the dough. Place the bread flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the liquid cocoa mixture and the peaked sourdough starter. Mix by hand or with a large spoon until everything is combined and hydrated, then cover the bowl with a damp cloth. Set aside to rest for 30 minutes to autolyse.
  • Add the salt. Sprinkle the salt over the dough with about a teaspoon of water and use your fingers to dimple it into the surface. Mix the dough by hand for 5 minutes, until the salt is evenly distributed and you cannot feel any granules under your fingers. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and set aside to rest for 30 more minutes.
  • Stretch and fold #1. After 30 minutes, perform the first set of stretch and folds. With a wet hand, grab one side of the dough and stretch it up and over the rest of the dough. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat this step for all 4 sides of the dough. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30-60 minutes before the next set.
  • Stretch and fold #2. When ready for the next set, pour the chocolate chips over the bread dough and perform the second set of stretch and folds as usual. Cover and set aside for 30-60 minutes before the next set.
  • Stretch and fold #3-4. Perform 4 total sets of stretch and folds with 30-60 minutes rest in between each set. If your dough is too weak, you may need to add in an extra set or two, as the sugar and cocoa will weaken gluten formation.
  • Bulk fermentation. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let the dough bulk ferment for 4-10 hours. The dough is ready when it is jiggly and doubled in size, with several visible bubbles along the sides of the bowl (if using a glass container).
  • Shaping and proofing. Dump the dough onto a damp work surface and perform your final shaping, then place it into a prepared banneton. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, then place it into the fridge for a cold retardation. Let the dough chill overnight, anywhere from 8-24 hours.
  • Bake. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 450℉ with a baking vessel inside. Once the vessel is very hot (around 45-60 minutes of preheating), remove the banneton from the fridge and flip the dough out onto a sheet of parchment paper.
  • Score the loaf with a bread lame or razor and carefully transfer to the baking vessel. Add a few ice cubes, place the lid on top, and bake the bread for 20 minutes.
  • After 20 minutes, remove the lid, reduce the oven temperature to 400℉, and bake the loaf for around 40 minutes, until crisp and hollow when tapped on the bottom.
  • Remove the pan from the oven and allow the bread to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.