Chocolate Sourdough Bread

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: My luxurious Chocolate Sourdough Bread is a rich, aromatic loaf that will become a new favorite in your kitchen! If you’re a new sourdough baker, this is an amazingly flavorful way to jump in, and my step-by-step instructions make this recipe simple and foolproof. Breads with chocolate tend to proof more slowly, so don’t be alarmed if your dough seems sluggish—I strongly suggest placing it in a slightly warmed oven for its proofing time to give it an extra helping hand, just warm, never hot. You can also customize this loaf by swapping out the cherries and walnuts, or leaving them out entirely, to make it your own.

• Irresistible flavor: This bread will satisfy your sweet tooth, but it’s also a little savory, and of course delivers that craveable sourdough tang. It’s a chocolate lover’s dream!
• Cravable texture: This loaf is studded with rich dark chocolate, tart and chewy dried cherries, and crunchy walnuts.
• Mostly hands-off: Prep time is only 45 minutes, and this bread bakes up in less than an hour.
• Simple ingredients, no special equipment: This sourdough comes together with mostly pantry ingredients, and you don’t need a stand mixer.
• Bakery-special! You’ll be thrilled when you create this elevated, artisan loaf right at home.

I love to start the new year with a recipe that’s special but practical, and Chocolate Sourdough Bread is a versatile loaf that’s a delicious way to kick off 2026! From early days when I was first experimenting with my starter, to developing Sourdough Foccacia and Sourdough English Muffin recipes and using sourdough discard to enhance crackers and chocolate chip cookies, sourdough baking has become one of my favorite ways to create unforgettable baked goods. You’ll find so many uses for this bold but balanced chocolate bread—it can go sweet or savory, depending on how you use it! For another take on chocolate bread, be sure to check out my No-Knead Chocolate Bread, Healthy Chocolate Banana Bread, and Chocolate Hot Cross Buns.

Table of Contents

• What is Chocolate Sourdough Bread?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make Chocolate Sourdough Bread
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• More Sourdough Recipes

What is Chocolate Sourdough Bread?

Chocolate Sourdough Bread is a naturally leavened bread enriched with cocoa, and has a deliciously complex, tangy, savory, chocolate flavor and a chewy bite, and a pleasantly moist texture. The inclusions of chopped bittersweet chocolate, sour cherries, and walnuts mixed into the batter provide flavor, crunch, and chew. Sweeter chocolate yeast breads like brioche and babkas are the ancestors of this chocolate sourdough loaf, but the idea of using cocoa in a more savory bread only surfaced in the last 15 years. It’s an unexpected delight at breakfast or brunch, with a cup of tea or coffee, or used in a dessert like bread pudding.

Tools you Need

• Mixing bowl
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Glass measuring jug
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• Cling wrap (plastic wrap)
• Kitchen towel
• Parchment paper
• Dutch oven
• Bread lame (optional) or a sharp knife
• Wire cooling rack

Key Ingredients and Substitutes

Water

• Lukewarm water hydrates the sourdough starter, flour, and cocoa powder.
• Be sure to use lukewarm (blood temperature) water here to keep the sourdough starter active. Using cold water can slow the rise and make it sluggish, and using hot water could harm the starter.
  • To test your warm water to be sure it’s the right temperature, pour a small amount into a cup and place your finger in it. If it feels close to your body temperature or slightly warmer, it’s lukewarm.
  • Substitute: To accentuate the chocolate and add more complexity to the bread’s flavor, you can use the same amount of lukewarm coffee.

Active sourdough starter

• 1/2 cup or 4 ounces/115 grams of sourdough starter sourdough starter ferments the bread dough, producing the rise.
• Importantly, active sourdough starter also gives the loaf its signature tangy taste.
• Sourdough starter is a fermented mixture of equal parts flour and water.
• If you don’t have an active sourdough starter,  use my Sourdough Starter Recipe to make your own.

Dark brown sugar

• Dark brown sugar feeds fermentation in this chocolate sourdough bread recipe.
• Importantly, the molasses in dark brown sugar adds moisture.
• Additionally, the dark brown sugar keeps the cocoa from being too bitter.
• Substitute:  Use an equal amount of light brown sugar.
  • You can also use maple syrup or honey in place of the dark brown sugar. Use 1/4 cup (2 1/2 oz/71 g) of maple syrup or honey and reduce the amount of lukewarm water by two tablespoons.

Dutch-process cocoa

• Dutch-process cocoa contributes a rich chocolate flavor.
• Because Dutch-process cocoa is more alkaline, it doesn’t interfere with gluten development as much and will contribute to the best dough rise. But if all you have is natural cocoa, it’s ok to use it here.

Bread flour

• Bread flour has a protein content of 11-14%, which allows it to develop more gluten, creating a more elastic dough that’s strong enough to support chocolate, fruit, and nuts.
• Bread flour is also called strong flour. Read all about the best flours to use in my ultimate guide to the types of flours used in baking.

Dried cherries

• Dried cherries give the loaf little pockets of delightful chewiness.
• Their bright, sweet fruitiness adds a layer of flavor that’s an excellent contrast to the cocoa.
• Substitute: If you’d like a little more tartness, use the same amount of dried cranberries.

Walnuts

• Walnuts provide crunch and a toasty, rich flavor.
• Always toast nuts for the best flavor. It gives the nuts a roasted, caramelized note, breaks down bitter notes, and enhances the walnut oil’s aromatic compounds.
• Substitute: Use the same amount of toasted chopped hazelnuts or pecans.

Bittersweet chocolate

• The chopped bittersweet chocolate melts into creamy, flavorful pockets in this double chocolate sourdough bread.
• Using bittersweet gives an intense chocolate flavor without being cloying.
• Use a high-quality chocolate bar here.
• My guide to baking with chocolate gives you all the info you need on cocoa content and flavor profiles.
• Substitute: Use bittersweet or dark chocolate chips if you want to make chocolate chip sourdough bread.
  • Using chips means the chocolate will be more defined and less melty.
  • Note: Do not use milk chocolate, as it it too melty for this recipe.

Salt

• Salt is crucial for enhancing the flavors in this chocolate sourdough bread recipe.
• Importantly, salt also strengthens the gluten.

How to Make Chocolate Sourdough Bread

Start the sourdough (24 hours in advance)

1. Start dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the water, sourdough starter, brown sugar, and cocoa powder.

2. Mix dough: Add in the flour, cherries, walnuts, chocolate, and salt and mix to form your dough. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and a kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes.

Stretch and Fold the Dough

3. Stretch and fold: Grab an edge of the bread dough, stretch it straight up, then fold it into the center of the dough. Give the dough a quarter turn, and do another stretch and fold. Repeat on the remaining two sides for a total of 4 stretches and folds.

4. Let rest: Cover the dough with cling wrap and a kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
5. Continue stretch and folds: Repeat the stretch and fold three more times, giving 30 minutes to rest the dough in between.

Bulk Ferment Overnight

6. Proof dough: Cover the bowl with cling wrap and a towel and let it proof in a warm spot on the counter at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.

Shape and Proof the Dough (the next day)

7. Turn dough out: Turn the dough out onto an unfloured work surface.
8. Fold dough: Fold the top and bottom of the dough into the center like an envelope, then fold both sides of the dough into the center.
9. Form into a ball: Turn the dough seam-side down and roll while pressing the dough into the counter to make a tight ball.
10. Place in Dutch oven: Lift the dough onto a piece of parchment paper with the seam facing down, and then lift the parchment paper into a Dutch oven, place on the lid, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hours.

Score and Bake

11. Preheat oven: Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
12. Prepare to bake: Lightly dust the top of the loaf with flour, then using a bread lame or a sharp knife or a razor blade, score the top of the dough, giving the bread a place to expand as it bakes.

11. Start to bake bread: Place the lid back on the Dutch oven and bake for 20 minutes.
12. Finish baking: Remove the lid and bake for 20-25 minutes more.

13. Cool: Let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving.

FULL (PRINTABLE) RECIPE BELOW! 

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Sourdough basics: If you’ve never made sourdough bread before, start here for my straightforward, easy sourdough starter recipe with step-by-step instructions. All you need is a glass jar with a lid, flour, and water!
• This loaf needs an active, bubbly sourdough starter. Check out my guide to the most frequently asked questions about sourdough, including how to feed your starter.
• Use Dutch-processed cocoa for a rich and mellow-flavored loaf.  If you don’t have it, you can also use regular cocoa powder in the same amount.
• Add another note of flavor to this bread by stirring in one of the following in Step 1:
  • 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
  • 1 teaspoon of finely grated orange zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
    • You can also use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract stirred into the lukewarm water.
• Put the dough in the warmest spot in your kitchen to rise, or use your oven’s proof setting. Note that this dough can be slow to rise.
• Create a warm proofing environment by turning your oven on for 2 minutes, then shutting it off, and place your covered bowl in the oven to rise.
• The baked loaf can be frozen whole or sliced. To freeze slices, first arrange the bread in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer the slices to an airtight container.
  • To heat frozen slices, microwave for 5 to 10 seconds, until just softened, then toast on a dry iron skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute per side. Don’t put these slices in the toaster, because the chocolate will melt and make a mess.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

Make ahead tips

• For the initial rise, the dough can remain on the counter for up to 18 hours.
• This recipe follows a two day schedule, but if you want to keep it for more than 18 hours, you need to keep it in the fridge (cold ferment). Store the dough in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• The baked loaf can be frozen whole or sliced.
  • Defrost a whole frozen loaf at room temperature for several hours.

How to store leftovers

• Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days.
• For more extended storage, cool the loaf completely, wrap well, and freeze for up to three months.
• Freeze the loaf whole and defrost at room temperature, or slice the bread and arrange the slices in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Once frozen, transfer the slices to an airtight container.
  • To heat a slice, microwave the slices for 5-10 seconds, until just softened, then toast on a dry iron skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute per side.

FAQs

How do I make sure my bread has the perfect rise?

• To get the perfect rise, be sure you start with an active, bubbly sourdough starter.
• Be sure to do all of the stretches and folds in the recipe. This is essential for proper gluten development.
• Don’t fold too aggressively, and take care to let the dough rest as directed.
• Make sure the oven is preheated before baking.

Can I use a different flour in this sourdough chocolate bread recipe?

• Yes, you can use a different flour in this sourdough chocolate bread recipe, but note that the bread will have a different taste and texture if you use something other than bread flour.
  • You can use an equal amount of all-purpose flour. This will yield a softer loaf.
  • You can also use the same amount of white whole wheat flour to get a slightly denser bread with an earthier flavor. Note: Regular whole wheat flour is not recommended in this recipe, as the bread will be too dense.

What are some ways to serve this chocolate bread?

• Enjoy in a deliciously simple way with butter and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
• Serve with cream cheese and honey or jam.
• Put slices of this bread on a cheese or charcuterie board.
• Enjoy at breakfast with peanut butter or almond butter along with a bowl of yogurt.
• Use chocolate sourdough to make decadent French toast.
• Toast and serve with whipped cream, caramel sauce, or mascarpone with berries.
• Make an unforgettable bread pudding with this sourdough chocolate loaf.

Can I make this chocolate bread without a Dutch oven?

• Yes, you can make this chocolate bread using another pan if you don’t have a Dutch oven.
• You can bake the bread using a preheated metal baking tray and a #304 or #430 grade stainless steel bowl, or an 18/10 stainless steel pot with stainless steel steel handles.
• Place the dough on the preheated tray, then immediately cover it with the bowl or pot. This will create steam around the baking loaf.
  • Remove the bowl or pot after 30 minutes, and continue baking for 30 more minutes.

More Sourdough Recipes

• Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
• Sourdough Popovers
• Soft Sourdough Dinner Rolls Recipe
• Sourdough Pizza Crust
• Same Day Sourdough Bread

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