No-Knead Chocolate Bread Recipe

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: Try our mouthwatering No-Knead Chocolate Bread Recipe, and you’ll wonder where this yeasty, cocoa-enhanced loaf has been all your life! This delightfully chewy, just-sweet-enough bread is perfect for a snack and hits the magic spot between a savory slice and an indulgent dessert. More good news: it takes only 20 minutes to prep!

• In this no-knead bread recipe, an overnight rise allows the yeast to ferment to develop the gluten, allowing for no-fuss, hands-off bread making.
• This is a double chocolate recipe, but because we use cocoa, bittersweet chocolate, and limited added sugar, the bread has a nuanced, rich chocolate flavor and is not overly sweet.

This double chocolate bread is pure indulgence! I highly recommend enjoying it warm from the oven with a generous spread of butter. If you happen to have leftovers, turn them into French toast for breakfast — the ultimate decadent treat.

For me, few things are as satisfying to bake, or as delicious to enjoy, as a fresh, warm loaf of bread. At Bigger Bolder Baking, we love sharing deliciously creative bread recipes with you! Be sure to check out our Pizza Monkey Bread, Steakhouse-Style Pumpernickel Bread, and Crazy Dough Cheesy Bread.

Bold Bakers Loved This!

“I seen this recipe for Chocolate Bread and had to try it, I made it yesterday and it turned out absolutely wonderful. The aroma of my kitchen smelled heavenly with the smell of a cross between yeast and Chocolate as the bread was baking. ” — Rebecca

“This is my most requested loaf of bread. In fact, there is some in my refrigerator right now. It is definitely worth the wait!” — Cloighi

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was improved and updated on 9/4/2025, to include a NEW step-by-step tutorial video, one updated ingredient of Dutch-process cocoa powder, the method of creating stem without a Dutch oven, and Pro Chef Tips. 

Table of Contents

• What is No-Knead Chocolate Bread?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Why
• How to Make No-Knead Chocolate Bread
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• More No-Knead Bread Recipes

What is No-Knead Chocolate Bread?

• No-Knead Chocolate Bread is a richly flavored yeasted dough bread that’s made without kneading. It has a tender crumb, hearty crust and is subtly sweet. The pure cocoa powder adds a full chocolate flavor, and the chunks of bittersweet chocolate sprinkled throughout add a balanced hit of sweetness.
• Without kneading in our recipe, the gluten is formed with nothing but time: a long, slow rise allows the yeast to ferment and develop the gluten. Bonus: The longer rise deepens the flavor and creates a pleasantly chewier texture compared to bread made by kneading.
• Making bread using slow fermentation is an ancient technique, and baking it in a cast iron casserole is a traditional European method. This recipe is an exciting blend of age-old bread-making practices and innovative ways of using creative ingredients—like chocolate—in a conventional bread recipe.

Tools You Need

• Mixing bowl
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Glass measuring jug
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• Spoon
• Plastic wrap or a shower cap
• Parchment paper
• 8-quart cast iron Dutch oven
• Bread lame or a sharp knife
• Cooling rack

Key Ingredients and Why

• Bread flour

  • Bread flour has a protein content of 11-14%, which means it can naturally and easily develop more gluten than all-purpose flour, resulting in a stronger, more elastic dough and a pleasant chew.
  • Bread flour is also known as “strong flour.”
  • Our Ultimate Guide to the 10 Types of Flour for Baking has more details about how to pick the best flour for any recipe.

• Dutch-process cocoa powder

  • In yeast breads, Dutch cocoa doesn’t interfere with gluten development as much as natural cocoa, which helps keep the dough stronger for a good rise, giving you a rich chocolate flavor without sacrificing lift.

• Granulated sugar

  • Sugar feeds yeast, converting it into gas to make this no-knead bread rise light and airy.
  • Also, sugar helps retain moisture in the dough for a tender crumb.

• Salt

  • Salt enhances the flavor of this double Chocolate Bread.
  • In addition, salt strengthens the gluten, giving the bread the perfect crumb. It also relaxes the dough so that it’s easier to shape.

• Instant yeast

  • Instant yeast does not require sponging and gives a quicker, more efficient rise than active dry yeast.
  • Mix instant yeast with flour first to avoid direct contact with salt so the yeast won’t get deactivated.
  • if you use want to use active dry yeast instead, for every teaspoon of instant yeast in the recipe, use 1 ¼ teaspoons of active dry yeast. Bring the liquid in your recipe to blood temperature (when you put your finger in the water, it should feel neither hot nor cold), and and mix in the active dry yeast. Let it sit at room temperature for roughly 5 minutes until foam forms on top. Stir it back in and use the mixture in recipes.

• Warm water

  • Lukewarm water activates and optimizes the growth of yeast.
  • To tell whether the water is lukewarm, take a small amount of water and put your finger in it; if it feels close to your body temperature or slightly warmer, it’s at a lukewarm temperature.

• Olive oil

  • Buttery, slightly fruity, fragrant oil adds irresistibly rich flavor.
  • Olive oil is critical for creating the bread’s moist interior and beautifully craggy crust.

• Bittersweet chocolate chips

  • Bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks, with a cocoa solid percentage ranging from 63-72%, are the ideal choice for this recipe, as they’re just sweet enough without being cloying.
  • Any type is fine, but larger size chips make the most impact visually and flavor-wise.
  • Our Ultimate Guide to the Different Types of Chocolate takes the mystery out of the different varieties of chocolate, like Dutch-process cocoa powder or milk versus dark chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips, and teaches you what works best in different recipes.

How to Make No-Knead Chocolate Bread

Make the Dough

1. Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt and yeast. Stir in the chocolate chips.

2. Add Wet Ingredients: Add in the oil, then the water and stir until your dough has formed a ball and cleans the bowl (see video about holding back a little water).

3. Coat and Rest the Dough: Drizzle a little oil into the bowl and coat the dough. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and towel (or shower cap) and let it rise on the counter for 12-18 hours.

The Next Day

4. Shape the Dough: Carefully remove the dough from the bowl and place onto a well-floured surface. Dust your hands with flour as well and pull the edges of the dough towards the center creating folds (see video). Do this until your dough is firm and forms a ball.

5. Proof the Dough: Flip the ball seam side down onto a sheet of lightly floured parchment paper. Place the parchment into a 8-quart cast iron Dutch oven and put on the lid. Set aside at room temperature to proof for 70 to 90 minutes.

Baking the Bread

6. Preheat the Oven: Preheat the oven to 450°F (225°C) about 15 minutes before your bread has finished proofing.

7. Score the Dough: When the bread has more than doubled in size then score the top with a bread lame or sharp knife and place back on the lid. (see video)

8. Bake Covered and Uncovered: Place the pot in the oven and bake for 20 minutes covered, then remove the lid and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes uncovered to get a nice, crispy crust.

9. Cool the Bread: Carefully remove from the oven and transfer the bread to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature before slicing. I do recommend enjoying it within a few hours of being baked. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Or slice and freeze for up to a month.

FULL (PRINTABLE) RECIPE BELOW!

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Use Bread Flour: This recipe calls for bread flour to give the best rise and chew. Since cocoa powder is tenderizing, stick with bread flour rather than all-purpose for the best lift and texture.

• Choose the Right Yeast: We recommend instant yeast for the most reliable results. If using active dry yeast, proof it first in the warm water from the recipe before adding it to the dough.

• Check Water Temperature: “Blood temperature” water should feel neutral on your wrist — neither hot nor cold. This ensures your yeast is happy without being shocked.

• Create Steam without a Dutch Oven: Place a large oven-proof metal bowl directly over the dough as soon as it goes into the oven. This traps steam around your loaf, giving it a beautiful rise and crust. After 30 minutes, carefully remove the bowl and finish baking as normal. Tip: An 18/10 stainless steel pot with stainless steel handles works well too.

• Add Fun Variations: For extra flavor, knead in about a cup of toasted, chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans are great) or dried fruit along with the chocolate chips.

• Balance Sweetness: This bread is only lightly sweet. Dress it up with jam or homemade Nutella, or play up the saltier side by serving it with salted butter or homemade peanut butter or almond butter (be sure to add the salt option).

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

Yes, you can make this No-Knead Chocolate Bread in advance.

• Because this recipe uses a slow-rise technique, the dough is mixed the day before baking and proofs overnight.
• This bread is best enjoyed within a few hours of baking, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.
• You can also slice the bread, double-wrap in cling film and a freezer bag, and freeze for up to a month.

FAQs

• What can I use if I don’t have a Dutch oven?

  • You’ll want to use a pan that duplicates the steamy environment you get from a heavy, lidded Dutch oven. You can try:
    • A cast iron pan or pot is covered tightly with aluminum foil.
    • An oven-safe stainless steel or ceramic cooking pot with a lid.
    • Putting the dough on a heated pizza stone and topping with a large oven-safe metal bowl.
  • Note that the bread may differ from bread baked in a Dutch oven.

• How do I make sure my bread rises well and isn’t dense?

  • Mix instant yeast with flour first to avoid direct contact with salt so the yeast won’t get deactivated.
  • Bake it in a hot oven! Preheat your oven for 15 minutes before baking. A hot oven will give the chocolate bread the best rise and create steam, which can help with the rise.

• How do you tell if a chocolate bread is done?

Due to its color, it’s hard to know when chocolate bread is done. These tell-tale signs can apply to other chocolate bread recipes, too.

• • Chocolate Aroma: A rich chocolate aroma should fill the air when the bread is done. This lets you know that the chocolate flavors have developed.
  • Stable Texture: When gently pressed on the top, the chocolate bread should feel firm to the touch.
  • Slight Cracking: There might be some slight cracking on the surface of the bread, indicating that it has expanded fully during baking.
  • Hollow Sound: When you tap the bottom of the loaf, it should produce a hollow sound. This indicates that the interior of the bread has cooked through and there are no doughy spots left.
  • Internal Temperature: While chocolate might not allow for an accurate color assessment, you can still use a digital thermometer to check the internal temperature of the bread. Aim for a temperature between 190°F to 200°F (88°C to 93°C).

More No-Knead Bread Recipes

• Cinnamon Raisin Bread
• Homemade Challah Bread
• 5-Ingredient No-Knead Sandwich Bread
• English Muffins (No Oven Needed!)
• Bakery Style No-Knead Ciabatta Bread

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was improved and updated on 9/4/2025, to include a NEW step-by-step tutorial video, one updated ingredient of Dutch-process cocoa powder, the method of creating stem without a Dutch oven, and Pro Chef Tips. 

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