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4.34 from 3 votes
Top down view of a loaf of Chocolate Sourdough Bread with soft crumb and rustic crust, served with butter on the side.
Print Recipe
Chocolate Sourdough Bread
Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
50 mins
Proof Time
14 hrs
Total Time
15 hrs 35 mins
 

My Chocolate Sourdough Bread is a rich cocoa loaf with cherries, walnuts, and dark chocolate—easy, foolproof, and bakery-worthy.

Servings: 1 loaf
Author: Gemma Stafford
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cups (12 fl oz/360 ml) water , lukewarm
  • ½ cup (4 oz/115 g) active sourdough starter
  • ⅓ cup (2 oz/57 g) dark brown sugar
  • ½ cup (2 oz/57 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 3 ⅓ cups (16 ½ oz/469 g) bread flour
  • ¼ cup (1 ¼ oz/35 g) dried cherries
  • ¼ cup (1 ¼ oz/35 g) walnuts , toasted and chopped
  • ¼ cup (1 ½ oz/47 g) chopped bittersweet chocolate
  • 2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
To Make the Chocolate Bread Dough the Evening Before (40 minutes)

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

  2. 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.

To Stretch and Fold the Dough (2 hours)

  1. 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.

  2. Cover the dough with cling wrap and a kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.

  3. Repeat the stretch and fold 3 more times, giving 30 minutes to rest the dough in between
To Bulk Ferment Overnight (12-18 hours)
  1. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and a towel and let it proof in a warm spot on the counter at room temperature for 12-18 hours. The dough will have doubled in size.
To Shape and Proof the Dough the Next Day (2 hours)
  1. Turn the dough out onto an unfloured work surface.
  2. Fold the top and bottom of the dough into the center like an envelope, then fold both sides into the center.
  3. Turn the dough seam-side down and roll while pressing the dough into the counter to make a tight ball

  4. 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.

To Score and Bake (50 minutes)

  1. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

  2. Lightly dust the top of the loaf with flour, then using a bread lame or sharp knife, score the top of the dough, giving the bread a place to expand as it bakes.
  3. Place the lid back on the Dutch oven and bake for 20 minutes.
  4. Remove the lid and bake for 20-25 minutes more.
  5. Let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
  6. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.