Chocolate Sourdough Bread
This chocolate sourdough is decadent and delicious. It has a tender, moist crumb studded with chocolate chunks.
What readers say:
This recipe makes such a great loaf!! I have had so many compliments on it. The only thing I have changed is the temp because I use the open bake method but have had good success with baking. I was surprised at how soft it was and I really think that makes it unique. I also have never bloomed cocoa before, super cool! Thank you so much for this recipe!!!
Colby
Baking this chocolate sourdough bread is simpler than you might think. I’ll begin with an outline of the timings, which can be adjusted according to your schedule.
The timings show a ‘range’ of time to complete these steps. They don’t have to be exact; there is flexibility! I use a similar bread base as my regular sourdough loaf. However, in this bread, there is the addition of cocoa powder and dark chocolate. It’s not a very sweet bread, and the rich chocolate is a great pairing with the tanginess of sourdough. If you love this chocolate sourdough bread, try this orange chocolate sourdough next!
Blooming cocoa powder
I bloom the cocoa powder first to really bring out its rich, chocolatey flavor. This is when you mix it with a hot liquid to bring out its natural oils. It intensifies the taste, giving the bread a deeper chocolate kick. It’s a simple step, but it makes a big difference in the final loaf! Just stir the cocoa and hot water until smooth. I then add cold water to cool it down before using it in the dough. For a mocha flavour you can substitute the hot water with coffee.
Ingredients
Here is a rundown of what you need for this chocolate sourdough bread recipe. See the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for the amounts and detailed instructions.
- All-purpose flour (with a high protein content of at least 11%.) You could also use bread flour.
- Active sourdough starter – Mix the active starter with flour and water to create a levain. This is the name for the separate mixture of sourdough starter, where the entire thing will be used in the dough. Don’t have a sourdough starter yet? Learn to make your own sourdough starter.
- Water – Some water will be boiled to add to the cocoa. The rest will be cold water.
- Salt – Flavor enhancer and helps with dough structure.
- Granulated sugar – Only a little to bring a hint of sweetness. You could use brown sugar too.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – This will be mixed with some boiling water first to bloom the cocoa. This intensifies the chocolate flavor.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips – or chocolate bar chopped add a little bonus chocolate treats throughout the bread. You could use milk chocolate, too though this would make the bread sweeter.
- Vanilla extract – A dash of vanilla is a wonderful pairing with chocolate.
Tools you’ll need
Here is what you will need to bake this bread.
Baker’s Schedule
The timing can be tweaked to suit your schedule, but here is a guide.
- 9 am: Create your levain.
- 2 pm: Bloom the cocoa and mix the dough.
- Between 2 pm-8 pm: Bulk fermentation time. First, you will stretch and fold the dough for 2 hours every 20 minutes. After the last fold, the dough will sit for another 3-4 hours until it nearly doubles. As with all sourdough, this bulk ferment is very important to achieve a tender crumb, and the timing depends on the temperature of your kitchen.
- 8 pm: Shaping and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day – The bread can be baked the next morning.
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Dough
- In a large bowl, combine cocoa powder and boiling water. Whisk into a smooth chocolate mixture.
- Pour over the cold water, then add sugar, salt, vanilla, and all-purpose flour. Add in sourdough starter
- Mix it all into a shaggy dough, then perform stretch and folds, one every 20 minutes or so over the next two hours.
Step 2: Bulk Fermentation
- Cover the dough and let it rise at room temperature for around 4-6 hours, or until it has puffed up and increased in size.
Step 3: Shape the Dough
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
- Form it into a rectangle and add 1/2 the chocolate chips onto the bottom half of the dough. Fold the top half of the dough over the chocolate chips. Press the remaining chocolate chips on top of the dough.
- Pull the edges into the center to create tension on the surface.
- Flip the dough seam-side down and use your hands to rotate and tuck, forming a tight, round shape.
Step 4: Final Proof
- Add the shaped dough into a prepared banneton basket and cover with a floured kitchen towel and place it in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours (or up to 24 hours.)
- If the dough spreads out in the basket, you can stitch it together by grabbing a little bit from the top left and a little from the top right and bringing them together to meet in the middle. Repeat all down the length of the dough.
Step 5: Bake the Bread
- Preheat the oven to 450°F/230°C with a Dutch oven or baking stone inside.
- Score the dough and bake for 20 minutes covered (if using a Dutch oven) and 15-20 minutes uncovered.
More sourdough recipes
Chocolate Sourdough Bread
This rich chocolate sourdough bread has a tender, moist crumb studded with chocolate chunks.
Ingredients
Levain
- 30 g sourdough starter
- 60 g all-purpose flour
- 60 g water
Dough
- 45 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 100 g just boiled water
- 250 g cold water
- 460 g all-purpose flour with protein of at least 11%
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 8 g salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- All the levain around 120g active starter
- 115 g dark chocolate chips
Instructions
Levain
- Mix starter, flour, and water and stir well until thoroughly mixed. Add it to a clean jar and cover it with a loosely balanced lid or damp towel. Place it in a warm spot until it has at least doubled.
Dough
- Once the levain is ready, bloom the cocoa. In a large bowl, combine cocoa powder and boiling water. Whisk into a smooth chocolate mixture.
- Pour over the cold water, then add sugar, salt, vanilla, and all-purpose flour. Add in the risen levain. Use a fork to mix it all together into a shaggy dough, then switch to using your hands until it's all combined.
Bulk fermentation
- After the starter has been incorporated, cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 10 minutes, then perform a set of stretches and folds. Using wet hands, take one side of the chocolate sourdough dough and stretch it up, then pull it over itself. Turn the dough a quarter turn and repeat. Do this on all sides of the dough. This is one 'set.'
- Perform five more sets over the next 2 hours, one every 20 minutes.
- After this, let the dough rise in a warm spot, ideally around 77°F/25°C, until it nearly doubles in size, around 4 hours. This will take longer if your room is cold. You can create a warm proofing spot by placing the bread dough in a turned-off oven and adding a dish of boiled water at the bottom. Replace the water as it cools down.
Shaping
- Line a banneton basket or bowl with a clean kitchen towel and flour it well.
- Flour a work surface. Tip your dough from the bowl onto the work surface and gently form it into a rectangle. Take care not to squash the dough too much at this shaping stage. Add 1/2 the chocolate chips onto the bottom half of the dough. Fold the top half of the dough over the chocolate chips. Press the remaining chocolate chips on top of the dough.
- Take the top right corner of the rectangle and fold it down towards the center of the dough. Press it gently with your fingers to seal it in place. Repeat with all the remaining corners to create a dough parcel that encases the chocolate chips. Flip the dough ball upside down so it's smooth side up.
- Cup your hands around the dough, with your pinky fingers touching the work surface. Gently move your hands in a circular motion, allowing the dough to rotate between them. Apply slight downward pressure to help shape the dough into a smooth, tight ball.
- Add the shaped dough into the floured basket. If the dough spreads out in the basket, you can stitch it together by grabbing a little bit from the top left and a little from the top right and bringing them together to meet in the middle. Repeat all down the length of the dough.
- Cover with a floured kitchen towel and place it in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours (or up to 24 hours.)
Baking
- Preheat the oven and Dutch oven to 450°F/230°C for at least 30 minutes until well-heated.
- Remove the Dutch oven and flour the bottom well. Take the dough from the fridge and carefully flip it out of the basket into the Dutch oven. If baking this in a large pot, it's best to tip your dough onto parchment paper. This way, you can lower it into the pot.
- Brush it with a little flour (this flour is optional). Score the dough using a razor blade or a very sharp knife.
- Bake in the pot covered with the lid for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes, depending on your preference.
- Let the chocolate sourdough cool to room temperature on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
Mocha sourdough
Swap the 100g boiled water for 100g hot coffee instead to bring some coffee flavour.Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 296kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 7gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 316mgFiber: 3gSugar: 11g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Hi I was wondering if I have a active starter do I still make the levin? If so should the starter be used right from the refrigerator? Thank you
Hey yeah use your starter from the refrigerator, feed it and let it double in a warm spot 🙂
I made this as my first sourdough after getting a starter rehydrated this week. I’m nursing my newborn and avoiding chocolate so I subbed the cocoa with Carob and the chips with white baking chips. It’s amazing!!!! Thank you for such a detailed and easy to follow set of instructions- I was overwhelmed looking at others online. The schedule was a huge help.
So pleased you loved it! 😃
Wow! This recipe makes the perfect sourdough loaf. It is soooo delicious! Thank you!
Thank you so much!! 😃
How much active starter would I use in place of the levin? 100g?
Yeah around 100-120 would be fine! 🙂
A M A Z I N G!!
Everyone needs to make this chocolate sourdough!!
Great recipe Elien, thank you!!
So happy to hear you loved it Jenn!!
This recipe makes such a great loaf!! I have had so many compliments on it. The only thing I have changed is the temp because I use the open bake method but have had good success with baking. I was surprised at how soft it was and I really think that makes it unique. I also have never bloomed cocoa before, super cool! Thank you so much for this recipe!!!
So happy you loved it Colby!! Thanks for the lovely feedback 😀
Hi Ellen, I’m new to your website and was wondering if you use a soft sourdough starter made with strong bread flour, a starter with rye flour, or a stiff sourdough starter “lievito madre”?
Hey I make my starter with bread flour 🙂
I made the exact recipe EXCEPT i substituted half of the cocoa with black cocoa. and once i got step 2 completed, i covered the dough and put it in the fridge overnight. It took a while to come up to temp (and to finish rising) in the morning, but it baked well and tasted amazing. I put dark chocolate, semi sweet and also some white chocolate chips that i happened to have, in the dough before rolling it up the final time. The white chocolate disappeared. i thought it would show nicely 🙁 .
What doesn’t get eaten right away I am saving and dicing up and drying for “black chocolate bread pudding” A genius move, if i do say so myself. Just can’t decide what sauce to top it with 🙂 creme anglaise? white chocolate sauce with a hint of bourbon? or am i just gilding the lily?
Ooh would love to know how your chocolate bread pudding worked out!