Chocolate Sourdough Bread
Chocolate sourdough bread is a delicious variation of traditional sourdough, combining the tanginess of sourdough with rich chocolate flavor. This bread offers contrasting tastes, with the slight tang of fermentation complemented by the bittersweet notes of cocoa powder.
Servings: 12 slices or 1 loaf
Calories: 300kcal
Equipment
- Bread lame or razor blade to score the dough
Ingredients
- 100 grams sourdough starter active
- 500 grams bread flour
- 375 grams filter water
- 50 grams cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 75 grams sugar (use 100 grams for sweeter bread and 50 grams for mildly sweet bread)
- 75 grams almonds chopped
- 75 grams raisins
- 50 grams dried berries
- 50 grams semisweet chocolate chips
- 10 grams salt
- Rice flour to dust the banneton
Instructions
Make the initial dough:
- Soak the raisins and dried berries in enough water for 10-15 minutes.
- Combine the active sourdough starter with water until it is fully incorporated.
- Slowly add the flour and cocoa powder. Mix well making sure there are no dry bits of flour. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Drain the water from raisins and berries. Add them to the dough along with salt, sugar, almonds, and chocolate chips. Mix well, making sure they are incorporated well.
Bulk Fermentation:
- Perform six sets of stretch and fold at an interval of 30 minutes. With wet hands, grab a portion of the dough and slowly stretch it taking care not to break it, and fold it towards the center over the dough. Keep turning the bowl and repeat the process until all parts of the dough is covered. Carefully flip the dough and round it up. This completes one set of stretch and fold. Repeat this process six times at an interval of 30 minutes.
- Let the dough sit for bulk fermentation until it is almost double and has bubbles on the top. This may take 3-4 hours depending on the ambient temperature.
Shaping and cold fermentation:
- Dust a round or oval banneton well with rice flour.
- Flip the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pick one side of the dough and fold it to the center. Pick the other side and fold it to the center. Now hold the dough gently and tuck it to form a log. Carefully place the dough seam-side up on the banneton.
- Cover the dough loosely and place it in the refrigerator overnight for cold fermentation.
Bake the chocolate sourdough bread:
- The following morning, place the Dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 450 F (230 C) for 45 minutes.
- Once the oven is preheated, take the dough out of the fridge. Flip it onto a parchment paper or baking sheet.
- Score the dough using a blade or sharp knife.
- Carefully take the Dutch oven out of the oven. Place the scored dough along with the baking paper into the hot Dutch oven and immediately close the lid.
- Place it back in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Take the lid off the Dutch oven and bake for another 15 minutes.
- Turn off the oven and keep the door ajar. Let the bread sit in the oven for 15 minutes for curing.
- Cool completely, slice, and serve.
Notes
I have used semisweet chocolate chips in this recipe. You can use milk or dark chocolate chips or chunks. You can also add grated chocolate to the dough, which will create pockets of chocolatey goodness throughout the bread. However, keep in mind that too much chocolate can interfere with the rise of the bread.
To prevent the raisins and berries from drying out and becoming tough during baking, soak them in filtered water. You can also soak them in some juice if you would like to add more flavor to the chocolate bread.
Nutrition
Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 0.3mg | Sodium: 363mg | Potassium: 163mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg