Double Chocolate Sourdough Bread Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase. Please read our disclosure policy.
Double chocolate sourdough chocolate bread is a fun twist on a tried and true staple. Combing two favorites, sourdough and chocolate, you can’t go wrong! You’ll love this soft, chewy sourdough bread made with cocoa powder along with bursts of chocolatey goodness from the added chocolate chips. This indulgent bread has all of the flavor of chocolate cake but with the benefits of fermented sourdough bread.
The first time I made this bread I only used cocoa powder and it was good, but I knew I wanted more chocolate flavor. So I added chocolate chips and it was perfect! The chocolate chips brings just the right amount of sweetness and that rich chocolate flavor that I was hoping for.
Double Chocolate Sourdough Bread – A Fermented Treat
You all know that I love to add fermented foods to our diet any chance I can get so it felt great to find a fermented treat that wasn’t overly sweet, but still satisfies when a sweet craving arises. The fermentation process breaks down the phytic acid to help make the bread easier to digest as well as increasing the amount of nutrients available for absorption.
Ingredients for Double Chocolate Sourdough Bread
- Active sourdough starter – You will need an active starter for this bread recipe.
- Bread Flour – Since cocoa powder tends to inhibit gluten development using bread flour, which has a higher protein content, helps the bread to have the proper structure to have a nice rise. Using all-purpose flour will work too but the bread may be a bit flatter.
- Cocoa powder – Use unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Warm water – Using warm water creates the best environment for the bread to rise.
- Brown sugar – Adds just a touch of sweetness but also helps the bread to be soft and chewy.
- Salt – Adds flavor to baked goods.
- Dark chocolate chips – Dark chocolate adds chocolate flavor without being overly sweet but would be delicious with milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips. For an extra chocolatey flavor chop up a chocolate bar and add to the bread.
Equipment
How to Make Double Chocolate Sourdough Bread
Mix the Dough
You will need an active bubbly starter for this double chocolate sourdough bread recipe. Feed the sourdough starter and allow it to rise at room temperature for 4-6 hours. The actual time may vary depending on different factors like the temperature of your kitchen, the strength of your starter, and the ratios you feed your starter. I like to feed my starter a ratio of 1:1:1.
Use a kitchen scale for the most accurate measurement. Add the active sourdough starter, warm water, brown sugar, and cocoa powder to a large bowl stirring to incorporate all of the ingredients. Next, add the salt and bread flour.
Know that the dough will be stiff. I started to mix the dough with my dough whisk but found that kneading by hand was the best way to mix in the bread flour completely.
Let the dough rest so that the flour can properly hydrate and that the dough can relax after being worked. After 30 minutes, do a series of stretch and folds. Grab the edge of the bread dough firmly and lift it straight up to stretch it, then fold and press into the center of the dough. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and do another stretch and fold.
Continue to do 4-5 times or until the dough becomes too stiff to lift and fold. This completes one set of stretch and folds. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes and repeat with another set of stretch and folds.
Before the last set of stretch and folds, add the chocolate chips to the dough. Do your best to keep the chips within the dough and not on the top.
You will do a total of 4 sets of stretch and folds over the two hours. The dough will become smoother and more elastic with each set of folds.
Bulk Fermentation
After the last set of lifts and folds, cover the bowl and allow it to ferment in a warm spot on the counter at room temperature for 8-12 hours. The dough will have doubled in size and have a smooth top. I generally do this step after dinner in the winter, but closer to bedtime in the summer months.
Shaping the Dough
The next morning lightly flour your work surface and scrape the dough out of the bowl with a dough scraper or rubber spatula. Shape the dough using the envelope fold, folding the bottom half of the dough up to the middle, pressing lightly to hold. Fold the top half of the dough down to the middle. Lastly, fold each side to the middle.
Turn the dough over so that the seams are facing down, and with your hands cupping the farthest side of the loaf, drag the dough towards you while gently pushing the bottom of the loaf under creating tension as the dough slightly sticks to the counter. You may find that the dough slides from the floured surface. Brush away some of the flour or shape the dough on a clean work surface.
If you have a banneton basket, use a bench scraper to lift the dough into the banneton with the seam facing upwards because when you flip the dough out then the seam will be facing down.
Don’t worry if you don’t have a banneton, just lift the dough onto a piece of parchment paper with the seam facing down, and then lift the parchment paper into a bowl.
Second Rise
Cover bowl or banneton with a damp tea towel or a piece of plastic wrap and let the dough rise for an additional hour at room temperature or 6-8 hours in the refrigerator.
Score and Bake
Preheat the Dutch oven to 400 degrees for 45 minutes.
Lightly dust the top of the loaf with flour. Using a bread lame or sharp knife, score the top of the dough, giving the bread a place to expand as it bakes. Lift the bread using the parchment paper into the Dutch oven, quickly replacing the lid and back into the oven. Bake for 40 minutes with the lid on. When the time is up, remove the lid and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
When the time is up, remove the bread from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack. The chocolate makes it difficult to know if the bread is done so I like to use a digital thermometer to double-check. You know it’s done when it reaches 200 degrees.
Wait until the bread cools completely before slicing.
Storage Instructions
Allow the bread to cool completely before placing into a container. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
To freeze chocolate sourdough bread, allow to cool completely before wrapping in a few layers of plastic wrap and place in the freezer. For best flavor use within 3 months.
Example Baking Schedule
This chocolate sourdough bread recipe couldn’t be easier, but sometimes it’s nice to have a sample timeline, especially as you learn to work with sourdough breads. This is a typical schedule for the winter months when the house is cooler. During the summer months, I will bump the first day back two more hours so that the bulk ferment isn’t as long.
Day 1:
10 am Remove the starter from the refrigerator and feed ratio of 1:1:1, starter, flour and water.
6-8 pm Mix the dough and do the series of stretch and folds.
8 pm Allow to bulk ferment overnight at room temperature.
Day 2:
8 am Shape the dough and place into the refrigerator for the second rise.
1 pm Preheat Dutch oven.
2 pm Bake bread.
What to Put on Double Chocolate Sourdough Bread
While this chocolate sourdough bread shines by itself, try some of these delicious topping ideas:
- Peanut butter
- Plain or strawberry cream cheese
- Grass-fed butter and jam
- Whipped Honey Butter Compound
I’d love to hear from you! Please rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! Don’t forget to tag #Lockremhomestead in photos of your Double Chocolate Sourdough Bread over on Instagram!
Double Chocolate Sourdough Bread Recipe
Equipment
- 1 large bowl
- 1 Danish dough whisk
- 1 lame
- 1 Dutch Oven
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 350 g warm water
- 475 g bread flour
- 50 g brown sugar
- 50 g cocoa powder
- 100 g active sourdough starter
- 10 g salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
Mixing the Dough
- You will need an active bubbly starter for this recipe. Feed your starter and allow it to rise at room temperature for 4-6 hours. The actual time may vary depending on different factors like the temperature of your kitchen, the strength of your starter, and the ratios you feed your starter. I like to feed my starter a ratio of 1:1:1.
- Use a kitchen scale for the most accurate measurement. Add the active sourdough starter, warm water, brown sugar, and cocoa powder to a large bowl stirring to incorporate all of the ingredients. Next, add the salt and bread flour.
- Know that the dough will be stiff. I started to mix the dough with my dough whisk like usual but found that kneading by hand was the best way to mix in the bread flour completely.
- Let the dough rest so that the flour can properly hydrate and that the dough can relax after being worked. After 30 minutes, do a series of stretch and folds. Grab the edge of the bread dough firmly and lift it straight up to stretch it, then fold and press into the center of the dough. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and do another stretch and fold. Continue to do 4-5 times or until the dough becomes too stiff to lift and fold. Let rest for 30 minutes and repeat.
- Before the last set of stretch and folds, add the chocolate chips to the dough. Do your best to keep the chips within the dough and not on the top. You will do a total of 4 sets of stretch and folds over the two hours. The dough will become smoother and more elastic with each set of folds.
Bulk Fermentation
- After the last set of lifts and folds, cover the bowl and allow it to ferment in a warm spot on the counter at room temperature for 8-12 hours. The dough will have doubled in size and have a smooth top. I generally do this step after dinner in the winter, but closer to bedtime in the summer months.
Shaping the Dough
- The next morning lightly flour your work surface and scrape the dough out of the bowl with a dough scraper or rubber spatula.
- Shape the dough using the envelope fold, folding the bottom half of the dough up to the middle, pressing lightly to hold. Fold the top half of the dough down to the middle. Lastly, fold each side to the middle.
- Turn the dough over so that the seams are facing down, and with your hands cupping the farthest side of the loaf, drag the dough towards you while gently pushing the bottom of the loaf under creating tension as the dough slightly sticks to the counter. You may find that the dough slides from the floured surface. Brush away some of the flour or shape the dough on a clean work surface.
- If you have a banneton basket, use a bench scraper to lift the dough into the banneton with the seam facing upwards because when you flip the dough out then the seam will be facing down.
- Don’t worry if you don’t have a banneton, just lift the dough onto a piece of parchment paper with the seam facing down, and then lift the parchment paper into a bowl.
Second Rise
- Cover with a damp tea towel or a piece of plastic wrap and let the dough rise for an additional hour at room temperature or 6-8 hours in the refrigerator.
Score and Bake
- Preheat the Dutch oven to 400 degrees for 45 minutes.
- Lightly dust the top of the loaf with flour. Using a bread lame or sharp knife, score the top of the dough, giving the bread a place to expand as it bakes.
- Lift the bread using the parchment paper into the Dutch oven, quickly replacing the lid and back into the oven. Bake for 40 minutes with the lid on.
- When the time is up, remove the lid and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- When the time is up, remove the bread from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack. The chocolate makes it difficult to know if the bread is done so I like to use a digital thermometer to double-check. You know it's done when it reaches 200 degrees.
- Wait until it cools completely before slicing. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
How much of the chocolate chips do you typically add in?
I add 1 cup. I fixed the recipe card!
Amazing! Thank you for sharing!
I currently have this cold fermenting in my fridge but this is the EASIEST dough I have ever worked with 👌 I did add a teaspoon of molasses bc I only had white sugar so I wanted to add that sweet flavor and softness. I also folded my chips in with the first set of folds and worked them in. And when I shaped I was able to get them all inside my loaf 🙂 It was so hot here today my dough bulk fermented in 5 hours lol
What great feedback, Nancy. I can’t wait to hear how it turned out, I’m sure you’ll love it!
If you omit the cocoa powder, chocolate chips and sugar, will the starter/water/flour/salt measurements work for a plain loaf ? Or would the measurements be off?
I’m not sure what the ratios are if you were to remove all of that. I suppose I’d check out this recipe if you want a plain loaf of sourdough bread. https://lockremhomestead.com/2023/02/25/easy-sourdough-bread-loaf-recipe/
Does the dough remain a very stiff dough? Mine appears to be thick and not as pliable as other sourdoughs?
Yes, the dough is stiff, especially after you do your folds. Once the dough has had a chance to sit undisturbed for 15-20 minutes, the gluten strands will relax and the dough softens a bit.
This is simply delicious!! I used mostly “special dark” hershey’s cocoa powder the second time I made it, and I think it made the dough itself even more chocolately which was great. I also used about 125g of starter which worked well.
Ohhh, I’ll have to try the special dark cocoa powder! Thanks for sharing!
This is an excellent recipe! I made one batch following your recipe exactly, and a second batch using peanut butter powder instead of cocoa, and then Reese’s baking chips instead of chocolate chips and turned it into 2 marble loaf with peanut butter and chocolate. It is by far the biggest hit of my sourdough repertoire. Thank you for this recipe I am keeping it forever!
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe! Your peanut butter combo sounds delicious and I’ll have to give it a try. Thanks for sharing!
Made this today & came out just as the pictures! Very easy to handle dough in shaping although I was a little dubious at the beginning as it was very sticky, craggy until the third stretch & fold. As a note, I opted for semisweet chips as I thought the bread itself would be more of a sweeter enriched dough. Although very soft and pleasant to eat, it wasn’t sweet enough to offset the bitter chips. I’ll go for milk chocolate next time. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad you made the bread and love hearing your feedback!