Chocolate Sourdough

Step 1

Mix 160g of active and bubbly starter with 245g warm water and 40g granulated sugar in a large bowl, stirring well until mostly combined.

Step 2

In a medium bowl, whisk together 330g bread flour, 30g dutch process cocoa powder, and 1/2 tablespoon espresso powder.

Step 3

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until a shaggy dough forms, then continue mixing with your hands or a bowl scraper until combined.

Step 4

Once the dough has been combined, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a shower cap and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.

Step 5

After 30 minutes sprinkle 6 g salt on top of the dough and perform a series of stretches and folds: with wet hands, grab the dough and gently pull it until the flap is long enough to fold over itself, then fold the flap, rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat 4 times. Recover the bowl, and set it aside for 30 minutes.

Step 6

After 30 minutes, and add 40g chopped walnuts and 70g chocolate chunks and perform the second set of stretch and folds to incorporate the inclusions. Allow to rest for another 30 minutes and perform 1 more set of stretch and folds, for a total of 3 sets.

Step 7

After the final stretch and fold, rest the dough for 1 hour.

Step 8

Lightly flour the work surface and use a bowl scraper to turn the double chocolate walnut sourdough out onto the floured surface. Try to get the smooth top part face down so that the sticky underside is on top facing you, this will make shaping the dough easier.

Step 9

Fold the edges into the middle, alternating sides as though lacing the dough together. Then starting from the bottom, tightly roll the dough into a batard. Stop there if making a batard, or tuck the long ends underneath to create a boule.

Step 10

Allow the dough to rest covered for 20 minutes.

Step 11

Place your hands underneath the dough and using your pinkies, apply pressure to the dough and drag it along the work surface to increase surface tension in the dough. Avoid overtightening the dough because it may tear with the inclusions.

Step 12

Dust the top of your boule or batard with rice flour, then use a bench scraper to pick up the dough, flip the dough, and place it upside down, or seam side up, into a banneton to prove. Don't have a banneton? Check out these BANNETON ALTERNATIVES.

Step 13

Cover the banneton with a reusable plastic bag and place it in the fridge. During the proving period, the dough will rise in the banneton, but due to the cool temperatures in the fridge, it won't be a marked difference. See my post on PROOFING SOURDOUGH IN THE FRIDGE for more information.

Step 14

Place your dutch oven, cloche, or desired baking dish in the oven and preheat to 450f. If you don't have a dutch oven, I do have a recommendation on HOW TO BAKE SOURDOUGH BREAD WITHOUT A DUTCH OVEN.

Step 15

Once the oven is preheated, remove the dough from the fridge and invert the banneton onto a sheet of parchment paper.

Step 16

Use a lame, sharp knife, or clean razor blade to score the dough, I usually like to make one deep curved slash when adding inclusions, but you can get as fancy as you like!

Step 17

Carefully remove the dutch oven from the oven, and using the parchment paper as a sling, transfer the sourdough loaf from the counter into the dutch oven.

Step 18

Bake the dough at 450f covered for 20 minutes and uncovered at 450f for 25-30 minutes, or until the loaf is cooked through. You can test the doneness of the loaf with an instant-read thermometer. Bread is cooked once it reaches 205 - 210 degrees Fahrenheit internal temperature

Step 19

Remove baked bread from the dutch oven and transfer it to a wire mesh cooling rack to cool completely before slicing. I like to leave it for at least 2 hours before slicing, as slicing too soon can affect the crumb and texture of your loaf.

Step 20

Check out my guide on STORING SOURDOUGH BREAD to ensure it stays fresh for days, or learn HOW TO FREEZE SOURDOUGH bread for a rainy day.