There’s something deeply satisfying about combining the slow, natural process of sourdough with the indulgence of chocolate. This chocolate sourdough bread recipe brings together a strong active sourdough starter, quality ingredients, and careful fermentation to create a loaf with a rich chocolate flavor, soft crumb, and subtle tang.

Whether you’re new to sourdough or looking to elevate your baking, this recipe walks you through each stage — from mixing to bulk fermentation, shaping, and baking in a dutch oven.

Ingredients

To create a beautifully balanced chocolate sourdough loaf, you’ll need:

• 100g active sourdough starter
• 400g bread flour
• 40g cocoa powder
• 300g water (at room temperature)
• 10g salt
• 80–120g chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (dark or milk chocolate, depending on preference)

Mixing the Dough

Begin by combining your active sourdough starter with water at room temperature, mixing until fully dissolved. Add the bread flour, salt and cocoa powder, stirring until a shaggy dough forms. At this stage, the dough may feel slightly sticky and dense due to the cocoa — this is completely normal.

Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. This rest period (often called autolyse) allows the flour to fully hydrate and makes the dough easier to work with later.

Bulk Fermentation & Structure Building

Now the dough enters bulk fermentation, where flavour and structure develop. Leave the dough at room temperature for around 30 minutes to 1 hour before beginning your first set of stretches and folds.

Over the next few hours, perform sets of stretches and folds every 30–45 minutes. This process of stretching and folding strengthens the dough without kneading, helping develop that classic sourdough texture.

After your second fold, gently sprinkle chopped chocolate over the dough or fold in your chocolate chips, ensuring even distribution without overworking the dough.

Continue bulk fermentation until the dough has risen, feels airy, and shows visible bubbles; typically 3–5 hours depending on temperature.

Shaping the Dough

Once bulk fermentation is complete, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Begin shaping the dough by gently folding it into itself to create surface tension.

Flip the dough so the seam side is facing down, then shape into a tight round or oval loaf depending on your preference. Transfer to a proofing basket or bowl lined with a floured cloth, placing the dough seam side up.

Allow the dough to proof at room temperature or refrigerate overnight for deeper flavour.

Baking in a Dutch Oven

Preheat your oven to 230°C with a dutch oven inside. Once hot, carefully transfer your dough onto baking paper, score the top, and place it into the dutch oven.

Bake with the lid on for baking for 20 minutes, allowing steam to develop and the loaf to rise fully.

Then remove the lid and continue baking for another 15–20 minutes until the crust is dark and set, with a deep chocolate aroma.

Cooling & Serving

Once baked, remove the loaf and place it on a wire rack to cool completely. This step is crucial — slicing too early can affect the crumb structure.

As it cools, the aroma of cocoa and melted chocolate settles into the bread, creating a loaf that is both rich and balanced.