Name: Chocolate Sourdough Bread
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1020 min
Ingredients: 25 g sourdough starter; 40 g bread flour (or all-purpose flour); 40 g water; 80 g hot coffee (Or hot boiled water); 43 g cocoa powder (dutch-processed ); 440 g bread flour; 300 g water (room temperature); all the levain ((or around 100g or 1/2 cup active starter)); 50 g soft brown sugar; 1.5 tsp salt; 1 tsp vanilla paste (or extract); 85 g chocolate chips

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This chocolate sourdough bread is a rich loaf with a soft and open crumb and a gentle tang. Cocoa powder and hot coffee give it the chocolate depth without making it sweet, and folded-in chocolate chips melt into little pockets through every slice. It’s so wonderful when toasted with butter, and it makes the most incredible French toast the next day!

A close-up of a slice of dark chocolate sourdough bread with a porous, airy texture, resting on a wooden cutting board. Another piece of bread is visible in the blurred background.

There are two things that make chocolate sourdough worth making over a standard chocolate bread. Sourdough fermentation adds a subtle complexity that works well with the bitterness of cocoa and the sweetness of the chocolate chips. And the second thing is the texture. A long, slow cold proof and proper structure-building during bulk fermentation gives this loaf an open and chewy crumb.

This version is adapted from my original chocolate sourdough on Homegrown Happiness, which has been one of my most-made recipes for years. The main changes here are a slightly smaller levain for a gentler rise, a touch more water for a softer crumb, and brown sugar instead of white. The brown sugar adds a little caramel to the flavor alongside the cocoa.

What makes this sourdough special

Blooming the cocoa in hot coffee makes a real difference. This is when you mix cocoa with hot liquid before adding it to the dough. It deepens the flavor and gives the loaf a smoother, more rounded chocolate taste. The coffee doesn’t make it taste like coffee, it just brings out the chocolate more.
The hydration is higher than a standard loaf. Cocoa powder absorbs more water than flour, so the extra water keeps the crumb open and the dough more workable.
Chocolate chips are folded in at shaping, not mixed into the dough. This keeps them in little pockets rather than dissolving into the crumb. You get little bursts of melted chocolate in each slice.
A cold overnight proof develops the flavor fully. Twelve to sixteen hours in the fridge allows fermentation to slow down and the sourdough flavor to develop.
Brown sugar instead of white. Brown sugar brings a hint of molasses that pairs really well with cocoa.
It’s lightly sweet, not dessert-sweet. It’s chocolatey but you can eat it for breakfast without any guilt.

Just a few ingredients

Cocoa powder: This gives the bread its deep chocolate color and flavor.
Brown sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness and helps the crust brown beautifully. It also softens the crumb slightly.
Espresso powder or coffee: Brings out the chocolate flavor without making it taste like coffee.
Sourdough starter: Provides the rise and structure, along with flavor.
Chocolate chips or chunks: Folded in at the end so they stay in pockets through the crumb. They melt slightly as it bakes, giving little bursts of chocolate in each slice.
All-purpose flour: Or bread flour. I keep the flour choice nice and simple, but feel free to try other flours like whole wheat or rye for a bit more flavor and color.

Method with pictures

The dough

Feed your starter in the morning so it’s ready to go when you need it.

A hand holds a spatula coated in melted chocolate above a glass bowl filled with smooth, glossy melted chocolate on a wooden surface.

Mix together the hot coffee and cocoa into a smooth paste.

A hand is mixing chocolate chip cookie dough in a large white bowl with a wooden spoon on a wooden surface.

Mix the chocolate paste, extra water and flour to a large bowl and mix into a shaggy dough. Let this rest for 30 minute.

Add the starter, brown sugar, salt and vanilla. Pinch and fold until everything is evenly combined, then rest for 30 minutes.

Note: After this initial rest, I like to give the dough a few gentle slap and folds here to start building some structure early on. It’s also a good time to clean the bowl. It makes the next few steps tidier and easier later.

Two hands knead chocolate dough inside a large white bowl, with dough residue on the sides. The bowl rests on a wooden surface.

A hand kneads smooth chocolate dough in a large white bowl on a wooden surface.

Over the next 3 hours, perform stretch and folds every 30 minutes.

A round, risen ball of chocolate dough sits in a large white mixing bowl on a wooden surface.

Continue the bulk ferment until the dough shows signs of activity and has risen about 50%

Stretch and folds

To stretch and fold, wet your hands lightly so the dough doesn’t stick. Lift one side of the dough and stretch it upward, then fold it over to the opposite side. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat with the next side. Continue until you’ve folded all four sides, then cover the bowl and let it rest until the next fold.

Repeat this process every 30 minutes over about three hours. At the start, the dough will feel soft and tear easily, but it will build strength and elasticity as you go. Each fold helps it become smoother, bouncier, and easier to handle.

Shaping

A hand adds chocolate chips to a slab of chocolate cookie dough on a floured wooden surface.

Shape the dough into a rough rectangle. Sprinkle about 3/4 of the chocolate chips over the surface, then fold the dough into thirds like a letter.

A hand adds chocolate chips to a loaf of chocolate dough on a floured wooden surface, preparing it for baking.

Turn it 90 degrees. Sprinkle over the remaining chocolate.

Two hands kneading chocolate dough with chocolate chips on a wooden surface dusted with flour.

Roll the dough up into a log and tuck in the edges.

A loaf of dark bread sourdough dough rests in a flour-dusted oval proofing basket on a wooden surface. The dough has a rough texture and several raised sections along the top.

Place it seam-side up in a floured banneton. Cold-proof the dough overnight.

Baking

A loaf of rustic bread, dusted with flour and scored along the top, sits in a cast iron skillet, ready to be baked.

Score the top, then bake.

A rustic loaf of bread with a dark, crusty exterior sits on a wooden cutting board next to a knife with a white handle. The background features a tiled wall in neutral tones.

Let the loaf cool before slicing.

Tips for chocolate sourdough

Use an active levain. It should be doubled and bubbly.
Keep the dough warm during bulk. Around 25°C (77°F) is ideal. A cold kitchen will slow fermentation.
Judge bulk fermentation by the rise, not the clock. Look for a 50 to 60% increase in volume.
Score from cold. Take the dough straight from the fridge and score it while cold.
Preheat the Dutch oven fully. Thirty to forty-five minutes at temperature before the dough goes in.
Cool completely before slicing. The crumb needs time to set. One to two hours minimum.

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