Description
Rich chocolate cherry sourdough bread melds deep cocoa notes with tangy sourdough complexity. Crimson cherries and dark chocolate create a harmonious flavor profile that delights passionate bakers who seek adventurous culinary experiences.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients:
- 480 grams (4 cups) bread flour
- 60 grams (3/4 cup) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 50 grams (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 10 grams (3.5 tablespoons) Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 420 grams (1.75 cups) warm water (80-90°F)
- 100 grams (1/2 cup) active sourdough starter or fresh sourdough discard
Mix-ins and Additional Ingredients:
- 85 grams (1/2 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 80 grams (1/2 cup) dried cherries, roughly chopped
- Rice flour for dusting banneton
- 2 ice cubes for steam
Instructions
- Activate the sourdough starter 6-12 hours before baking, ensuring peak bubbling and vitality. Timing depends on ambient kitchen warmth: shorter in warmer environments (around 75F), longer in cooler spaces (65-68F).
- Combine bread flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a large mixing vessel. Pour warm water and active starter, blending thoroughly until no dry flour remains. Allow mixture to rest 20 minutes for flour hydration and gluten relaxation.
- Using moistened hands, gently unfold dough and progressively integrate chocolate chips and dried cherries through strategic stretch-and-fold techniques. Distribute ingredients evenly across 4 repetitive folding cycles, pausing 20 minutes between each manipulation.
- Monitor dough during fermentation, observing volume expansion and emergence of fermentation bubbles. Fermentation duration ranges 4-12 hours, influenced by kitchen temperature and starter potency.
- Craft dough into a compact loaf, positioning seam-side up in a rice flour-coated banneton. Refrigerate overnight (12-16 hours) to develop complex flavor profiles and enhance structural integrity.
- Heat Dutch oven to 450F. Artfully score dough surface, introduce ice cubes for moisture generation. Bake covered for 45 minutes, then uncover for additional 5 minutes to achieve desired crust caramelization.
- Transfer bread to wire cooling rack, allowing 2-4 hours of complete cooling before slicing to preserve internal moisture and texture.
Notes
- Handle Moisture Carefully add chocolate chips and dried cherries in small batches to prevent excess liquid from disrupting dough hydration and texture.
- Temperature Matters Monitor kitchen warmth closely, as fermentation speed directly impacts dough development and final bread quality.
- Customize Mix-ins Experiment with alternative mix-ins like dark chocolate chunks, white chocolate, or tart dried cranberries for flavor variation.
- Storage Strategy Store bread wrapped in parchment paper at room temperature for 2-3 days, or slice and freeze for longer preservation without compromising texture.
- Prep Time: 25 hours 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 16
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 0.6 g
- Fat: 2 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg