Sourdough Chocolate Bread | Easy No Knead Recipe

A simple no knead recipe, this sourdough chocolate bread will be a fun addition to your breadmaking routine. Slightly sweet, with chocolate chips scattered throughout, everyone will enjoy this treat!

If you've tried my no knead sourdough sandwich bread, this variation is just as easy and, let's be honest, so much more fun!

There isn't a second rise or a stretch and fold technique used either. You mix it, let it rise and bake. So EASY! As long as your starter is active and bubbly, you'll be good to go. So don't use sourdough discard.

Make it for a fancy brunch, Christmas breakfast or just for fun whenever you feel like it. There are so many ways to enjoy it and come on, EVERYONE is going to be excited about chocolate bread.

The best way to eat it, in my opinion, is toasted with warm, melted butter on top. Simple, but so tasty!

Now don't expect a chocolate cake when you bite into it, it's not like that! It's a delicious bread that's quite chocolatey and slightly sweet, with little chocolate bursts throughout (chocolate chips). It's nice because you can enjoy a sweet treat, but not consume as much sugar!

Bake for your family or for the chocolate lover in your life. They'll be ecstatic!

What is Sourdough?

Sourdough is a type of bread that is made using a fermented dough starter. The starter is a mixture of flour and water that has been allowed to ferment naturally, usually over the course of several days. The wild yeast on the grain and in the environment is harnessed and then multiplies.

This fermentation process gives sourdough bread its characteristic tangy flavor and chewy texture. The starter can be made with various types of flour, including wheat, rye, and spelt.

How to Make a Sourdough Starter

It's pretty simple to make a sourdough starter from scratch, however, it's easier to get and maintain a small amount of mature sourdough starter if you know someone who does sourdough.

If you don't, here is a great tutorial about how to make your own. It's basically mixing flour and water together and allowing it to sit at room temperature and repeating over and over again for at least 7 days. (There is more to it than that, so follow the tutorial.) This will create a symbiotic colony of yeast that you can use to make so many delicious and healthy baked goods!

Is Sourdough Healthier than Conventional bread?

Sourdough bread is considered to be healthier than conventional bread made with commercial yeast for a few reasons.

One is that the fermentation process used to make sourdough bread creates beneficial bacteria that can aid in digestion.

Additionally, the acidity created during fermentation can help to break down phytates and other anti-nutrients that can be present in flour, making the nutrients in the bread more easily absorbed by the body.

Sourdough bread is also usually made with a smaller amount of yeast, which results in a more complex flavor and texture and also reduces the need for added sugar.

Sourdough bread still contains gluten, which can be problematic for people with gluten sensitivities, however, the amount in sourdough is much less than in conventionally yeasted bread.

Tips for Making Sourdough Chocolate Bread

• Feed your sourdough starter 4-8 hours before mixing the dough. It needs to be an active bubbly starter for best results. I tend to feed my starter around 3 pm, then mix my bread dough at 9 or 10ish and bake first thing in the morning.
• Make sure the lid fits well or a weird crust may form on the bread during the bulk fermentation time. You can just use plastic wrap or beeswax wrap to ensure a tight seal.
• Use filtered water if you can (we use a Berkey water filter, see my full review on this filter), as some chemicals and additives in tap water can hinder the sourdough starter.
• This bread won't spring up too much in the oven, so it's not ideal for scoring, but you can still do it. Sprinkle the top of the dough with a little flour and use a sharp knife to score your design.
• Place the bread on a cooling rack immediately, which will prevent the bottom from becoming soggy.
• You can bake in a loaf pan, but you need to double the recipe to fill the pan and then use another loaf pan as a lid for the bulk rise and baking.

How to Serve Sourdough Chocolate Bread

• Toasted with butter - Slice the sourdough chocolate bread and toast it. Spread butter on top for a classic and simple way to enjoy the bread.
• French toast - Follow my sourdough french toast recipe just using this bread instead of my sourdough sandwich bread.
• Grilled cheese sandwich: Make a classic grilled cheese sandwich using sourdough chocolate bread (I would personally leave out the chocolate chips for this) and your favorite cheese.
• Chocolate bread pudding: Follow a bread pudding recipe and use chocolate bread instead of the bread in the recipe.
• Chocolate bread and butter pudding: Follow a bread and butter pudding recipe and swap out the white bread for chocolate bread.
• Chocolate bread crumbs: Process the bread into crumbs and use it as a topping for ice cream, yogurt, or oatmeal.
• Chocolate bread dipping: Make a chocolate ganache or a chocolate fondue, cut the bread into cubes and use them as dipping bread.
• Chocolate bread with fruit: Toast the bread and top it with fresh fruits like strawberries, blueberries, or bananas, and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.
• Chocolate bread with cheese: Toast the bread and top it with your favorite cheese, like brie, camembert, or gouda.

Substitution Options

• All-purpose flour - Whole wheat or any wheat/white combination will work.
• Coconut sugar - Any type of granulated sugar, such as brown sugar, maple sugar or white sugar. The sugar can also be left out entirely if desired.
• Dark chocolate chips - Chocolate chunks or other varieties of chocolate chips could be used as well, based on preference. You can also chop up your favorite chocolate bar.
• Additional add-ins - Add some dried cherries or blueberries, sliced nuts or big shreds of coconut for a fun twist.

Tools You May Need

Mixing bowl

Measuring cups and spoons

Dutch oven or tall casserole dish with lid

How to Make Sourdough Chocolate Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoon coconut sugar
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• ½ cup dark chocolate chips (I use 70%)
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoon filtered water
• ¼ cup active sourdough starter
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:

Combine flour, sugar, cocoa and chocolate chips in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl (I use my large liquid measuring cup), whisk together water, starter and salt. If you have a thick sourdough starter, make sure it's fully dissolved and incorporated with the water. Using warm water can help with this process.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir to combine. The mixture may be difficult to fully incorporate by stirring, so you may have to use your hands to finish combining it by kneading for just a few seconds in the bowl or on a work surface.

Shape into a ball and place in the middle of a piece of parchment paper.

Lower the paper into a dutch oven or medium Corningware dish (that has an oven-safe lid). Whichever container you use, make sure there's enough room for the dough to double in size.

Cover and let the dough rise at room temperature for 8-12 hours, until it's doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Bake for 20 minutes, remove the lid and bake for an additional 18 minutes.

Immediately transfer the bread loaf out of the parchment paper onto a wire rack to cool.

Allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

How to Store Sourdough Chocolate Bread

Once the bread has completely cooled, keep it in a large ziploc or a bread bag, sealed at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Freeze in an airtight plastic bag for up to 6 months.

Did you try this recipe? If so, I would really appreciate a 5-star rating and your comments below! Thanks!

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