Gimme the dough! You can have this recipe done in as little as 8 hours or as long as a week, depending on how much gluten you want broken down. Want to freeze it for a future event? You’re in the right place.
Chocolate Sourdough Bread - Freezer Friendly
Pick your gluten - a long ferment up to a week or a short one with a loaf ready in 8 hours. Top with some almond butter (lion's mane is my fav) and a little sprinkle of salt flakes. You'll be salivating every time you think about it or your money back.
Ingredients
- 50 grams organic cocoa powder
- 100 grams warm water or brewed coffee/espresso for blooming cocoa
- 125 grams sourdough starter
- 300 grams warm filtered water
- 50 grams local honey
- 4 grams vanilla extract (about 1 tsp)
- 500 grams bread flour
- 12 grams Redmonds kosher salt
- avocado oil
Instructions
Bloom the cocoa
- In a small bowl, whisk together 50g cocoa powder with 100g warm water (or coffee) and let sit for 1 minute.
Mix base ingredients:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 125g starter, 300g warm water, and 50g honey. Stir until dissolved.
Add chocolate mixture and vanilla:
- Mix in the bloomed cocoa and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
Add flour:
- Stir in 300g flour until no dry bits remain. Let rest (autolyse) for 20 minutes.
Add salt:
- Sprinkle in 12g salt and the remaining 200g flour (adjust based on your humidity—this version works well in dry Utah air).
Bulk fermentation:
- Transfer dough to a clean bowl sprayed with avocado oil. Perform stretch-and-folds every 15 minutes during the first 2 hours.
- Let the dough rest at room temperature for 4–6 hours, until doubled in size and bubbly.
Shape & pre-shape:
- Flip the bowl upside down to release the dough. Shape it gently into a boule or batard and let rest for 20 minutes. Reshape and place seam-side-up in a floured proofing basket.
OPTION 1: Bake Now
Cold proof:
- Cover and refrigerate overnight (8–12 hours) for best flavor. For easier digestion and better gluten breakdown, refrigerate up to 7 days.
Bake:
- Preheat a Dutch oven to 500°F. Score the loaf and place in the dutch oven. Lower oven temp to 430°F and bake until internal temp reaches 180°F, about 30 minutes.
Cool:
- Let cool before slicing... or don’t 😜
OPTION 2: Freeze Before Final Rise
- After shaping, place the dough in its floured proofing basket and wrap tightly with plastic wrap or a reusable cover. Then place the basket inside a freezer-safe bag and freeze immediately.
- *If you're using a vacuum sealer: Place boule seam-side up on floured parchment paper in a colander. Place in the freezer until solid (a couple hours). Remove and immediately vacuum seal. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To bake from frozen:
- Remove from freezer and unwrap.
- Place in the fridge in your proofing basket overnight (about 12–18 hours) to thaw and proof.
- Allow 1–2 hours at room temp the next day if needed until the dough feels puffy and passes the poke test.
- Proceed with preheating and baking as usual.
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know how it turned out for you in a comment below!
