Chocolate sourdough bread is a truly indulgent and delightful sweet bread recipe, masterfully blending the complex tang of sourdough starter with the rich, comforting flavors of cocoa powder and luscious chocolate chips. This unique fusion results in a bread that is both deeply satisfying and incredibly versatile. Whether you’re preparing for festive holidays, seeking a show-stopping dessert, or simply craving a comforting treat, this decadent bread is guaranteed to impress and captivate everyone who takes a bite. It’s more than just bread; it’s an experience, a symphony of flavors and textures that elevates your baking to an art form, making it a perfect addition to any special occasion or a simple pleasure for everyday enjoyment.
While this recipe focuses on a sweet variation, if you’re in the mood for a more traditional bake, explore our classic sourdough bread baked in a Dutch oven for a timeless culinary experience.
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Why You Will Love This Chocolate Sourdough Bread
There are countless reasons to fall in love with this chocolate sourdough bread, making it a staple in your baking repertoire. Beyond its exquisite taste, its versatility and ease of preparation (despite the longer rise times) make it a joy to bake and share. Here’s why this recipe will become a new favorite:
- A Delightful Way to Utilize Your Sourdough Starter: If you’re an avid sourdough baker, you often find yourself with excess sourdough starter or discard. This recipe offers a fantastic, sweet alternative to savory bakes, preventing waste and expanding your culinary horizons. It transforms that tangy starter into a tender, flavorful bread. Beyond this chocolate delight, consider trying our German sourdough apple cake or irresistible sourdough discard cinnamon rolls for more sweet sourdough adventures that creatively use your active or discarded starter.
- A Kid-Friendly Treat That Everyone Admires: This semi-sweet dessert bread is a phenomenal alternative to heavily sweetened cakes or pastries. Its rich chocolate flavor paired with the subtle sourdough tang creates a balanced treat that even the pickiest eaters adore. Serve it as a unique breakfast, an afternoon snack, or a lighter dessert option that kids and adults alike will eagerly devour. Its appealing aroma and studded chocolate interior make it an instant hit for all ages, perfect for school lunchboxes or an after-dinner indulgence.
- Perfect for Planning Ahead: Sourdough baking, by nature, involves longer fermentation periods, which works perfectly for meal planning. With rising times that can range from 4 to 12 hours, this bread is an ideal candidate for making in advance. Prepare the dough one day and bake it the next, allowing you to enjoy fresh, warm chocolate sourdough bread with minimal effort on the day you plan to serve it. This flexibility makes it an excellent choice for busy households or for preparing ahead of special gatherings and holidays.
- Unforgettable Flavor and Texture Profile: The magic of chocolate sourdough lies in its unique flavor. The slight acidity from the sourdough fermentation beautifully balances the sweetness and depth of the chocolate, adding a complex layer to the taste that you won’t find in ordinary chocolate bread. The crust develops a wonderful crispness and a deep, inviting color, while the interior remains incredibly soft, moist, and generously studded with melty chocolate chips, offering a truly gourmet experience with every bite.
- An Impressive Artisan Bake at Home: While it delivers an artisanal quality, this recipe is surprisingly straightforward, making it accessible even for those relatively new to sourdough. The “stretch and fold” technique replaces traditional kneading, simplifying the process and making it a satisfying project that yields professional-looking results. You’ll be able to impress your friends and family with a homemade loaf that not only tastes incredible but also looks like it came straight from a high-end bakery.
Maximize your sourdough discard potential! Explore our comprehensive collection of easy and flavorful sourdough discard recipes to ensure no precious starter goes to waste, turning culinary remnants into delightful new creations.
Essential Ingredients and Clever Substitutions for Your Chocolate Sourdough
Creating the perfect chocolate sourdough bread starts with understanding each ingredient and how it contributes to the final masterpiece. Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll need and how you can adapt the recipe to your preferences, ensuring a delicious and successful bake every time:
- Active Sourdough Starter: This is the living heart of your sourdough bread, responsible for its unique flavor and rise. For optimal results, use an active, well-fed sourdough starter. “Active” means your starter has been fed 12-24 hours prior to starting the recipe and has consistently doubled in size within 4-6 hours after feeding. While it doesn’t need to be at its absolute peak activity when you begin mixing, a robust and healthy starter ensures proper fermentation and a good rise. A 100% hydration starter (equal parts flour and water by weight) is ideal for this recipe, providing the perfect balance for the dough’s texture and elasticity.
- Bread Flour: The high protein content in bread flour is crucial for developing strong gluten networks, which provide the necessary structure, elasticity, and chewy texture characteristic of good sourdough bread. It allows the dough to capture and hold the gases produced during fermentation, leading to a beautiful open crumb.
- Substitution Tip: You can successfully substitute all-purpose flour at a 1:1 ratio, though your bread might be slightly less chewy and have a marginally tighter crumb due to its lower protein content.
- Substitution Tip: For a more rustic loaf with added depth of flavor and nutritional benefits, replace up to half of the bread flour with whole wheat flour, also at a 1:1 ratio. Be aware that whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid, so you might need to slightly adjust your water content based on the dough’s feel. This substitution will yield a denser crumb and a nuttier flavor.
- Brown Sugar: This ingredient adds a delightful sweetness that perfectly complements the rich chocolate, while also contributing moisture to the bread, resulting in a tender crumb. The molasses in brown sugar also adds a subtle caramel note.
- Substitution Tip: For a subtle flavor change and natural sweetness, you can substitute 2 tablespoons (50 grams) of honey for the brown sugar. Honey will impart a distinct aroma and slightly different moisture profile; adjust sweetness to your liking.
- Cocoa Powder: Essential for imparting that rich chocolatey hue and deep, intense flavor. It transforms a regular sourdough into a luxurious dessert bread.
- Recommendation: We highly recommend using Dutch process cocoa powder. Dutch process cocoa has been alkalized, which gives it a darker, more appealing color and a smoother, less bitter chocolate flavor compared to natural cocoa powder. This alkalinity also interacts differently with baking soda (though not used in this sourdough recipe), resulting in a more intense and pleasant chocolate experience in your sweet sourdough bread.
- Chocolate Chips: These delightful pockets of melty goodness are what truly make this bread a decadent treat, bursting with chocolate flavor in every bite.
- Variety: This recipe traditionally uses semi-sweet chocolate chips, which offer a balanced sweetness that appeals to most palates. However, feel free to experiment with milk chocolate chips for a sweeter, creamier profile, or dark chocolate chips for a more intense, sophisticated bitterness. You can even mix varieties for a dynamic flavor and texture contrast within your loaf. Consider mini chips for more even distribution or larger chunks for dramatic pools of chocolate.
- Filtered Water: Using filtered water is crucial for sourdough baking, as chlorine and other chemicals commonly found in tap water can inhibit or even kill the beneficial microbes in your sourdough starter, hindering fermentation. Aim for water around 100ºF (38ºC) to encourage optimal starter activity without being too hot to damage the yeast.
- Coarse Salt: Beyond simply adding flavor, salt plays a vital role in sourdough baking by strengthening the gluten structure and regulating the fermentation rate of the yeast and bacteria. Do not omit or reduce it significantly, as this can lead to an underdeveloped flavor and an uncontrolled rise.
🎯 Pro Tip: Flour Substitutions
When swapping flours, remember that while all-purpose flour can be used cup-for-cup, whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid. If substituting with whole wheat flour (up to half of the total), you might need to slightly adjust your water content by adding a tablespoon or two if the dough feels too stiff. Always aim for a dough that is hydrated but manageable, allowing for good gluten development without being excessively sticky.
Expert Tips for Baking Your Decadent Chocolate Sourdough Bread
Baking sourdough is an art that rewards patience and attention to detail. Understanding the nuances of each step will lead to a truly exceptional, perfectly risen, and flavorful chocolate sourdough bread. Follow these expert tips for a consistent and delicious outcome:
- Start with a Shaggy Dough and Autolyse for Optimal Gluten Development:
Begin your sourdough journey by combining all your dry ingredients (bread flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, and salt) with your active sourdough starter and warm filtered water in a large mixing bowl. Stir these components together just until a “shaggy dough” forms – this is a rough, sticky mass where all the flour has been hydrated but no smooth, uniform dough has yet developed. At this initial stage, resist the strong urge to knead. Instead, cover the bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rest for a crucial 30-45 minutes. This resting period is known as the “autolyse.” It allows the flour to fully absorb the water and enables enzymes to begin breaking down starches and proteins. This process naturally strengthens the gluten strands without any strenuous kneading, significantly improving the dough’s extensibility and elasticity, which makes subsequent handling much easier and contributes to a better crumb structure.
- Embrace the Gentle Stretch and Fold Technique Instead of Traditional Kneading:
Unlike traditional yeasted breads that often require vigorous kneading, sourdough benefits immensely from the more gentle “stretch and fold” technique. This method effectively develops gluten while preserving the delicate air pockets essential for sourdough’s characteristic open crumb structure and tender texture.
- To perform a stretch and fold: Lightly flour your countertop and dust your hands with flour as well. Gently turn the shaggy dough out onto the floured surface. Grab one edge of the dough, stretch it upwards about 4-6 inches (10-15 cm), and then fold it back towards the center of the dough. Rotate the dough a quarter turn (90 degrees) and repeat this stretching and folding process. Continue for about 15-30 seconds, or until the dough feels slightly more cohesive, tightens up, and starts to resist stretching. This technique efficiently builds strength in the dough without deflating the valuable gases created by your starter. Return the dough to the bowl, cover it, and allow it to rest before the next set of folds or the bulk rise.
- For optimal gluten development, repeat this process 2-3 times during the initial bulk fermentation, typically every 30-60 minutes, to further strengthen the dough and ensure even temperature distribution.
- Allow Sufficient Time for the Bulk Rise (First Fermentation) – Patience is Key:
The bulk rise, or first fermentation, is where the true magic of sourdough happens, as the yeast and bacteria in your starter work to flavor and leaven the dough. After your stretch and folds are complete, cover the dough and let it rise in a warm environment. The ideal temperature range for this stage is typically 72ºF to 80ºF (22ºC to 27ºC). You’ll know it’s ready when it has visibly doubled in size and appears bubbly on the surface and underneath.
The exact timing for the bulk rise can vary significantly based on your ambient room temperature, the activity and strength of your sourdough starter, and local humidity levels:
- At 80ºF (27ºC): Expect a rise of approximately 4 hours.
- At 75ºF (24ºC): It might take around 6 hours.
- At 70ºF (21ºC): Allocate about 8 hours.
- For temperatures consistently under 70ºF (21ºC): The rise can extend significantly, potentially taking up to 12 hours or even longer.
If you live in a dry climate or at high elevations, covering your bowl with plastic wrap will prevent the dough from drying out and forming a crust. In cooler environments, a dedicated warming mat for proofing can be a valuable tool to maintain a consistent, optimal temperature for healthy fermentation. Crucially, for this specific recipe, avoid refrigerating the dough during this primary bulk fermentation phase, as it is designed for a room-temperature rise to ensure proper fermentation and maximum volume.
- Skillfully Incorporate Chocolate Chips for Even Distribution:
Once your dough has completed its bulk rise and is beautifully bubbly, gently turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Now is the exciting time to fold in your delicious chocolate chips. Spread the chips evenly over the surface of the dough, then gently fold the dough over itself multiple times, working the chips evenly throughout the mass. The goal is to distribute them without tearing the dough or deflating too much of the precious gas bubbles. If you find the chocolate chips are resisting incorporation, or if they start to melt and smear (which can happen if the dough is too warm or your hands are hot), don’t force it. Simply tuck the chips into the dough as you shape it, ensuring they are encased within the loaf before the final proof. After incorporating the chips, allow the dough to rest for about 10-15 minutes, allowing the gluten to relax before proceeding to the final shaping.
- Prepare for the Final Rise (Proofing) and Achieve a Perfect Bake:
After incorporating the chocolate chips and gently shaping your loaf into a taut ball, it’s time for the final proof. Carefully place the dough into a well-floured banneton bowl (or a medium-sized bowl generously lined with a floured clean kitchen towel), seam-side up. Cover the bowl and let it rise for a shorter period, typically another 45-60 minutes. This final rise, known as proofing, prepares the dough for its spectacular oven spring.
Detailed Baking Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to a high temperature of 450ºF (232ºC). Importantly, for this recipe, you do not need to preheat your Dutch oven; the dough will go into a cold Dutch oven.
- Once the final proof is complete, place a long sheet of parchment paper (approximately 20 inches / 50 cm) over the top of your dough bowl, then carefully invert the dough onto the parchment paper so that the top of the loaf is now facing down.
- Using a bread lame or a very sharp serrated knife, make a few decorative and functional slashes (scoring) on the top of the loaf. Scoring allows the bread to expand beautifully and predictably during baking and contributes to a stunning, artisanal crust.
- Gently lift the parchment paper with the dough and carefully lower it into your 5-quart Dutch oven. Place the lid securely on the Dutch oven.
- Bake the covered pot in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. This initial steamy environment created by the lid helps the crust develop slowly, preventing it from hardening too quickly, which is crucial for achieving maximum oven spring and a thin, crisp crust.
- After 30 minutes, carefully remove the lid from the Dutch oven and continue baking for another 20 minutes. This phase allows the crust to brown beautifully and crisp up to perfection.
- For an extra crispy exterior and a deep golden-brown finish, carefully remove the bread from the Dutch oven after the total 50 minutes of baking and place it directly on the oven rack for an additional 5-10 minutes. Keep a close eye on it to prevent over-browning.
- To ensure the bread is fully cooked through, use an instant-read thermometer to check its internal temperature. It should register between 195-205°F (90-96°C).
- Preventing a Dark Bottom Crust: If your Dutch oven has a dark interior, you might notice the bottom crust tends to get too dark. To prevent this, consider placing a round silicone baking mat under the parchment paper in the Dutch oven, or simply place the entire Dutch oven on a baking sheet before putting it into the oven. Both methods provide a layer of insulation, preventing excessive browning of the bottom crust.
- Cooling is Crucial for Texture and Flavor Development: While the irresistible aroma of freshly baked chocolate sourdough bread will tempt you to slice it immediately, resist the urge! This cooling period is just as vital as the baking itself. Allow the bread to cool completely on a wire rack for at least 1 hour, or ideally 2-3 hours. This allows the internal structure to set, the steam to redistribute, and the complex flavors to fully develop and meld. Slicing too early can result in a gummy texture and a less developed flavor profile. Patience will truly be rewarded with the best possible crumb and taste.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chocolate Sourdough Bread
This is a common occurrence if your dough is too warm, or if your hands are particularly warm during handling. The warmth causes the chocolate to soften and melt prematurely. To minimize this, ensure your dough hasn’t over-proofed in an excessively warm spot, work quickly, and use lightly floured or slightly cooled hands. You can also briefly chill your chocolate chips before adding them. If some melting occurs, don’t worry! A little oozing chocolate after baking is perfectly normal and actually adds to the rustic charm and deliciousness of your bread, creating streaks of intense chocolate flavor.
The rising time of sourdough dough is heavily influenced by ambient temperature and humidity. Cooler environments will naturally prolong the fermentation process, as the yeast and bacteria in your starter become less active. Here’s a general guide for estimating rising times for your chocolate sourdough bread, assuming a healthy, active starter:
- At 80ºF (27ºC): Approximately 4 hours.
- At 75ºF (24ºC): Approximately 6 hours.
- At 70ºF (21ºC): Approximately 8 hours.
- For temperatures under 70ºF (21ºC): Expect the rise to take significantly longer, up to 12 hours, possibly even more depending on how cool it is.
Patience is key in cooler climates. You might consider using a dedicated warming mat for proofing or finding the warmest spot in your home (like near a water heater or inside a slightly warm, turned-off oven with the light on) to encourage optimal activity. Remember, the visual cues (doubled in size, bubbly surface, dome-like appearance) are more important than strict adherence to timeframes.
For *this specific recipe*, we do not recommend refrigerating the dough during its primary bulk fermentation or final proof. This recipe is meticulously designed to achieve optimal rise and flavor development through room-temperature fermentation, which promotes specific microbial activity leading to its characteristic texture and taste. Refrigerating the dough can significantly slow down or completely halt the activity of your sourdough yeast, preventing it from rising sufficiently and impacting the final texture. If you’re interested in a cold fermentation method, it’s best to seek out a recipe specifically formulated for that technique, as it often involves different starter hydration, ingredient ratios, and proofing strategies to accommodate the extended cold proof.
Proper storage ensures your delicious chocolate sourdough bread stays fresh and enjoyable for as long as possible, preserving its texture and flavor:
- Room Temperature Storage: Store your sourdough bread at room temperature in a clean bread bag, a reusable cloth bread bag, or a sealed airtight container for up to 5 days. For optimal freshness and to prevent the interior from drying out, avoid slicing the entire loaf at once; instead, slice off portions as needed. You can also refer to our detailed post on the best ways to store sourdough bread for comprehensive tips.
- Freezing for Long-Term Storage: For longer preservation, this chocolate sourdough bread freezes beautifully. Once completely cooled (this is critical to avoid ice crystals), wrap the entire loaf or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap, then place in an airtight freezer-safe container or bag. It can be stored in the freezer for up to three months without significant loss of quality or flavor.
- Thawing and Reheating: To thaw a frozen loaf or slices, simply leave it in its container or bag on the countertop overnight, or until it’s no longer frozen in the middle. For reheating, a quick refresh in a preheated oven (around 350ºF/175ºC for 10-15 minutes for a whole loaf, or a few minutes for slices) can bring back that wonderful freshly baked warmth and crispness, making it almost as good as new.
A dense crumb in sourdough bread can stem from several common factors. Firstly, ensure your sourdough starter is genuinely active and strong before you begin. An underactive or weak starter won’t provide enough lift to the dough. Secondly, avoid under-proofing. The dough needs ample time to ferment and develop gases, so always look for visual cues like doubling in size, a domed surface, and bubbling, rather than just relying strictly on the clock. Over-handling the dough can also lead to a dense crumb by deflating the air pockets, so be gentle with your stretch and folds and shaping. Finally, check your hydration level; too little water can result in a tight, dense dough, especially if using high-protein flours. If using different flours, remember they absorb water differently, so slight adjustments to water content may be necessary.
Achieving a perfect crispy crust relies on a combination of steam during the initial baking phase and then dry heat. Baking in a Dutch oven with the lid on creates a steamy environment that prevents the crust from hardening too quickly, allowing for maximum oven spring and the development of a thin, crisp crust. Once the lid is removed, the dry heat of the oven further crisps and browns the crust, giving it that appealing crackle. For an even crispier finish, as noted in our expert tips, you can remove the bread from the Dutch oven for the last 5-10 minutes of baking, placing it directly on the oven rack. This direct exposure to heat will draw out any remaining moisture from the crust, intensifying its crispness and color.
Did this incredible sourdough chocolate bread awaken your inner chocolatier? Dive deeper into the world of rich, cocoa-infused treats with our delightful chocolate peppermint cupcakes and our irresistible chocolate cookies with white chocolate chips! There’s always another chocolate adventure waiting!
More Chocolate Delights to Explore
If you’re a true chocolate aficionado, always seeking your next cocoa-infused adventure, you’ll love these other recipes that celebrate the rich, versatile flavor of chocolate in various delightful forms:
- Raspberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies: A vibrant combination of sweet white chocolate chunks and tart, juicy raspberries baked into tender cookies.
- Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes: Indulge in individual cakes with warm, gooey, flowing chocolate centers – a classic dessert for any special occasion.
- Fudgy Chocolate Brownies: The ultimate recipe for intensely chocolatey, moist, and delightfully chewy fudgy brownies that are sure to satisfy any craving.
- No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies: Quick, easy, and satisfying, these rich chocolate and peanut butter cookies require no oven time, perfect for a fast treat.
If you tried this chocolate sourdough bread recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Your feedback is incredibly invaluable and helps our community of bakers! Thanks for visiting and happy baking!
Chocolate Sourdough Bread Recipe
Decadent Chocolate Sourdough Bread
By Renae Gerhardstein
Chocolate Sourdough Bread is the perfect option for using leftover sourdough discard. Make this sweet bread recipe for a special occasion or simply to indulge your cravings with a unique, chocolatey twist.
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 slices
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Combined Rise Times: 8-12 hours (approximate, see notes)
Total Time: 9 hours 30 minutes (approx. with shortest rise)
Calories: 226 kcal per slice
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Dough whisk (optional, but helpful for initial mixing)
- Banneton bowl (or a medium bowl lined with a floured kitchen towel)
- Silicone liner or parchment paper
- Bread lame (or a sharp serrated knife for scoring)
- 5-quart Dutch oven with lid
- Warming mat (optional, for proofing in cool environments)
Ingredients
- ½ cup (100 grams) active sourdough starter (fed within 12-24 hours)
- 1 ½ cups (350 grams) filtered water, about 100ºF (38ºC)
- 4 cups (500 grams) bread flour (see notes for substitutions)
- ¼ cup (50 grams) packed brown sugar (see notes to use honey)
- ½ cup (50 grams) Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons (9 grams) coarse salt
- ½ cup (100 grams) chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk, or dark)
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients & Autolyse: In a large mixing bowl, combine the sourdough starter and warm water, stirring with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until the starter is dissolved. Add the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Mix until a shaggy dough forms and all flour is absorbed. Cover the bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest (autolyse) for 30-45 minutes at room temperature.
- First Stretch & Fold: Lightly flour your countertop and hands. Gently transfer the dough from the bowl onto the counter. Stretch one quarter of the dough upwards about 4 inches, then fold it back towards the center. Rotate the dough clockwise by a quarter turn and repeat the stretch-fold-turn process until the dough feels tighter (about 15-30 seconds). Return the dough to the bowl.
- Bulk Fermentation (First Rise): Cover the bowl with a damp towel (or plastic wrap if you’re in a dry area) and let the dough rise and ferment at room temperature (72ºF to 80ºF / 22ºC to 27ºC) for 4-8 hours. The rising time will vary based on temperature and humidity (refer to FAQs/Notes for details). The dough should double in size and show bubbles on the surface and underneath when properly fermented. Do not refrigerate the dough during this stage.
- Incorporate Chocolate & Second Rest: Lightly flour your countertop. Gently turn the risen dough onto the counter. Create a shallow well in the center of the dough and add the chocolate chips. Gently fold the dough over itself to incorporate the chocolate chips. If chips are difficult to fold in or begin to melt, simply tuck them into the dough before you pinch it closed. Let the dough rest for another 10-15 minutes.
- Final Proof (Shaping & Second Rise): Line a medium-sized bowl with a clean kitchen towel and dust it heavily with flour, or use a floured banneton bowl. Shape your dough into a taut ball and carefully place it seam-side up into the prepared bowl. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for a final 45-60 minutes.
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat your oven to 450ºF (232ºC). Do NOT preheat the Dutch oven at this stage. Place a long sheet of parchment paper (about 20 inches) over the top of your dough bowl, then carefully invert the dough onto the parchment paper so it is top-side down.
- Score & Bake (Covered): Use a bread lame or a sharp serrated knife to make a few shallow slashes (scoring) on the top of the loaf. Gently lift the parchment paper with the dough and lower it into the cold 5-quart Dutch oven. Cover the Dutch oven with its lid. If using a dark-interior Dutch oven, consider placing a silicone baking mat under the parchment or placing the Dutch oven on a baking sheet to prevent the bottom crust from getting too dark.
- Bake & Crisp: Place the covered Dutch oven in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue baking for another 20 minutes to allow the crust to brown. For an extra crispy exterior, carefully remove the bread from the pot and place it directly on the oven rack for an additional 5-10 minutes. The internal temperature should be 195ºF to 205ºF (90-96ºC) when fully cooked.
- Cool Completely: Transfer the baked chocolate sourdough bread to a wire rack and allow it to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. This is crucial for the internal structure to set and for the flavors to fully develop.
Notes
- Sourdough Starter: This recipe utilizes a “discard” or unfed sourdough starter, meaning it was fed 12-24 hours before starting the recipe and is no longer at its peak activity. A 100% hydration sourdough starter (equal parts flour and water by weight) works best.
- Dough Refrigeration: Do not refrigerate the dough during any rising phase for this specific recipe. Cold temperatures will prevent the fermented yeast from rising effectively.
- Rising Times: Be mindful that rising times are approximate and vary based on your environment:
- 80ºF (27ºC): ~4 hours
- 75ºF (24ºC): ~6 hours
- 70ºF (21ºC): ~8 hours
- Below 70ºF (21ºC): Up to 12 hours or more.
Trust the visual cues of the dough (doubled, bubbly) over strict timing. For more expert tips, dive into our comprehensive guide on proofing sourdough.
- Flour Substitutions:
- All-purpose flour can be substituted for bread flour at a 1:1 ratio.
- Whole wheat flour can replace up to half of the total bread flour at a 1:1 ratio, but may require slight hydration adjustments (add a little more water if dough feels stiff).
- Honey Substitution: To substitute honey for brown sugar, use 50 grams (approximately 2 tablespoons) of honey.
- Storing Instructions:
- Store baked bread at room temperature in a bread bag or airtight container for up to 5 days. For detailed advice, see our post on how to store sourdough bread.
- Freeze cooled bread in an airtight container or bag for up to three months. Thaw overnight at room temperature in its container.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: This bread is excellent for making ahead. Its longer rise times (4-12 hours) allow you to start the dough one day and bake the next, perfect for convenient enjoyment.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 slice | Calories: 226 kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 0.1mg | Sodium: 303mg | Potassium: 150mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg
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