Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread Recipe (2024)

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Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread is the perfect combination of sourdough tang and chocolatey goodness. This indulgent bread is rich in cocoa powder, dotted with chunks of dark chocolate, and lightly sweetened with brown sugar and hints of ground cinnamon. Serve warm with quality butter for a satisfying sourdough treat.

Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread Recipe (1)

Chocolate has my heart, especially dark chocolate. A few weeks ago, I shared my recipe for Chocolate Focaccia Bread. This recipe is so indulgent, as you serve it with a Cream Cheese Peanut Butter topping. Delicious! Then it got me thinking, could this be done with my easy sourdough bread recipe?

Why, yes, it can!

Rich chocolaty sourdough bread with chunks of chocolate scattered throughout – it is heavenly. Just like my everyday sourdough bread, each bite is paired with a crusty crunch and chewy center, but with all the chocolaty goodness you could ever want.

Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread Recipe (2)

Besides rich cocoa powder and chocolate chunks, I incorporated two additional ingredients into this recipe: brown sugar and espresso. Both of these ingredients help to elevate the richness of the chocolate flavor in this delicious bread, while the brown sugar adds just a hint of sweetness.

All you need is a good slab of quality butter spread across a warm, melty slice of this chocolate bread, and you will be living large. Or transform this loaf into a delicious twist on a classic breakfast/brunch recipe – Chocolate Sourdough French Toast Casserole!

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Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread Recipe (3)

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

Rich Chocolate Flavor:

Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread is rich with the delicious flavor of chocolate. Natural cocoa powder and chunks of melted chocolate chunks will have all chocolate lovers go back for another slice again and again.

No-Knead, Easy recipe:

Forget strenuous and time-consuming kneading by hand or with a stand mixer. A few simple sets of stretch and folds are all you need to build the perfect structure in this Chocolate Sourdough Bread.

Delicious fermented sweet treat:

Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread is long-fermented to give you all the gut-healthy benefits of sourdough. The sourdough starter helps to break down the phytic acid naturally found in flour, making the bread easier for your body to digest.

Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread Recipe (4)

Ingredients

Active sourdough starter: Before you bake Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread, feed your sourdough starter a 1:1 ratio. This means equal parts water and flour.

When your starter has doubled in size and has bubbles on top and throughout (usually 4-12 hours after a feeding), it is ready to bake delicious sourdough!

If you are still unsure, you can use the float test.Take a spoonful of your starter and a glass of water. Drop the starter in the water. If it floats, it is ready! If it sinks, it still needs some extra time to ferment.

Warm, filtered water – Be sure it’s not too hot, as this can kill your starter.

Bread Flour: My favorite brand to use isKing Arthur Bread Flour.

Salt: Any salt will do, but my favorite isRedmond’s Unrefined Fine Sea Saltfor extra natural minerals.

Raw Cocoa powder: I prefer using natural cocoa powder, like Ghirardelli, since it has a richer chocolate flavor than Dutch-processed cocoa powder, but use what you have.

Brown Sugar: I used light brown sugar.

Espresso Powder: Espresso and chocolate are best friends, they bring the best out of each other. Strong black coffee is a great substitute.

Ground Cinnamon: Aromatic cinnamon in this sourdough bread makes me think of Mexican hot chocolate, and it is heavenly.

Dark Chocolate Chips: Chopped chocolate bars, chunks, chips, or whatever you have will do.

Supplies

Large bowl

Kitchen Scale

Proofing basket /Banneton

Dough Whisk

Dutch Oven

Lame/ Razor blade / Sharp knife

Tea towel, plastic wrap, or what I like to use, a shower cap

Parchment Paper

Baking Sheet

How to Make Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread:

In a small bowl or a coffee cup, mix hot water with instant espresso. If you don’t have espresso powder, instant coffee powder can be used as a substitute. Mix with a spoon and set to the side.

Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread Recipe (5)

MAKE THE DOUGH

In a large mixing bowl, add the mature starter, warm water, espresso shot, and brown sugar. Mix the wet ingredients with a dough whisk or your hand until combined.

Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread Recipe (6)

In a medium bowl, mix the bread flour, cocoa powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Whisking these together first helps you to get a consistent brown color in your loaf, instead of streaks.

Then, add the dry ingredients to the sourdough mixture. Be sure to mix until all of the flour is incorporated. The dough will look shaggy, not like a uniform dough ball.

Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread Recipe (7)
Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread Recipe (8)

Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel (I use a reusable shower cap) and let the sourdough bread dough rest for at least 30 minutes before you move on to the next step.

STRETCH AND FOLDS

With slightly wet fingers, scrap the dough away from the bowl. Grab a section of the dough and stretch the bread dough above the bowl, then fold it over on top.

Rotate the bowl clockwise a quarter of the way and repeat identical stretches and folds until you come full circle. You will notice the dough will start to look smoother than before.

Cover the dough and let rest for another 30 minutes.

MIX-INS

Before starting your second round of stretch and folds, gather 1 cup of dark or milk chocolate chunks.

Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread Recipe (9)

Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top of the dough and repeat the same stretches and folds as before. Some chunks may break through the dough – that’s totally fine. They will continue to be mixed in during your next rounds of stretch and folds.

Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread Recipe (10)

Cover and let rest for another 30 minutes.

Repeat the identical stretch and fold routine three more times (for a total of 5 different rounds), waiting at least 30 minutes between each stretch and fold.

Cover the dough with a damp tea towel or shower cap after each stretch and fold and leave in a warm place to rest.

BULK FERMENTATION

After you’ve done all 5 sets of stretch and folds, cover the dough with a damp towel, clean plastic bag, or a shower cap and leave it to continue the fermentation process on your countertop. Let the dough rise overnight in a warm place for 10-12 hours.

SHAPE

The next day, your first peek! The dough should have doubled in size and shouldn’t look dense.

With slightly wet fingers, gently release the dough from the sides of the bowl. Be careful not to pop all of those lovely bubbles.

Tilt the bowl and let gravity move the dough onto your lightly floured surface.

Carefully stretch the dough on your workspace to create a thin rectangular shape. Then, take the top 1/3 of the dough and fold it towards the center. Then take the bottom 1/3 of the dough and fold it towards the center as well. This is a tri-fold.

Next, from the right side of the dough, roll the dough to the left to create a ball shape of the dough.

Leave to rest for 5-10 minutes with seam side down.

PREP BANNETON

While you’re waiting for the dough to rest, prepare your proofing basket. This can be a banneton or a small mixing bowl lined with a tea towel.

Dust the banneton or the tea towel with rice or all-purpose flour to prevent your sourdough from sticking.

FINAL SHAPING

After 5-10 minutes of rest, gently cup your hands around the dough ball. Turn the ball clockwise about a quarter turn. Then softly pull the dough towards you. Repeat until you see the dough form a tighter and round shape.

Using a bench scraper, carefully scope the dough and lay it upside down (smooth side down) into your floured proofing basket. Cover it with a damp tea towel or a shower cap.

SECOND RISE

Place your proofing basket in the fridge. The second and final rise should last for 8-12 hours.

SCORE

After 8-12 hours, remove the sourdough from the fridge.

Cut a piece of parchment paper big enough for your dough to be surrounded on the bottom and its edges.

Place parchment paper on your workspace and gently flip the banneton upside down over the parchment paper. Since you dusted the banneton, your dough should slowly release and fall onto the parchment paper, landing in the middle with the floured side facing up.

Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread Recipe (11)

Dust the surface of the dough with extra flour as this helps the scoring design to pop.

With a lame / razor blade or sharp knife, score a crescent moon shape or any other fancy design you might find on Pinterest that you are dying to try!

Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread Recipe (12)

Grab the corners of the parchment paper and place your sourdough into your Dutch oven.

BAKE:

With its lid on, place your Dutch oven on a baking sheet – this helps prevent the bottom of your loaf from burning and getting too crispy.

Slide the baking tray and Dutch oven into the cold oven on the middle oven rack and preheat it to 450 degrees. Bake for 55 minutes.

After 55 minutes, remove the lid from the Dutch oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the loaf is beautifully golden brown. The internal temperature of a baked loaf of bread should be between 205-210 degrees f.

Immediately remove the Dutch oven from your hot oven. Using the corners of the parchment paper, lift the sourdough bread out of the pot and place it onto a cooling rack.

Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread Recipe (13)

Allow your homemade bread to cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before cutting into it. (I know!! How can you possibly wait when it looks and smells so good?! But trust me, if you cut in too soon, your masterpiece will turn mushy and gummy.)

In the meantime, listen to your loaf “sing” its little tune to you with every crinkle and crack.

Once the hour is up, slice into your work of art and slather on some butter.

How to Serve:

A thick slice of warm Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread with a healthy slab of quality butter is more than enough to make your heart sing.

Other delicious spreads include:

  • Peanut butter or any nut butter
  • Chocolate nut spread
  • Fruit jams & preserves
  • Cinnamon & sugar (tastes like Mexican hot chocolate!)
  • Honey
Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread Recipe (14)

If you happen to have leftover bread past 3 days, and it’s starting to get dry and tough, don’t toss it into the trash! Instead, make it into a Chocolatey French Toast Casserole. What a rich and indulgent twist on a breakfast classic.

How to Store:

Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread will stay fresh for 2-3 days. Cover with a tea towel with the cut side facing down of the countertop and leave at room temperature. This storing method with keep the crust crunchy, while the center is chewy.

Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread Recipe (15)

FAQs:

Can I add other mix-ins besides chocolate chips?

Absolutely! Other delicious variations could include cherries, chopped nuts, white chocolate chips, espresso chips, peanut butter chips, or a dash of cinnamon.

Can you use coffee instead of espresso?

Instant espresso offers a rich coffee flavor that elevates the chocolatey flavor of this sourdough bread. If you are not able to run to the grocery store, strong black coffee is a great substitute.

Happy baking!

Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread Recipe (16)

More Sourdough Recipes:

Chocolate Sourdough French Toast Casserole

Chocolate Sourdough Focaccia Bread with Peanut Butter Topping

Easy Sourdough Bread for Beginners

Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread Recipe (17)

Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread

Yield: 1 loaf

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 1 hour

Additional Time: 12 hours

Total Time: 15 hours

Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread is the perfect combination of sourdough tang and chocolatey goodness. This indulgent bread is rich in cocoa powder, dotted with chunks of dark chocolate, and lightly sweetened with brown sugar and hints of ground cinnamon. Serve warm with quality butter for a satisfying sourdough treat.

Ingredients

  • 4 Tablespoons boiling water
  • 1 Tablespoon instant espresso
  • 50g active, bubbly starter (2 T)
  • 325 ml warm water (1 1/2 cups)
  • 50g brown sugar (1/4 cup)
  • 470g cups bread flour (2 1/2 cups)
  • 11g salt (2 tsp)
  • 30g cocoa (1/3 cup)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (3g)
  • 180g chocolate chunks (1 cup)

Instructions

How to Make Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread:

In a small bowl or a coffee cup, mix 4 T hot water with 1 T instant espresso. If you don't have espresso powder, instant coffee powder can be used as a substitute. Mix with a spoon and set to the side.

MAKE THE DOUGH

In a large mixing bowl, add 50 g of mature starter, 325 ml of warm water, 50g of espresso shot, and 50g of brown sugar. Mix the wet ingredients with a dough whisk or your hand until it looks like a milky liquid.

In a medium bowl, mix 470g of bread flour, 30g of cocoa powder, 3g of ground cinnamon, and 11g of salt. Whisking these together first helps you to get a consistent brown color in your loaf, instead of streaks.

Then, add the dry ingredients to the sourdough mixture. Be sure to mix until all of the flour is incorporated. The dough will look shaggy, not like a uniform dough ball.

Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel (I use a reusable shower cap) and let the sourdough bread dough rest for at least 30 minutes before you move on to the next step.

STRETCH AND FOLDS

With slightly wet fingers, scrap the dough away from the bowl. Grab a section of the dough and stretch the bread dough above the bowl, then fold it over on top.

Rotate the bowl clockwise a quarter of the way and repeat identical stretches and folds until you come full circle. You will notice the dough will start to look smoother than before.

Cover the dough and let rest for another 30 minutes.

MIX-INS

Before starting your second round of stretch and folds, gather 180g of dark or milk chocolate chunks.

Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top of the dough and repeat the same stretches and folds as before. Some chunks may break through the dough – that is totally fine. They will continue to be mixed in during your next rounds of stretch and folds.

Cover and let rest for another 30 minutes.

Repeat the identical stretch and fold routine three more times (for a total of 5 different rounds), waiting at least 30 minutes between each stretch and fold.

Cover the dough with a damp tea towel or shower cap after each stretch and fold and leave in a warm place to rest.

BULK FERMENTATION

After you’ve done all 5 sets of stretch and folds, cover the dough with a damp towel, clean plastic bag, or a shower cap and leave it to continue the fermentation process on your countertop. Let the dough rise overnight in a warm place for 10-12 hours.

SHAPE

The next day, your first peek! The dough should have doubled in size and shouldn’t look dense.

With slightly wet fingers, gently release the dough from the sides of the bowl. Be careful not to pop all of those lovely bubbles.

Tilt the bowl and let gravity move the dough onto your lightly floured surface.

Carefully stretch the dough on your workspace to create a thin rectangular shape. Then, take the top 1/3 of the dough and fold it towards the center. Then take the bottom 1/3 of the dough and fold it towards the center as well. This is a tri-fold.

Next, from the right side of the dough, roll the dough to the left to create a ball shape of the dough.

Leave to rest for 5-10 minutes with seam side down.

PREP BANNETON

While you’re waiting for the dough to rest, prepare your proofing basket. This can be a banneton or a small mixing bowl lined with a tea towel.

Dust the banneton or the tea towel with rice or all-purpose flour to prevent your sourdough from sticking.

FINAL SHAPING

After 5-10 minutes of rest, gently cup your hands around the dough ball. Turn the ball clockwise about a quarter turn. Then softly pull the dough towards you. Repeat until you see the dough form a tighter and round shape.

Using a bench scraper, carefully scope the dough and lay it upside down (smooth side down) into your floured proofing basket. Cover it with a damp tea towel or a shower cap.

SECOND RISE

Place your proofing basket in the fridge. The second and final rise should last for 8-12 hours.

SCORE

After 8-12 hours, remove the sourdough from the fridge.

Cut a piece of parchment paper big enough for your dough to be surrounded on the bottom and its edges.

Place parchment paper on your workspace and gently flip the banneton upside down over the parchment paper. Since you dusted the banneton, your dough should slowly release and fall onto the parchment paper, landing in the middle with the floured side facing up.

Dust the surface of the dough with extra flour as this helps the scoring design to pop.

With a lame / razor blade or sharp knife, score a crescent moon shape or any other fancy design you might find on Pinterest that you are dying to try!

Grab the corners of the parchment paper and place your sourdough into your Dutch oven.

BAKE:

With its lid on, place your Dutch oven on a baking sheet – this helps prevent the bottom of your loaf from burning and getting too crispy.

Slide the baking tray and Dutch oven into the cold oven on the middle oven rack and preheat it to 450 degrees. Bake for 55 minutes.

After 55 minutes, remove the lid from the Dutch oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the loaf is beautifully golden brown. The internal temperature of a baked loaf of bread should be between 205-210 degrees f.

Immediately remove the Dutch oven from your hot oven. Using the corners of the parchment paper, lift the sourdough bread out of the pot and place it onto a cooling rack.

Allow your homemade bread to cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before cutting into it. (I know!! How can you possibly wait when it looks and smells so good?! But trust me, if you cut in too soon, your masterpiece will turn mushy and gummy.)

In the meantime, listen to your loaf “sing” its little tune to you with every crinkle and crack.

Once the hour is up, slice into your work of art and slather on some butter.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to good sourdough bread? ›

Top 10 Tips & Tricks for Making Sourdough
  • Use your sourdough starter at its peak. ...
  • Moisten the surface of the dough before baking for more rise. ...
  • Handle with care: be gentle with your dough. ...
  • Use sifted flour to make your sourdough less dense. ...
  • Soak your flour beforehand for a lighter loaf. ...
  • Just add water for softer sourdough.

Why do you put baking soda in sourdough bread? ›

Baking soda or bicarbonate of soda can be used in sourdough bread to create a less sour loaf. Added after bulk fermentation, but before shaping, it can help to create a lighter, more fluffy loaf of sourdough.

What is the 1 2 2 ratio for sourdough starter? ›

A 1:2:2 feeding ratio would consist of one part existing starter, two parts flour and two parts water. For example, if you have 30g of existing starter, you would feed it 60g of flour and 60g of flour. The most common feeding ratios for daily maintenance are 1:1:1 or 1:2:2.

Why discard sourdough starter? ›

If you don't get rid of the excess, eventually you'll have more starter than your feedings can sustain. After a few days, your daily 1/4 cup flour and water won't be enough to sustain your entire jar of starter, and your starter will be slow and sluggish, not much better than discard itself.

What is the best flour for sourdough bread? ›

Whole wheat flour is an excellent choice for creating a sourdough starter due to its nutrient-rich composition and potential for fostering a robust microbial community. However, it's important to note that the quality of whole wheat flour can vary between brands.

What makes sourdough bread more flavorful? ›

Generally a more mature and well established starter will produce a more flavorful, sour loaf. Hydration of the Dough - this affects how long your dough will take to ferment. A slightly lower hydration will take longer to ferment than a higher hydration loaf, leading to a bigger depth of flavor and sourness.

Why do you put vinegar in sourdough bread? ›

In fact the acidity is a dough conditioner that softens the texture of whole grains and makes the bread more pliable. Hack: apple cider vinegar. I often add about a tablespoon of ACV to bread as a dough conditioner. This doesn't affect the flavor much if at all.

Why is my sourdough bread dense and not airy? ›

If your starter is not active, the bread will be dense. Under-kneading: Kneading helps to develop the gluten in the dough, which gives it structure and allows it to trap air bubbles. If the dough is not kneaded enough, it will be weak and dense. Under-proofing: Proofing is the time when the dough is allowed to rise.

How do you make sourdough bread more airy? ›

How to get big airy holes?
  1. Feed starter and wait for it to double in size (at-least) or past the float test (4-8 hours in warm temp)
  2. Mix together ingredients (I skipped the autolyse…)
  3. Perform slap and folds for 5 minutes.
  4. Then stretch and folds every 30 minutes x3.
May 16, 2023

What happens if I forgot to discard starter before feeding? ›

If you didn't discard a portion of your starter each time you feed it, two things would happen: Your starter would grow to an enormous, unmanageable size. Your starter would likely become more and more inhospitable to the bacteria and yeast we want as the mixture would become ever more acidic.

Do you have to discard sourdough starter every time you feed it? ›

It would be best if you discarded some portion of your starter each time you feed it unless you want to continue to let it grow. Eventually, you need to discard the used “food” (flour and water) that's been used to sustain your starter during the last fermentation period.

How often do you change sourdough starter jars? ›

How often do you change or clean your sourdough starter container? Use the same jar daily and keep it as clean as possible. During a feeding, discard part of your starter per usual and then scrape down as much residual starter as possible, reincorporating it back into the mixture.

How soon after feeding sourdough starter can I use it? ›

Fed sourdough starter refers to a starter that has been fed flour and water (preferably by weight). You should feed the starter equal or greater than its weight after discarding a portion. You should wait at least 2-4 hours or until the starter is at its peak before you use it in your baking.

Can you overfeed sourdough starter? ›

Premature discarding and overfeeding will weaken your starter and elongate the process. Don't discard and re-feed a weak starter before it shows increasing bubble activity or height from the previous feeding. If you don't see more bubbles or a faster rise each day, skip a feeding, and give it more time.

Can I use active starter instead of discard? ›

Absolutely you can! Active starter can be used in the same way as sourdough discard in sweet or savory baking.

How can I make my sourdough rise better? ›

So don't leave your dough in a warm oven, on a radiator or in sunlight. It will likely be too warm and will dry out your dough too. Instead, find a cosy spot, with no drafts, for your dough to rise. And, if your sourdough starter is struggling to get going, consider finding it a warmer spot too.

How do you increase the texture of sourdough bread? ›

Here are some tips to help you make your sourdough bread less dense:
  1. Use a ripe sourdough starter. ...
  2. Knead the dough for the right amount of time. ...
  3. Proof the dough for the correct amount of time. ...
  4. Use the right type of flour. ...
  5. Add the right amount of water. ...
  6. Score the bread properly. ...
  7. Bake the bread at the correct temperature.
Sep 9, 2023

What is the best proofing time for sourdough bread? ›

In my experience, the shortest final proof (at room temperature) that I prefer to do is one hour. The longest final proof (at room temperature) is about 3 hours. When going past 2-3 hours in a final proof, the crumb tends to get very gassy and opens up large gas bubbles with a longer countertop proof.

How to get good crust on sourdough bread? ›

Creating the perfect steamy, hot environment is essential to getting a rich, dark sourdough crust. As a home baker, using a Dutch Oven is the easiest and most consistent way to create the steamy environment needed to bake great sourdough bread.

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