Easy Chocolate Chip Sourdough Bread Recipe
This easy chocolate chip sourdough bread recipe will add magic to your baking routine.
What could be better than a crusty loaf of bread loaded with decadent chocolate morsels? (Nothing, in my humble opinion!).
I’m a bit of a chocolate aficionado (or just obsessed), so I had to create a chocolate chip sourdough bread. This bread may be a bit indulgent, but the recipe is simple.
This chocolatey bread loaf is not limited to breakfast; it makes a fantastic snack any time of the day!
Simply slice, toast, and add butter for a delightful side reminiscent of a luscious chocolate croissant.
All you need for this simple sourdough recipe is an active starter, chocolate chips, flour, vanilla, water, and salt.
New to sourdough? Get our easy beginner’s loaf here.
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Ingredients
You just need a handful of simple ingredients to make this delicious bread:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (substitute milk chocolate if you like)
1 teaspoon vanilla (store bought or homemade)
350 grams water (preferably filtered)
500 grams of bread flour (can sub all purpose flour)
50 grams active sourdough starter
1.5 teaspoons salt
Kitchen Supplies
You will need a scale, large mixing bowl, Dutch oven, parchment paper, and whisk for this recipe.
Step 1: Mix Ingredients + Let Bread Rest
Add the water and sourdough starter to the bowl and mix well with a fork. Add in the flour, vanilla, and salt. Using a spatula, mix the dough until a shaggy ball forms.
Cover with a damp tea towel or saran wrap and let the dough rest for 45 minutes to one hour.
Note: I use a scale to measure the flour, water and sourdough starter. Though I provide measurement in grams for all ingredients, I personally do not worry about measuring the weight of the vanilla, salt or chocolate chips.
Add Chocolate Chips And Perform Stretch + Folds
After the dough rests for about an hour, add in one cup of chocolate chips to the dough. Then, begin stretching and folding the dough.
This process will gently strengthen the gluten in the dough, develop the crumb, and help the bread to rise.
To do this, literally take one side of the dough and stretch it up, then fold it back over the ball of dough. Work around the dough’s sides, repeating until it forms into a smooth ball.
Repeat three additional sets of stretching and folding, each set spaced 30 minutes apart.
(By the way, if you miss a set of stretch and folds or simply do not have time for all of them, the bread will still turn out!).
Bulk Rise
Cover the dough with saran wrap or a damp tea towel and let it rise for 8-10 hours or until double in size.
Rising time is affected by the quality of the sourdough starter and room temperature, so go by the look of the dough rather than the clock.
How to tell if the dough is ready: The dough will double in size and have a few air pockets on the surface.
Note: The weight of the chocolate chips will slightly increase the rise time of this bread.
Shape Dough
Turn the dough upside down on a floured surface. Fold in the four sides of the dough to create a ball.
Turn the dough over and gently shape the dough by cupping the sides.
Next create tension in the dough by gently rotating the dough towards you in a counterclockwise direction, repeating until you feel the dough has enough elasticity.
Second Rise In Refrigerator
Set the dough in a banneton or a floured bowl, cover, and set in the fridge for at least one hour, and up to 24 hours.
You may need to reshape the dough prior to baking (gently).
Scoring + Baking
Optional: To help get a cleaner score, freeze the dough for 30 minutes prior to baking.
Prepare a piece of parchment paper to line your Dutch oven. Then, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
When the oven is at temperature, score the dough and place in the cold Dutch oven.
Bake at 450 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
Though it’s tempting to slice right away, please let this bread rest for at least one hour after pulling it from the oven!
This delightful sourdough bread is perfect for all you chocolate lovers out there. The bread tastes best served warm; my favorite way to enjoy it is sliced, toasted, and slathered in butter.
Chocolate Chip Sourdough Bread
Equipment
- 1 Large Bowl
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Dutch Oven
- 1 square piece of parchment paper
Ingredients
- 350 grams water
- 50 grams active sourdough starter
- 500 grams flour
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Combine active starter and water in a bowl and whisk well.
- Add flour, vanilla, and salt to the starter and water and mix well. Use a spatula or slightly damp hands to form a rough ball of dough.
- Cover the dough with saran wrap or a tea towel and let rest for 45-60 minutes.
- Add in chocolate chips and perform first set of stretch and folds. To do stretch and folds lift up one side of the dough and fold it back over the other side of the dough. Continue to stretch and fold until the dough forms a smooth ball.
- Perform 3 additional sets of stretch and folds, spaced 20-30 minutes apart. Cover the dough in between each set.
- Cover the dough and let it bulk rise. The bulk rise will depend on temperature, about 8-10 hours at 72 degrees.
- After the bulk rise, shape the dough: lay the dough on a floured work surface and fold the four sides inward to form a ball. Gently cup the dough and rotate it counterclockwise to create surface tension.
- Set the dough in a banneton or a floured bowl and cover it. Then place in the fridge for at least one hour.
- Optional: prior to baking freeze the dough for 30 minutes in order to improve the score.
- When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Score the dough, set it on a piece of parchment paper, and place it in a cold Dutch oven.
- Bake the bread for 25 minutes, then carefully remove the lid of the Dutch oven. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
- Let the bread cool for one hour before slicing. Enjoy!