From Maggie’s kitchen
Chocolate Cherry Sourdough Loaf
A lightly enriched chocolate sourdough packed with dried cherries and dark chocolate chunks—dessert-adjacent, but still unmistakably bread.
- Yield
- 1 loaf
- Style
- Lightly enriched chocolate sourdough with dried fruit
Gather
Ingredients
Dough
- 400 g all-purpose flour, or an AP/whole wheat blend
- 40 g Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 270 g water, holding back about 30 g
- 80-100 g active starter
- 8 g salt
- 40-60 g sugar, honey, or maple syrup
- 15 g oil, optional
Add-ins
- 100-125 g dried cherries or cranberries
- 80-100 g chocolate chunks
Before you mix
- Chop the fruit if it is large.
- Pat the fruit dry; optionally toss it lightly in flour.
Make the loaf
Method
Autolyse
- Mix the flour, cocoa powder, and 240 g of the water.
- Cover and rest for 20-30 minutes.
Mix
- Add the starter, sweetener, and salt; mix until cohesive.
- Add the remaining water gradually, only if needed.
- If using oil, add it after the dough begins to come together and fold until incorporated.
Bulk ferment
- Bulk ferment for about 3-4 hours.
- Complete four stretch-and-fold rounds at 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes.
- Add the fruit and chocolate during fold three.
- After the final fold, rest until the dough is slightly puffy with a 30-50% rise, a smoother surface, and enough strength to hold its shape. Do not wait for doubling.
Shape and cold proof
- Lightly pre-shape into a round and rest for 20 minutes.
- Final shape tightly to build surface tension, then place in a floured banneton.
- Refrigerate for 10-14 hours.
Bake
- Preheat to 232°C / 450°F.
- Bake covered for 20 minutes.
- Reduce to 218°C / 425°F and bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes.
- The finished loaf should be very dark with a firm crust and an internal temperature of 96-98°C / 205-208°F.
Cool
- Cool at least 2 hours before slicing.