Allow me to embarrass myself:
When I can’t sleep at night, I think about food.
I analyze recipes I. scrutinize them. For whatever reason, I find comfort in this soothing mechanism because it tires out my mind.
This isn’t something new; it all stared when my middle son was born. He had severe colic and screamed his head off from 6am- 6pm for six weeks straight. It was mental torture. I thought about food, bread, and chocolate to keep me sane.
And so, this recipe was born in the wee hours of the morning (after the cat woke me up). I let him outside, and then made a pit stop to feed my sourdough starter before returning to bed. I would bake in the morning.
This is sourdough noir. Bread… with dark chocolate.
How to Make Chocolate Sourdough Noir: a Few Tips
To begin, I added cocoa powder to my already existing recipe for country sourdough.
Round #1: Plain
Round #2: Chopped Chocolate Chunks
Round #3: Chocolate Chips, Dried Fruit + Nuts
The Geeky Stuff:
- My sourdough starter is 50/50 whole wheat + bread flour (fed at 100% hydration)
- 1 hour autolyse
- Salt and fillings added after autolyse
- Stretch and fold every 30 minutes for 2 hours during the bulk rise
- Bulk ferment at room temperature (currently 65 F) overnight, about 12-18 hours
- 2nd proof = approximately 45 minutes- 1 hour
- Bake in Dutch oven at 400 F for 20 minutes (covered) + 40 minutes (uncovered)
- Crack open the oven door during the last 10 minutes of baking to harden the crust
For my bread posts, I always like to include this in-depth beginner’s guide to sourdough for your reference.
Tips:
- You will need a heavy bottom pot or Dutch Oven for baking.
- This bread is best if consumed within the first 1-2 days.
- To freeze, wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil. It should last up to 3 months.
- All ingredients are weighed using a digital kitchen scale for best results.
Chocolate Sourdough Noir
- Yield: 1 Loaf
- Category: Sourdough Recipes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
150g bubbly, active starter
350g water, preferably filtered
50g sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped
500g bread flour
50g cocoa powder*
9g fine sea salt
65g chopped walnuts
65g raisins
150g semi sweet chocolate chips
fine ground cornmeal, for dusting
powdered sugar for decoration
* I used Hershey’s Special Dark, a blend of natural and Dutch process cocoas
** You will need a 6 quart Dutch oven for baking
Instructions
- Make the dough: In a large bowl combine the starter, water, sugar and vanilla. Stir with a fork. Sift the bread flour and cocoa powder together and then add to the bowl. Squish everything together with your hands until all of the flour is absorbed. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest (autolyse) for 1 hour.
- To the dough: Add the salt, walnuts, raisins and chocolate chips. Lift and fold the dough over itself several times and squish with your hands to incorporate. The dough will tear slightly as you fold and the salt will not fully dissolve. Don’t worry- this is normal. Work the dough as best you can until it comes back together into a rough ball.
- Bulk fermentation: Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Leave it in a warm spot to rise. Your dough is ready when it no longer looks dense and has increased in volume about 1½- 2x its original size. This can take anywhere from 3-12 hours depending on the temperature of your ingredients, the potency of your starter and surrounding environment. *See note below. Optional Step: about 30 minutes into the start of the bulk rise, you can stretch and fold the dough.
- Stretch & fold: To strengthen your dough, do a series of stretch and folds every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours of bulk fermentation. Simply gather a portion of the dough, stretch it upwards and then fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl ¼ turn and repeat until you have come full circle. You will have completed 4 folds. Try to keep the fillings tucked into the dough and not on the outside. This will prevent burning when baked.
- Shape the dough: To cut and shape the dough, divide your work surface in half; lightly flour one side (for cutting) and leave the other half clean (for shaping). Remove the dough from the bowl and place onto the floured section. You do not need to ‘punch down’ the dough; it will gently deflate as you fold and shape it. Cut the dough in half to make 2 loaves, or leave it whole for a single loaf. To shape, use a bench scraper to move your dough to the non-floured section (if there is any flour present it will be difficult to shape- brush away any excess). Gather the dough, one side at a time, and fold it into the center. Flip the dough over and place it seam side down. Using your hands, gently cup the sides of the dough and rotate it using quarter turns in a circular motion. You can also pull it towards you to even out its shape. Repeat this process until you are happy with its appearance.
- Second rise: Place the dough into a cloth lined 8-inch bowl, or floured/lined proofing basket. It will need to rise again, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. It is ready when the dough is slightly puffy.
- Preparing the baking vessel: Preheat your oven to 400F. Generously coat the bottom of a Dutch oven(s) with cornmeal to prevent sticking. Carefully invert the dough into the pot. Use your hand to gently guide it in.
- Slash the dough: Right before your bread goes into the oven, make a shallow slash about 2 inches long in the center of the dough. Use a bread lame, sharp pairing or serrated knife.
- Bake the bread: Place your bread into the oven (lid on) and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, and continue to bake (uncovered) for an additional 40 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of baking, crack open the oven door. This allows the moisture to escape, leaving your bread with a crisp crust. You can also take the internal temperature of your bread to double check that it is done. For sourdough, it should read about 205 F.
- Cool: Remove the bread from the oven, and cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing.
- Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
Because sourdough does not contain commercial yeast, it takes considerably longer to rise. In the summer months, it can take anywhere between 3-4 hours @ 85 F whereas in the winter, about 8-12+ hours @ 65 F. In the winter, I make my dough in the afternoon and leave it to rise overnight at room temperature. In the warmer months, I bulk ferment in the fridge to slow down the rise time.
Keywords: sourdough, sourdough recipes, sourdough bread, chocolate sourdough, sourdough noir, sourdough starter
Janet says
Thank you so very much for this recipe. I am always on the lookout for lower fat and sugar treats, and this fit the bill perfectly. The only change I made was to replace the raisins (not my favorite) with chopped, dried cherries. The texture, flavor, and appearance are all amazing. This is a winner that will grace our tea time frequently now. Yum!!!
★★★★★
Kathy C says
Hi Emilie,
I love your recipes and I make your fruit and nut loaf each week. I want to try this but am curious if you can use coconut palm sugar in place of the regular sugar? Or if there was an alternative sugar that works. Am trying to stay away from regular sugar and have great choc chips with a lower sugar content that I use.
Thanks,
Kathy
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Kathy! I haven’t tried it myself, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Please let us know how it turns out if you experiment :)
Kathy says
Hi Emilie!
I used coconut sugar and it turned out great! This is scrumptious bread! A quote from my adult son. ❤️
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Great, tip! Thank you Kathy!
C + C says
Delicious!! More bread-like than the NYT Chocolate sourdough. We love the line this recipe walks between sweet and savory and have been enjoying it by itself and with different toppings! Also, we saved half of the dough in the fridge for several days (mostly because we got busy) and then baked after rehydrating – just as delicious!!
Thank you for the lovely recipe!
C + C
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
You are very welcome! So glad you liked it! :)
Kris says
Hi. Is it possible to use either just Dutch processed or unsweetened cocoa powder? We don’t have the Hershey’s Special Dark here 😔. Thanks.
Emilie Raffa says
I believe both will work. The chocolate color just won’t be as dark ;)
Carole-Anne Potvin says
Amazingly good! I tried it with white chocolate chips, cashew nuts and raisins, and it turned out delicious! I am a beginner at sourdough cooking, and I will definitely make it again!
Emilie Raffa says
Sounds SO good!
Peg says
Wonderful! Rather have this than cake. Substituted hazelnuts for walnuts. Sprinkled water before putting lid on Dutch oven for crisp crust. Definitely will make regularly now. Thank you.
★★★★
Renee says
If I wanted to make this one day and bake it the next morning, could I put it in the fridge for a final rise overnight once it is shaped?
Emilie Raffa says
Yes! You can definitely do that.
Dee says
Hello! My loaf gets a very hard bottom crust and is not as airy but the flavors are beautiful :) would like to ask if if the timings for baking include preheating the vessel or the bread goes in a cold Dutch oven? Have been preheating vessel and thinking that’s the reason for hard bottom crust. Thanks!
Emilie Raffa says
A hard bottom crust is actually quite common. The good news, it can be fixed. First, use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is the right temperature. Second, place a baking sheet on the rack directly below the baking pot (not underneath it). This will shield the heat coming from the bottom up. Third, I do not preheat my Dutch oven.
Hope this helps!
Leslie Mladinich says
Hi Clever Carrot: I use a lot of recipes from websites, but I have never felt compelled to leave a comment! This Sourdough Noir is AMAZING. I am a beginning baker (think this is my 8th loaf) and like many people during shelter-in-place I started sourdough baking when a friend gifted me starter. I followed your recipe to a T, and I am amazed by the results. It has turned out more successful (bigger rise, “holier” inside) than my regular loaves (your recipe). Could that be because I folded the dough during the first 2 hours of bulk fermentation? Thank you, thank you for your website!
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Thank you so much! Glad it worked out! The holes are a combination of how the dough was fermented (dough temp, environmental temp, stretch and folds, length of bulk rise time) and baker’s finesse :)
Lynne Turner says
THISISDELICIOUS!!!
Thank you very much for this recipe! I’m not even a chocolate lover (!) but cannot stop eating /thinking about eating this loaf…
I had no raisins thus subbed 3-4 chopped dried figs, and a hint of candied ginger too. So good. Yay!
★★★★★
Shelly says
Hi
Just looking to make this delicious bread, the recipes I’ve used so far all require cold ferment in fridge after shaping. This one doesn’t, is that right? I’m a newbie 😀
maria heim says
Love your site ! Started the adventure of sourdough baking like most lately during quarantine. Your recipes are wonderful and so easy to follow. I have been working my way through a lot of your SD recipes – this one might become my favorite ! The aroma that filled the house amazingly got everyone up early on a Saturday.
★★★★★
Samantha Wiecek says
This recipe is fabulous! Have made 20+ times in the last couple of months as my family love it so much… my husband even requested it for his 50th Birthday cake last week. Thanks & look forward to trying some of your other breads😀
★★★★★
Yoania Llanes Rodríguez says
La receta mas deliciosa de pan que he podido encontrar, amo el chocolate. Ojala pudiera hacer una edición en español de su libro Artisan Sourdough, estoy muy interesada en obtenerlo. Muchas gracias por compartir tan deliciosa receta. felicidades.
★★★★★
Keely says
I am so so proud of my beautiful chocolate sourdough loaf-made possible by you! Thank you for your recipe and excellent instructions! I had so much fun trying this out, and getting such a gorgeous result. The recipe worked perfectly, absolutely no changes were made! I’m so happy with it. Thanks again-I can’t wait to try another of your recipes!
★★★★★
ERP says
Made this today (with dried cherries, millet and chocolate chips). Delicious! Will split into two smaller loaves next time though because it’s huge. Thanks for the recipe!
Cecilia says
Hi Emile.
I only have 3.5Quart Dutch Oven, so am i able to halve the recipe or do you suggest to bake 2 loafs instead?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! You can bake two loaves back to back, storing the second dough in the fridge while you bake the first one.
Marika says
Thank you so much for this recipe, have tried a previous recipe but prefer yours, I put cranberries in instead and hazelnuts, I will be making this for Christmas 💕
★★★★★
Athena says
Hi, this looks fantastic! I absolute hate changing the ingredients in a recipe prior to making it, but I’m asking this out of necessity. One of my grandchildren is allergic to nuts. The other is allergic to raisins. Is it possible have to leave both out, and if it is, will I have to change the amount of water or flour to account for the wetness of the raisins being gone?
Thank you so much for your time
Athena
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! Great question. You can leave out both the raisins and nuts. I wouldn’t make additional changes to the water/flour ratio; it will be just fine as is!
Garry Marshall says
Emilie, I love this so much as do all the friends and family to whom I’ve given a loaf. I find that the nuts get lost so I tend to leave them out and add more cherries (140g). I use dried montmorency cherries and they taste amazing in this bread.
One change I have made – I found the dough very tough and unyielding, making it difficult to incorporate the dry ingredients. Adding an additional 50ml of water makes it so much easier and the bread comes out just as delicious!
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
That’s perfect! Make additional adjustments as you see fit :)
AGP says
In the content of your blog post, you recommend stretch and folds prior to bulk rise, but in the recipe itself you write bulk rise and then a stretch and fold. Which is it? Inclined to believe stretch and fold and then a bulk rise, but I’ve already done it the other way. Frustrating to realize that after the fact and concerned it will affect the loaf. :/
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! The stretch and fold technique is always done during the bulk rise (not before it). The recipe says to “do a series of stretch and folds every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours of bulk fermentation.” I’ve updated the wording a bit more to clarify. You can also read more about this technique here. Hope this helps!
Sarah Dunetz says
Mine is absolutely scorched. I’ve been making multiple loaves of sourdough a week at this temperature and they are all fine, so I think it has to do with the sugar content in the dough.
★★
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! Sorry to hear that! I’ve never had this happen before. Perhaps reduce the oven temperature next time and/or cover the pot with foil.
Kathleen Kastles says
I am an experienced sourdough bread baker and, because I’m a creative person, I frequently invent amazing additions to my loaves. So I tried this recipe and followed it exactly. It turned out well, and tasted okay, but I thought it lacked something to elevate it over a poor approximation of chocolate cake–so if I make it again, I’ll add some spices–cayenne, ground coriander, cardamom, and ginger. If I’m going to this much work, I might as well make it taste more amazing than chocolate cake. Again, I’m not a culinary giant but an artist who loves interesting flavors.
★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! You suggestions sound wonderful! Hope your additions create the loaf you envision.
Pearlyn says
Hi, wanted to check if I can half the ingredients from the start to make this? Does it matter in terms of getting it to the same type of bubbling activity?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! You should be able to halve this recipe without any issues. Enjoy :)
Emily says
My family and I REALLY loved this bread. They aren’t raisin fans, but I’m a firm believer in following the recipe the first time before making changes. I may try cherries next time. That sounds amazing.
Question – how do you keep the bits and pieces in the center? I tried…I really did, but there were still some on the exterior when it went in the oven. Of course, those pieces burnt. We just knocked them off after it came out of the oven, but I’d like to improve the technique on the next go around. Any suggestions will be helpful!
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Emily! Did you stretch and fold the dough? If you do that a few times during the bulk rise, you’ll have more opportunities to tuck the fillings back into the dough. Either way, you’ll still get a few burnt ones! x
Kat says
Hi there! First, I just want to thank you for your yummy recipes and clear instructions. I’m yet another new baker who was initially overwhelmed by all of the information out there. I found your site and huzzah! Everything I’ve tried has come out beautifully, and I’ve found answers to countless questions. Thank you! Now for my question : ) Your Artisan Sourdough with All Purpose Flour has become my family’s daily bread. I’m wondering if I can use parchment, as in that recipe, instead of the cornmeal here. My instincts are “yes” but I’m still a newbie… Thank you!
PS – Your Cinnamon Rolls. There aren’t even words. Literally. Everyone was silent and chewing with smiles of pure delight.
Emilie Raffa says
Welcome, Kat! Absolutely. You can definitely use parchment paper. When I first started baking, I used cornmeal but later switched to parchment paper as it was a bit more convenient. Hope this helps! And so glad you liked the rolls!
Lauren says
On my second stretch and fold. This dough feels WAY tougher and less elastic than your other sourdough recipes that I’ve used. I hope I didn’t mess something up terribly! But I suppose we will find out tomorrow.
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Lauren! It’s the cocoa powder; it changes the texture of the dough. Increase the autolyse period next time for a more manageable dough.
Katie Moses says
Absolutely gutted. It burnt 😒 (even reduces the temperature on my second bake and again think was too hot but the crumb is amazing and probably my best sourdough crumb yet. Definitely going to try some others. I also have your book so will be scouring your recipes.
★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! Do you use an oven thermometer to double check the temp? This is really helpful.
Mariekan says
Do you have the conversions for the US customary for this recipe?
Joanna Termulo says
Hi! Can I add more sugar to make it sweeter? Will it affect the dough? :)
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! You can, but it won’t really make the dough sweet. I’ve tried it ;)
Farah says
I just finish baking this and it turned out perfect!
it actually started coming together really nicely before the bulk ferment and in the morning it’s more than doubled so I just baked it right away and it turned out great!
Thank you for making the recipe so easy to follow! I have the other half of my dough in the refrigerator :-)
I used all-purpose flour because that’s what I have & it worked out great!
★★★★★
Tilly says
Hi Farah, I was wondering if you did a direct flour substitution and followed the recipe accordingly or did you reduce the water used as well? I want to make this loaf with AP flour as well and wasn’t sure!
Maria says
Hi Emilie! I want to make this into two loafs, as my current dutch oven is only 3.5qts. At what point would you suggest I split it? I am so excited to make this!
Emilie Raffa says
I would split the dough in half after the bulk rise. Enjoy!
Farah says
I’m about to put this together tonight.! I noticed that you give the option to divide this dough into two loaves. If I were to do that would the cooking times be the same? Thanks in advance!
Emilie Raffa says
About the same time. Check at the 50 minute mark and adjust the time as needed.
Christopher St. John says
I made this with 80g walnuts and 200g chocolate chips, and I excluded the raisins. This is one of the best things I’ve ever tasted. Thank you so much.
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Sounds delicious! Enjoy! x
Katie Moses says
I’ve just seen a post below about temperature and the reason mine burnt was because I but the oven on too high. Duh. Great find for the recipe though will certainly be making it again at the right temperature this time. 😂
Vickie says
Hi! Just got started on my sourdough journey and am loving your recipes and tips. Just curious how come this recipe only gets one shaping as opposed to a pre shape and final shaping before the last rise?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! Pre-shapes are not necessary for every type of dough. I never understood this when I first started baking because there was so much conflicting info online! It boils down to this: high hydration sourdoughs (wet dough) benefit from this technique because the dough is stretchy and weak and needs additional strength to hold its shape. So, shaping it “twice” works nicely. On the other hand, low hydration sourdoughs (dry dough) are a lot stiffer, so the pre shape is not always necessary or even doable. It just depends on the dough’s flexibility and the baker’s formula.
Kristyna Mazur Landt says
i made this yesterday and it is literally the best thing i’ve ever eaten. i used tart dried cherries and toasted the walnuts. turned out perfectly. not sure how to post a photo but it looks as beautiful as it tastes!
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Amazing! Thanks for your feedback! You can post a picture on IG and tag me- I’d love to see!
Khadijah says
I just tried this amazing recipe today and I added raw cacao, I was afried of the color become light but it was close to yours! The taste is magnificent not sweet but mild. I let it proof overnight in fridge because my syarter is super active and I dont want overproofing issue. It turns out great thank! you for this recipe!
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Sounds delicious! Thank you! xx
Nicole says
It looks soooo good! Reminds me of the chocolate bread at the bakery, except now I can’t go out to buy it:( Can I use all purpose flour to do this instead?
Emilie Raffa says
Hello Nicole! That’s the idea :) You can make this will all purpose flour, but because it doesn’t absorb as much water as bread flour the texture of the dough and overall bread will be slightly different without making additional adjustments. Check out my recipe for Artisan Sourdough with All Purpose Flour for tips!
Nicole says
Ahhh thank you! it’s really hot in Singapore so I’m letting the chocolate bread rise in my air con room overnight! Fingers crossed it goes well!
Emma Kelly says
This recipe looks delicious! I am curious what the difference is between bread flour and all purpose flour. If I used all purpose instead of bread flour would I need to alter the recipe at all? Would it still work ok? Thanks!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! Great question. You can find the answer in more detail in this post: Artisan Sourdough with All Purpose Flour. Hope this helps!
Tilly says
Hi Emelie,
Apart from reducing the water by 15-30g when substituting bread flour with AP flour, is there anything else to alter? I’ve read the post that you’ve linked to Emma and was wondering if there’s anything else to do.
Thanks!
Garry Marshall says
Thanks for this! I made this as two loaves. Tastes absolutely amazing. No nuts as my Mrs doesn’t like them so I increased the cherries to 100g. I think it would be helpful to tell people in the recipe that this is a very dry dough and hard to manipulate/ pull/ knead, but not to worry as it comes out just fine with minimal pulling etc.
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Garry! Glad to hear you enjoyed the bread! And thanks for sharing your tips :)
Diane Sandahl says
I just got back into breadbaking–specifically sourdough baking. After a rocky start I found your blog, used your “Beginners Guide” and I was off and running! Once I had success with my first loaf I started to experiment. I came across this recipe and fell in love with it. Amazing, just amazing! I offered it to our friends with a bit of cream cheese and everyone wanted the recipe. On the heels of this success I bought your book, Artisan Sourdough Made Simple. My sheltering at home during COVID19 has been made easier thanks to your book. I have tried a half dozen recipes–all good, but I keep coming back to Mighty Multigrain–a family favorite. So this is just my way of saying thanks for your excellent recipes and instruction. Now if I could just find some spelt flour!!
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Yay! Thanks so much, Diane. Comments like this make my day. Much appreciated! Happy baking :)
Simon says
Made this twice now and both times came out brilliantly. Great recipe and very easy to follow instructions.
Emilie Raffa says
So glad you like it. Thanks, Simon!
Amy says
This sounds amazing and I’m so excited to try it! Do you think I could get away with using half rye or spelt flour instead of all bread flour? We prefer the taste of whole grain and can feel a difference when we eat all white (not in a good way).
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Amy! You know, I haven’t tested this recipe with half rye or spelt, so I’m unable to advise on specifics. But if you’d like to experiment, I’d choose spelt first (over rye- it performs way differently) and see how you go. You might need to increase the liquid as well.
Trav says
Nice crisp crust with a delicious soft crumb. Literally ate it just by itself.
I’ve been working at a Bakery in bread for 5 months, no previous experience and came in to work the next day with a note from the head baker saying that she really enjoyed the bread. She gives out compliments very sparingly so it was a big win in my books. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Jenny says
Just cut into my noir loaf. Amazing! I was lazy and didn’t sift the flour/cocoa so the color isn’t super even. Doesn’t matter though, it’s still delicious! I skipped the nuts (not my favorite in bread) and used about 110 grams total dried fruit, a mix of cherries and blueberries. I soaked in warm water with a little sugar and cinnamon like the fruit bread in your cookbook. Didn’t measure chocolate chips (lazy again!) and I could have used more. Next time!
★★★★★
Stephen Jackson says
My choice for a “dutch oven” is the Emile Henry “potato pot.” It is made of clay and has the size a shape needed for a round loaf. Of all the ways of baking sourdough bread that I have tried, the Emile Henry vessel is the one I most prefer. I bought mine from Williams Sonoma.
https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/emile-henry-bread-pot/?pkey=s%7Cemile%20henry%7C38
Leslie says
I am just getting into SD baking. You indicate you used a 6 qt Dutch oven for this recipe. Mine is only 5.5 qt. Do you think this recipe will work in a slightly smaller unit?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Leslie! Yes, a 5.5 qt Dutch oven will work as well. The shape of the loaf might be slightly narrower, but it will make no difference to the total outcome of the bread.
Patti says
The loaf looks amazing Emilie! I’ve been baking basic SD bread with oven temperature for 500F for 20 min and 450F for 25 min (similar proportions of flour, water, starter). But I see that you use a way lower temp of 400F. Is it because of the sugar/chocolate content and to prevent burning?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Patti! The lower temperature is to keep the sugar/chocolate content from burning- you are correct :)