This chocolate cherry sourdough loaf combines rich cocoa powder, plenty of chocolate chips and sweet glace cherries to create a luxurious, dessert-style sourdough that works equally well for breakfast, brunch or an afternoon treat. It’s a fun twist on traditional sourdough — decadent, flavorful and surprisingly approachable once you know the technique.
I developed this loaf for a holiday treat, but it also pairs well with other chocolate sourdough variations if you like experimenting with flavor combinations.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Sweet, chocolate-forward flavor – Cocoa, white and semi‑sweet chocolate chips plus glace cherries give this loaf a sweet, dessert-like profile while still having the rustic texture of sourdough.
A unique sourdough twist – Most sourdough loaves are savory. This recipe shows how versatile sourdough can be by combining classic fermentation techniques with dessert ingredients.
Ingredients
- Sourdough starter – Use a fed, active 100% hydration starter. 100 g of active starter is recommended for this recipe.
- Water – The recipe uses slightly more water than a standard loaf to account for the cocoa powder. See the notes about holding back water if needed.
- Bread flour – Bread flour gives the best structure, especially when the dough contains added sugar from chocolate and cherries.
- Salt – Adjust to taste; 10 g is a good starting point.
- Cocoa powder – Regular grocery-store cocoa works fine. Mix it with the flour for easier incorporation.
- Chocolate – A combination of white and semi‑sweet chips works well. The recipe also suggests using a crumbly chocolate bar like a Flake; if unavailable, substitute more chips.
- Glace cherries – These are sticky and stable during the cold ferment. If using fresh cherries, avoid cold-fermenting with juices that might leak; instead use them in quick bakes or other desserts.
How To Make Chocolate Cherry Sourdough Bread
The dough should feel similar in tackiness to a regular sourdough loaf despite the increased water. I typically add an extra 30 g of water to account for the cocoa powder, but it’s a good idea to hold some water back and add it as needed. If the dough feels dry after initial mixing, add a little more water; if it’s too wet, work more gently during shaping.
Start by weighing your starter and water. Mix them together so the starter dissolves into the water. Combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt, then tip the dry mix onto the starter-water and bring it together into a rough, shaggy dough.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for about an hour so the flour fully hydrates.
Once hydrated, perform a series of folds around the bowl to build strength. Stretch the dough up and fold it over itself until it forms a smoother ball; this usually takes about 20–25 individual folds around the bowl. Cover and rest for 30 minutes before starting stretch-and-fold sets.
Stretch & Fold
Do about 4 sets of stretch-and-folds at 15–30 minute intervals while keeping the dough at room temperature. These sets develop structure and gas retention in the dough. If you prefer visual guidance, look up a basic stretch-and-fold tutorial to see technique variations, such as the coil fold.
Bulk Ferment
After your last stretch-and-fold, cover the dough and allow it to bulk ferment at room temperature until roughly doubled. Fermentation time varies with room temperature, starter strength and ingredient temperatures; the dough is ready when it has increased in volume, is buoyant and shows large bubbles beneath the surface.
Shaping Your Dough
When bulk fermentation is finished, shape the dough to create surface tension. A batard shape suits this recipe, but you can shape it however you prefer. Turn the dough out sticky-side up, gently pull it into a rectangle and add the chocolate and cherries at this stage.
Add handfuls of chocolate chips and chopped chocolate across the dough as you fold and shape so the mix-ins distribute evenly. Finish shaping, then place the loaf into a well-floured banneton or other shaping container. If the dough resists, allow it to relax for 10 minutes to let the gluten ease before final stitching of the base.
Cold Ferment
Cover the shaped loaf loosely with a plastic bag or damp towel and refrigerate. Chill for a minimum of 5 hours and up to around 36 hours. A longer cold ferment deepens flavor and helps produce a more blistered crust — just be mindful of the maximum time to avoid overproofing.
Preparing To Bake Your Sourdough
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F) with your Dutch oven inside so it becomes very hot. Keep the dough in the fridge until the last moment — placing cold dough into a preheated Dutch oven encourages a strong oven spring.
Baking Your Sourdough
Transfer the chilled loaf to a piece of baking paper, score the surface with a lame or sharp knife, then carefully place it into the hot Dutch oven using the paper as a sling. Cover and bake.
Bake time: 30 minutes with the lid on at 230°C (450°F), then remove the lid and bake a further 10–15 minutes at 210°C (410°F) until the crust is deeply colored and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
Because of the higher sugar content from the chocolate and cherries, the base can brown quickly. To prevent burning, place a trivet inside the Dutch oven or put a baking tray on the shelf beneath the pot.
Finishing Your Bake
Remove the loaf from the Dutch oven promptly and transfer it to a wire rack to cool. Cooling for several hours preserves crumb structure and prevents the loaf from becoming gummy; waiting 4–6 hours before slicing is ideal.
How To Store + Freeze
Since homemade sourdough contains no preservatives, store it at room temperature in a paper bag or wrapped in a clean tea towel for up to a couple of days. For longer storage, slice and freeze portions in airtight bags. Thaw slices at room temperature or toast directly from frozen.
Chocolate Cherry Sourdough Bread Recipe (Summary)
Prep time: about 4 hours of hands-on and room-temp activity (plus cold ferment). Cook time: ~45 minutes. Fermentation and cold proofing combined typically span about 22 hours depending on scheduling. Makes one loaf.
Ingredients (for one loaf)
- 100 g active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
- 500 g bread flour
- 30 g cocoa powder
- 380 g water (adjust, hold some back if needed)
- 10 g salt
- 30 g crumbled chocolate bar (optional)
- 100 g white chocolate chips
- 100 g semi‑sweet chocolate chips
- 100 g glace cherries, chopped
Instructions (condensed)
- Dissolve starter in water. Mix flour, cocoa and salt; combine with liquid into a rough dough. Rest 1 hour.
- Perform initial folds to form a smooth ball; rest 30 minutes.
- Do 4 sets of stretch-and-folds, 15–30 minutes apart. Bulk ferment until roughly doubled.
- Turn out dough, add chocolate and cherries while shaping. Place in banneton and chill 5–36 hours.
- Preheat oven and Dutch oven to 230°C/450°F. Bake 30 minutes covered, then 10–15 minutes uncovered at 210°C/410°F.
- Cool on a wire rack for several hours before slicing.
Notes & Tips
- Water: Hold back some water if your dough feels very sticky. You can always add more but you can’t remove it.
- Starter: Use an active, bubbly starter fed a few hours before mixing.
- Stretch & folds: Work gently; misting a bench with water instead of using extra flour helps if the dough is tacky.
- Bulk ferment: Watch the dough, not the clock. Stop when it has just doubled and shows large bubbles to avoid overfermentation.
- Baking: Prevent a burnt base by placing a baking sheet beneath the Dutch oven or use a trivet under the pot.
