A Sourdough Bread perfect for the chocolate or coffee lover! Enjoy fresh, toasted or in French toast for a decadent treat!
Author Mariah Nienhuis
Ingredients
140gactive bubbly starter
230gstrongly brewed coffeecooled
45gdistilled waterroom temperature
10gbrown sugar
450gbread flour
6gkosher salt
100gchocolate chipschunks or chopped chocolate bars
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl or a bowl of a stand mixer take and measure out the coffee, water, brown sugar, and active starter. Mix this by hand, dough whisk, or a spoon to form a slurry.
Next, add the flour and mix until a shaggy dough forms about a minute on low with a dough hook.
Let this rest/autolyse for 20 minutes covered with a tea towel. After the rest, add the salt and knead by hand or with the dough hook on low speed for 6 minutes.
Transfer to a greased bowl, cover with a tea towel and let rest for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes you will complete your first set of coil folds. Place half of the chocolate on top of the loaf before the first coil fold.
How to do a coil fold:
First take both of your hands and put them under the center of the dough. (If the dough is sticky, you can wet hands with some water. This helps with the stickiness.) After you have your hands under the dough take and pull up until it no longer stretches. You don’t want to rip the dough so stop before you do that. Fold the dough over itself and let go. Then turn your bowl a quarter turn and repeat continuing this for four times.
This is one complete coil fold.
NOTE: You will notice that as you do the coil folds the dough will come together better and become smooth. The first time will be the stickiest. Also, when you start a coil fold the dough is quite relaxed but as you do the folds it will start to be tight. This is supposed to happen and is the gluten at work.
After you have finished the first set of coil folds let rest for 30 minutes. Then complete another round of coil folds, add the rest of the chocolate, followed by a 30-minute rest. Continue this until 4 coil folds have been completed.
Let the dough rest for another 30 minutes and then do the first shaping.
Shaping the Loaf:
Take the dough from the bowl and place on a clean work surface. Flatten the loaf slightly and pull it gently into a rectangle. Take and fold the rectangle up in thirds. Then starting at one end roll the loaf up so that it forms a ball shape. Carefully (so it doesn’t rip) take the dough ball in both of your hands. Cupping it stretch the loaf in a circular motion to create a nice tension on the outside.
Let the loaf rest for 15 minutes and then shape again. This time place the loaf seam side up in a floured banneton. Place the banneton in a plastic bag or wrap completely in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to complete the bulk fermentation, 8-10 hours depending on how warm your house/kitchen is. I do 8 hours and our house is about 69 degrees.
The Next Day - Bake Day:
An hour before you are ready to bake your loaf preheat your Dutch oven and oven to 500 degrees.
When you are ready to bake your loaf take it out of the fridge and flip it out onto a piece of parchment paper.
Using a bread lame or razor blade, complete your scoring design on top of the dough and your large expansion score. Make sure to do the large expansion score at a 45-degree angle about an inch deep.
Place the loaf, using the parchment paper as a lifter, into the preheated Dutch oven. Decrease the oven temperature to 450 degrees and bake for 20 minutes with the lid on and 15 minutes with the lid off or until a nice golden brown.
Place on wire rack to cool and enjoy!
Notes
To Store: Place in a bread bag or a plastic bag loosely shut or freeze for up to 3 months.