Chocolate Sourdough Boule (Dairy Free!)
It’s no secret that I have become obsessed with sourdough breads. My favorite though has to be a boule. From shaping the dough, to scoring the loaf, to the taste… I just love everything about this bread. Naturally, I just had to try a chocolate version. The basic boule recipe comes from Venison For Dinner, but I added my own twist to it to make it decadently chocolate.
If you haven’t tried sourdough before, don’t be too intimidated! Once you have your starter going and strong, it becomes second hand to throw together a loaf of bread. Sourdough in general is easier to digest and is healthier for your gut. It’s also dairy free which makes it more allergen friendly for others. For my chocolate boule, I used organic cacao and Enjoy Life Chocolate chips to ensure that it stays dairy free.
I will add that this isn’t a super sweet bread. It is full of chocolate, but more of a pure chocolate flavor and not much of a sugar bomb. I prefer it paired with a cup of coffee for breakfast. Or if you really want to step up the flavor, top a slice of bread with cashew butter and banana slices. The perfect guilt free treat!
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup fed sourdough starter
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup cacao powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips
- 3 cups all purpose flour
Directions:
Combine starter, water, and olive oil in a large bowl. Add in sugar, salt, cacao powder, chocolate chips, and flour in the order listed and mix. Dump mixture onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes or until dough becomes smooth and elastic*. Return dough to your bowl and cover lightly. Let sit in a warm place for 12 hours (I usually mix before bed and let sit overnight).
After your first 12 hour rise, dump dough out once again onto a lightly floured surface. Grab the edges of the dough, and lightly pull them towards the middle. After you have done this, flip the dough over and you should have created a smooth round ball. Place your dough onto a large sheet of parchment paper. Now here is the fun part… Surround your dough with the parchment paper and box it in with other objects such as bowls so that your dough can rise once again without flattening. (Venison for Dinner’s link above shows a great example of this!) Let your dough rise again for 1 to 2 hours or until doubled in size.
When you’re ready to bake, grab a dutch oven (or large oven safe pot), place it in the oven then preheat your oven to 500 degrees. While oven is preheating, score your dough by making 1/4 inch slices on the top. You can be more creative if you like, but it can be difficult with the chocolate chips. Finally, transfer your boule with the parchment paper into your pot with the lid on. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove lid, and bake for 5 more minutes.
Let bread cool completely before slicing and enjoy!
