Chocolatey and Buttery Hands are Inevitable!
In the possession of a one pound dark chocolate bar, and midway through a croissant sourdough loaf, so the dark chocolate aka cooler cousin of the croissant loaf came to be.
For my childhood friend Jai, who is a chocolate lover hardcore, I brought it to our cherry blossom viewing picnic. You don’t gotta bring it to a picnic to enjoy it, in fact, I believe this loaf tastes amazing during any season or time of the year! No seasonal recipes here.
Ingredients
- 544g bread flour
- 120g active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
- 360g water (slightly reduced to account for vanilla)
- 15g salt (about 2¾ tsp)
- 113g unsalted butter, cold & grated (freeze 20–30 min before using)
- 1 tbsp honey or coconut sugar (optional! for a sweeter dough)
- 1–2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract (add with water)
- 100g chopped dark chocolate (60–80% cocoa recommended; fold in after butter)
Instructions
1. Mix the Dough
In a large bowl, stir 360g water with 120g starter and 1–2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract. Add flour and salt, mix until shaggy. Rest 30 minutes.
2. Stretch & Fold #1
Perform a set of stretch and folds. Rest 20–30 min.
(No butter or chocolate yet!)
3. First Butter Fold
Sprinkle in half the grated butter, fold as in original recipe. Rest 20–30 min.
4. Second Butter Fold + Chocolate
Add remaining butter and evenly distribute 100g chopped dark chocolate over the dough. Gently stretch and fold again, tucking in chocolate chunks between layers. Dough will feel soft and rich — that’s the goal!
5–9. Continue as in original recipe
Follow the same steps for:
Bulk fermentation
Shaping
Cold or room-temp proofing
Baking in Dutch oven (500°F covered, 450°F uncovered)
Iski Note
Use bar chocolate instead of chips for better melt and flavor. Chop into small chunks.
Optional sprinkle of flaky salt on top before baking = elevated flavor!
Vanilla note: Paste gives speckled appearance and stronger flavor. Extract works too but may be milder.
- Feel free to switch up the extracts! My good friend Grace loves almond extract, and I believe that would do well in this recipe over vanilla if you prefer 🙂
Why this recipe hits
This yet again, could become quite the luxurious French toast ever.
This loaf also makes a stunning gift wrapped in parchment and twine.
Also, it hits because it’s chocolate, butter, and bread, in one go!