Ingredients

• 125 g active sourdough starter
• 475 g bread flour
• 11 g salt
• 350 g warm water
• 50 g brown sugar
• 50 g coco powder
• 170 g chocolate chips
• All purpose flour for dusting

Equipment

• 1 Large Bowl
• 1 Dutch oven
• 1 Kitchen Scale
• Parchment paper
• Saran wrap
• Wire Cooling Rack
• Cooking Thermometers
• Optional: Dough Whisk

Directions

1. In a large bowl, Mix 125g of active sourdough starter with 350 g of warm water. Whisk until well combined and slightly frothy.
2. In the same bowl, whisk the 50 g sugar and 50 g of cocoa powder until well combined.
3. Finally, add the 475 g of flour and 11 g of salt into the mixture. Stir until it begins to thicken, then switch to kneading with your hands until the ingredients are well incorporated and have formed a shaggy dough.
4. Let the dough rest covered on the counter for 30 minutes. (This will let the flour hydrate and the dough relax.)
5. After 30 minutes have passed, do the first set of stretch and folds. Pull the side of the dough out, upward, and fold it over the top of itself. Then rotate the bowl a quarter of a turn, and repeat until the dough becomes too stiff to continue folding.
6. Let the dough rest for another 30 minutes covered, then complete the next set of stretch and folds.
7. Rest 30 more minutes, then stretch and fold again.
8. Add in 170 g of chocolate chips. Then, complete your final set of stretch and folds, (for a total of 4 sets of stretch and folds over the course of two hours.)
9. After the last set, leave covered on the counter for 6-12 hours in a warm/room temperature spot. This will allow the dough to rise. You will know the dough is ready when it has doubled in size and looks fairly smooth on top.
10. Once the dough has risen, Sprinkel flour onto the counter top. Then remove your dough from the bowl, stretch it out into a rectangle on the counter. Fold the bottom of the dough towards the middle. Then the top towards the middle. Then do the same with both of the remaining sides.
11. Flip the dough over and begin to shape it into a taught ball. Once you are satisfied with the shape, place it seam side down into your bowl.
12. Let rise for another hour, then move to the next step to bake. OR place the dough in fridge covered overnight to cold proof and bake the next day.
13. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Let the Dutch oven sit in the preheated oven for 45 minutes before baking.
14. When you are ready to bake, remove the dough from the bowl and place onto a peace of parchment paper. Sprinkle flour over the top of the dough ball, then score your dough so it has room to expand. Then transfer the parchment paper and dough into the preheated Dutch oven.
15. Quickly place the lid back onto the pot, and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes with the lid on. And then an additional 10 minutes with the lid off. (You’ll know the bread is done when the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees Fahrenheit.)
16. Remove the bread from the oven and place onto a wire cooling rack to rest. Let the bread cool before slicing. It will be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Enjoy!!!