Chocolate Orange Sourdough | A Delicious and Nostalgic Recipe
Imagine waking up to the sweet, citrusy aroma of a freshly baked loaf of sourdough bread. Now, picture biting into a thick slice of that bread, the crust crackling under the light pressure of your teeth, revealing a tender, aromatic crumb speckled with dark chocolate chips, their bittersweetness perfectly balanced by the delicate tang of orange zest. This, my friends, is the magic of my Chocolate Orange Sourdough!
Let me assure you that this recipe is more than just a combination of flour, water, and a handful of ingredients. It's an invitation to pause, immerse yourself in the sensual pleasures of baking, and connect with the timeless tradition of bread-making. And most importantly, it's a promise of the joy and satisfaction that comes from turning simple ingredients into something wonderfully delicious. You can watch my Instagram reel of this delightful bread for even more fun by clicking here.
Remember, each loaf you bake is a celebration of your creativity, patience, and love for good food. And each slice you share is a moment of connection, a memory in the making, a testament to the simple joy of life's basic pleasures. So preheat your oven, gather your ingredients, and let's bake some memories with this delectable Chocolate Orange Sourdough. Happy baking!
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Recipe
You can take the flavors up a notch by adding your favorite spices or nuts!
The mini chocolate chips and orange zest add incredible visual appeal to the crumb.
The classic and nostalgic flavors of chocolate and orange really shine! Pass the Nutella, please.
Chocolate Orange Sourdough: A Delicious and Nostalgic Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- The evening before you make your bread is when you will prep your levain. This thicker, more play dough-like levain creates an incredible bread.
- Add 30 grams of your Lievito Madre or other sourdough starter, like a 100% hydration starter. The difference in hydration will not make any significant difference to the recipe.
- Mix 50 grams of warmed filtered water to the sourdough starter until dissolved.
- Add 100 grams of bread flour and mix initially with a fork before kneading by hand. If sticky, dust it with more flour and knead until a smooth ball forms. You can watch my Instagram video here to see the consistency. It is the same consistency as my sourdough starter.
- Place it into a cleaned mason jar with a tight lid and let it rise somewhere cozy overnight. The lid needs to be tight with this type of levain!
- Mix your levain with all the remaining ingredients sans the chocolate chips and orange zest in the bowl of your stand mixer. I always use a stand mixer now instead of initially mixing by hand, but both methods will work!
- Once mixed, place your dough into a straight-sided container. I like to use the Rubbermaid 9.5 cup food container with a lid and let your dough rest for 30 minutes, ideally in a warm spot or a dough more generous set to 85°F.
- Do your first coil fold, then let your dough rest for 30 minutes. Repeat the coil or stretch and fold two more times.
- After your 3rd coil fold, laminate the dough out as thinly as possible into a rectangle without tearing it, spread it over the orange zest, and then sprinkle it all over the mini chocolate chips. You can use less chocolate chips if you want, but this works best with mini ones!
- Fold the dough like a letter and then roll it up from one end into a nice ball.
- Place the dough back into the container and let it sit for 30 minutes.
- Perform one or two more coil folds until the orange zest and chocolate chips are evenly spread out and the dough is no longer tearing from the inclusions. It should look smooth without too many chocolate chips pocking through.
- Leave the dough in the same container to bulk ferment until doubled. The timing will vary greatly depending on your home environment. Visual cues are the best way to judge the rise, so take a before photo!
- Once doubled, lightly flour the dough before dumping it onto a countertop.
- Fold the dough your preferred way and then place it on your button.
- Let it rest in the Benetton for 10 minutes before doing a few stitches to tighten up the surface of the dough. You can watch my video here.
- Let the dough rest again in a warm spot or back in the dough warmer if using for one hour before baking or cold ferment overnight. I prefer to bake on the same day. My crumb is usually better when I do!
- Preheat your oven to 480°F with a sheet pan on the lower rack, and as the oven comes to temperature, flip your shaped dough out onto a room-temperature sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
- Score your dough and place it into the oven on the middle rack.
- Immediately throw a few handfuls of ice onto the lower sheet pan and close the oven door.
- Bake the bread for 20 minutes before lowering the temperature to 395°F and bake for 30 minutes.
- Let cool overnight (if you can wait!) before slicing and enjoying.
Notes
Size and Shape: You can shape this sourdough into a boule or battard. You can even make smaller mini loaves for a fun twist!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
290.36Fat
4.87 gSat. Fat
2.38 gCarbs
55.67 gFiber
3.96 gNet carbs
51.73 gSugar
8.07 gProtein
8.44 gSodium
275.16 mgCholesterol
0 mgPlease note that the nutritional information on this website is calculated using online tools and may need to be more accurate. Use it as a rough guide only. We cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage caused by relying solely on this data. You are responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information you use is accurate and useful. For more information, click here.
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