A beginner-friendly overnight sourdough bread with dark chocolate chunks, crisp artisan crust, and soft fermented crumb.
If you’ve ever wanted to make homemade sourdough bread, this is one of the easiest ways to start. This overnight sourdough bread recipe requires minimal hands-on work and produces a beautiful artisan loaf with a crisp crust and soft interior.
This version includes rich cocoa powder and dark chocolate chunks, giving the bread a subtle chocolate flavor with pockets of melted chocolate throughout the loaf. It’s perfect served with butter, mascarpone, honey, or even toasted for breakfast.
The best part? Most of the work happens while you sleep.
Ingredients
500 g all-purpose flour
70 g cocoa powder
285 g filtered water
150 g active sourdough starter
9 g sea salt
2 bars homemade dark chocolate, roughly chopped into chunks
How to Feed & Maintain Your Sourdough Starter
Keeping your sourdough starter healthy and active is the secret to successful homemade sourdough bread. A strong starter helps the dough rise properly and creates the signature sourdough flavor.
Feed the Starter (Activate Before Baking)
Add to your starter jar:
½ cup flour (all-purpose or whole wheat)
½ cup filtered water
Stir until fully combined.
Cover loosely with a towel or lid and let sit at room temperature for 3–24 hours until bubbly and active.
Signs your starter is ready:
• Bubbly surface
• Slight tangy smell
• Doubled in size
Optional readiness check: perform a float test. Drop a spoonful of starter into water. If it floats, it’s ready to bake with.
How to Store & Maintain Your Starter
If you don’t bake often:
Store your starter in the refrigerator.
Feed it once a month using:
½ cup flour
½ cup water
Label the jar with the last feeding date.
Before baking, remove it from the fridge, feed it, and allow 3–24 hours to become active again.
Overnight Chocolate Sourdough Bread
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare Your Starter
Feed your starter 3–24 hours before baking.
It should be bubbly, active, and doubled in size before using.
Step 2: Mix the Dough
In a large bowl combine:
500 g flour
70 g cocoa powder
285 g filtered water
150 g active sourdough starter
9 g sea salt
Mix using a spatula until everything is evenly incorporated and a shaggy dough forms.
Knead gently for about one minute just until the dough comes together.
(Whispering sweet nothings to your dough is optional, but highly recommended for morale.)
Step 3: Rest the Dough
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel.
Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
This resting stage allows the flour to hydrate and helps develop gluten.
Step 4: Stretch & Fold
After the dough has rested, give it a quick stretch and fold.
Lift one side of the dough, stretch slightly, and fold it over itself.
Flip the dough and cover again.
This helps strengthen the dough structure.
Step 5: Overnight Fermentation
Leave the dough covered on the countertop overnight, about 8–12 hours.
By morning the dough should look:
• Puffy
• Airy
• Roughly doubled in size
If you sang it a lullaby overnight, we support your dedication to the craft.
Step 6: Fold in the Chocolate Chunks
Roughly chop two bars of homemade dark chocolate into rustic chunks.
Lightly flour a sheet of parchment paper and gently place the dough onto it.
Stretch the dough into a flat rectangle using your hands.
Sprinkle a generous layer of dark chocolate chunks across the dough and press them gently so they stay in place.
Now fold the dough like a letter.
Left Fold
Fold the left side of the dough toward the center.
Sprinkle more chocolate chunks on top and press them lightly into the dough.
Right Fold
Fold the right side toward the center, slightly overlapping.
Add another sprinkle of chocolate chunks and press them in.
Bottom Fold
Lift the bottom edge of the dough and fold it upward toward the center.
Add another layer of chocolate chunks and press gently.
Top Fold
Bring the top edge down toward the center, enclosing the dough.
Pinch the seams closed.
Step 7: Final Shape
Flip the dough over so the seams face down.
Using your hands, gently cup and rotate the dough to shape it into a round loaf.
Dust the top lightly with flour.
Score the top using a bread lame or sharp knife.
Step 8: Bake the Sourdough
Preheat your oven to 425°F with a Dutch oven inside.
Once hot, carefully lower the dough (with parchment paper) into the Dutch oven.
Bake:
25 minutes with lid on
Remove the lid and bake another 20 minutes until the crust is deep golden and crisp.
Step 9: Cool & Serve
Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and allow it to cool completely before slicing.
This helps the crumb finish setting inside the loaf.
Slice, spread with butter, repeat.
Extra Sourdough Tips
• Use filtered water for the best fermentation
• Don’t rush the fermentation time
• Store sourdough starter in the fridge if baking occasionally
• Use leftover sourdough starter in pancakes, waffles, crackers, or pizza dough
Sourdough rewards patience.
Watch the Full Demonstration
If you’d like to see the entire process step-by-step, watch the video demonstration below where I show exactly how to mix, ferment, fold in the chocolate, and shape the loaf.
Sometimes it’s easier to see sourdough than read about it.
👇 See the video below for a full visual demonstration
