Rosie’s Chocolate Cherry Sourdough Bread
This divine Chocolate Cherry Bread is inspired by our dear friend and local Tucsonan, Rosie. She’s a skillful yogi, a talented opera singer, and an amazing pastry chef (to name a few of her many talents). Rosie originally concocted her chocolate cherry loaf recipe for legendary Tucson bakery, Barrio Bread.
This loaf is chock full of sour Balaton cherries — a fruit native to Hungary — and delectable dark chocolate. I used Einkorn and local Sonoran wheat flours with cultured oat milk, but substitute as you desire.
Make the sourdough bread – In a standing mixer bowl with a dough hook, add the cultured oat milk, water, sourdough starter, flours and salt. Mix well for 4-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Let the dough rest for 1 hour.
Stretch and fold the dough – Fill a small bowl with water. Dip your fingers in the water and stretch one side of the dough up and fold over to the other side. Repeat with the remaining three sides. Let the dough rest for 1 hour. Repeat three more times over the next three hours, adding the remaining 1/4 cup of flour as needed.
Shape the dough – Add the chopped chocolate and cherries and mix well. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Shape into a round shape and dust with flour. Place in a round banneton. Let rest overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 450˚
Bake the bread – Preheat a 5 quart cast iron double Dutch oven for at least 15 minutes in the oven. Turn out the bread onto a parchment round. Score with your favorite pattern and place in the Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
makes one loaf
CHOCOLATE CHERRY BREAD
- ½ cup cultured oat milk
- 1 ¼ cups water
- ½ cup sourdough starter
- 2 cups Einkorn flour
- 2 cups Sonoran wheat flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup chopped dark chocolate
- ½ cup chopped sour cherries (I recommend Balaton cherries, soaked in kirch for 1 hour and finely drained, then squeezed dry in a towel)
- ¼ cup Sonoran wheat flour, for folding process