Chocolate Sourdough Focaccia Bread

Mix together 35 grams ripe sourdough starter with 35 grams water and 35 grams flour. Cover and let sit for 3-4 hours at 78ºF until doubled in size, bubbly and active.

Bloom Cocoa Powder: About an hour before mixing the dough, warm the coconut oil and cocoa powder together over the stove or in the microwave. Let cool completely before using in the recipe.

To a bowl add 100 grams ripe and active levain, 40 grams sugar, all of the bloomed cocoa mixture, 420 grams water, 10 grams of salt and 500 grams bread flour. Mix together with a dough whisk or spoon until a sticky dough forms. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

Stretch and Fold #1: Uncover the dough and perform a set of stretch and folds. To “stretch and fold,” wet your hand (so it doesn’t stick to the dough). Reach down to the bottom of the bowl of dough and pull the dough up and over the top of the dough. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the stretch and fold. Turn another quarter turn and repeat. Perform one more quarter turn with stretching and folding the dough. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes. You can watch a video of the process here. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

Stretch and Fold #2: Wet your hands. You will notice the dough is stronger than your first set of folds. Sprinkle chocolate chips or chopped chocolate over the dough. Repeat the stretch and folds, adding in the chocolate chips as you fold. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.

Stretch and Fold #3: Wet your hands. Perform 3-4 stretch and folds, continuing to mix the chocolate into the dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.

Stretch and Fold #4: Repeat the last set of stretch and folds. Cover and rest at 78ºF for 1.5-2 hours until the dough has risen, is starting to dome and has a few scattered bubbles around the edges. Note, the dough will not double in size at this point, but it will rise 30-40%.

After the long bulk rest, prepare a 9 by 13 metal baking pan (my favorite here, affiliate link) with 1/4-1/3 cup good-quality light olive oil. Pour the oil in the pan and tip the pan around to cover the entire bottom. If your pan has issues with dough sticking, add a little melted butter with the olive oil or put some parchment paper down before the oil.

Turn the dough out into the pan and stretch slowly to fill the edges of the pan. Pull up gently on the underside of the dough to stretch it into place. If it doesn't want to stretch, let the dough rest for a minute and then try again.

Cover the pan with plastic wrap and stick in the fridge to rest overnight. For a same-day bake, let the focaccia rise in the pan at warm room temperature for a few hours until puffed up, jiggly and risen. Proceed with topping and baking.

Take the pan of dough out of the refrigerator and set on the counter. Let it come to room temperature and rise (3-5 hours at 78-80ºF). The focaccia dough will begin to bubble up, become light, airy and fill out the pan.

Preheat oven to 425ºF.

After the dough is puffed up, jiggly and aerated with air bubbles, melt the butter for topping the focaccia. Take 1 Tablespoon of melted butter (about 15 grams) and lightly spread it over the top of your focaccia dough. Take your fingers and gently dimple the dough. Start at one end and work your way across the dough until the entire focaccia is dimpled and bubbly. Sprinkle roughly chopped chocolate from your favorite chocolate bar on top of the dimpled dough.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly, crispy and the baked focaccia registers an internal temperature of 200ºF. Let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Cool before slicing.

Chocolate Drizzle: If you want even more chocolate flavor in this chocolate focaccia, make a chocolate drizzle. Add chocolate chips and heavy cream to a microwave-safe container. Microwave in 10-20 second increments, stirring in between each time until chocolate and cream are melted and form a smooth ganache. Drizzle ganache over the focaccia and enjoy! If your ganache is too thick, add a little more cream to thin it, until you reach desired texture. This can also be done on a stovetop where you warm the cream and add it to the chocolate, stirring until smooth.