Black Forest Sourdough Bread | Chocolate Cherry Artisan Loaf

This Delicious Black Forest Sourdough Bread is a sweet chocolate loaf packed with juicy cherries and rich dark chocolate chips. A beautiful bake that’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert—no yeast required!

Fruit in Bread? Are you sure? 

Yes, I’m sure. And this isn’t the first time I’ve added fruit to sourdough. 

If you’ve been following me a while you have probably seen my Lemon-Berry sourdough. I’ve made two versions of it, actually: lemon blueberry and lemon blackberry. Both are delicious! 

I also made a cinnamon apple sourdough that was over-the-top! (Truly. . .so yummy.) 

I’ve also used dried cranberries in several of my loaves (like my Cranberry Pecan loaf and my Irish Soda Bread). 

There are so many possibilities when it comes to adding fruit to bread dough. But, of course, it’s a process that requires patience and precision, which is why I’m happy to share this recipe (and tutorial) with you. 

Chocolate and Cherries? Yes, Please! 

There’s something about the mixture of chocolate and cherries. And not just any chocolate: I decided to go with a darker, semi-sweet for this recipe. I hadn’t yet added chocolate to sourdough, so this experiment was just that. . .an experiment! But I had a feeling it would turn out great! 

Cherries and dark chocolate put me in mind of Christmas. Or Valentine’s Day. This bread would be perfect for either of those occasions, or just as a sweet treat any time of year!, I’m wishing I had this heart-shaped Dutch oven I saw on Amazon awhile back. Wouldn't that be gorgeous?

(Hey, my birthday's coming up! A girl can dream, can't she?)

Oh well. Maybe next time! 

Black Forest Sourdough Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s how you’re going to make this bread. I used my same day sourdough recipe but you can use the traditional or even the same day sourdough with yeast (with ends up with a softer crumb). 

• 100 grams active sourdough starter (½ cup)
• 350 grams room temperature water( 1 ½ cups)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 500 grams bread flour (all-purpose is fine) (4 cups: scoop & level)
• 10 grams salt (1 ¾ teaspoons)
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ dutch process cocoa powder
• 1 cup cherries, chopped, patted dry, and lightly dusted with flour (leave them frozen until the last minute)
• ⅔ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 

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Disclaimer: This recipe was originally developed using weight measurements for accuracy. Flour can vary greatly depending on how it’s scooped (packed vs. loose), and sourdough starter densities can differ. For best results, use a digital kitchen scale. Cup conversions are provided for convenience but may affect texture and hydration.

How to Make Black Forest Sourdough Bread

As I mentioned above, I used my same-day sourdough recipe for this one. If you want to speed things up, you can add a teaspoon of rapid-rise yeast when you’re mixing the starter and water. 

8:00 A.M. 

Using a digital scale, measure water, starter, and honey in a large glass bowl. 

Mix well with a bread whisk. 

Add the cocoa powder and brown sugar. 

Mix, but don’t worry if the cocoa won’t cooperate. 

Now add the bread flour. 

You’ll notice that when it starts to come together it’s too thick for the bread whisk, so switch to your hands or a bowl scraper. 

The dough will be shaggy in appearance and texture. 

Cover and set in a warm spot (70 - 75 degrees Fahrenheit) to rest for an hour. 

9:00 A.M.

 It’s time to do your first (of four) stretch and folds. 

Wet your hands and then reach down and grab the dough. Pull up and drop it in the center of the bowl. 

Turn the bowl a quarter turn and do it again. 

Keep turning until you’ve stretched and folded all of the dough. 

You’ll notice that it gets firmer as you go along. 

Cover and set in a warm spot. 

9:30 A.M. 

Do your second round of stretch and folds. 

You can add the salt to this one. 

It’s also time to add your chocolate chips. 

Gently work them in. 

Cover and rest. 

10:00 A.M. 

Do your third set of stretch and folds. 

10:30 A.M.

Do your fourth set of stretch and folds. 

Cover and allow to ferment for three hours. 

1:30 P.M. 

Prepare a lightly floured surface

Flour the inside of a banneton or medium sized bowl. If you like to put a tea towel in your banneton, be sure to lightly flour it. 

It’s time to add your frozen, floured cherries. Remove the dough from the bowl, being careful not to knock too much air out of it. 

Pull your dough into a rectangle.

Press about ⅔ of the floured cherries onto the rectangle. 

Press them down so they stay put. 

Gently fold, envelope style, right over left, then left over right. Follow the pictures you see here. 

Place any remaining floured cherries on top. 

Roll up the dough.

Gently shape the dough by pushing it away from you and then pulling it toward you, pivoting as you go. I like to cup the cough under on the edges as I do my push and pulls until the top of the dough is relatively smooth. It worked beautifully with this recipe! 

Flip the dough over into the prepared banneton. 

Pinch the dough’s bottom seam together with your fingertips. 

1:45 P.M.

Cover with a tea towel and place in the refrigerator for three hours. 

4:00 P.M. 

Place empty dutch oven (with lid) in the oven at 450 degrees. 

4:45 P.M. 

Crumple a piece of parchment paper and set aside. 

Remove dough from refrigerator. 

Place the parchment paper on top of the banneton and (very gently!) flip the loaf out. 

Score the bread. I use a lame but you can use a sharp knife or razor blade. 

5:00 P.M. 

Carefully open oven and take the lid off of the dutch oven. 

Gently ease the bread loaf into the pan, being careful not to burn yourself. 

Add four ice cubes to the pan (gently lifting the parchment paper in four separate spots to drop the cube). You’ll appreciate the steam that the ice cubes create. 

Put the lid back on and bake for 20 minutes. 

Remove the lid and bake for 20 more minutes. 

Check the temperature of the bread with a thermometer. Ideally, it should be between 200 and 210 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Sometimes loaves that contain fruit have to bake a few minutes longer, but your thermometer will let you know if that’s the case. 

5:40 P.M. 

Let the bread sit for a full hour before cutting. It’s important not to cut it while warm, as the bread will turn gummy. 

6:40 P.M. 

Serve and enjoy! 

You can serve this as a dessert, a snack, or even for breakfast. It’s lovely and sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. 

Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator. I recommend placing them in a bread bag instead of plastic, but that’s up to you. 

You can freeze this bread to eat later, if you like. 

What to Expect from this Loaf

If you love cherries and chocolate you're going to love this recipe! This is a super moist bread--not gummy, but loaded with the juice of those cherries. I wasn't convinced. . .until I took that first bite. Then I knew for sure I had a winner.

This is my first-ever chocolate loaf and I wasn't sure how it would come out. Thanks to my friend Dianie for giving me the measurements so that I knew just how much of each ingredient to add.

Eat up, friends! This one's going to be delicious, especially during the holidays!

Variations on this Black Forest Sourdough

Here are some fun ways to change this up! 

• Use dehydrated cherries instead of frozen or fresh. This will get rid of any excess moisture in the bread.
• Add chunks of chocolate instead of chips. 
• Use white chocolate instead of dark, if you like. 
• Swap out the cherries for strawberries. (Yum!) 
• Out of brown sugar? Add 25 grams of honey, instead.

Questions People Are Asking

Can I use fresh cherries in sourdough bread?
Yes! I would probably cut them up, pat them dry, then place in the freezer for a few minutes before coating in flour. I like to add them to in their coldest state during the shaping and then put the loaf directly into the fridge to continue to cool down. 

Does chocolate affect sourdough fermentation?
Dark chocolate chunks don’t interfere with fermentation, but it's best to add them after the bulk rise so they don’t melt or cause uneven pockets in the dough.

Is this a dessert bread or a savory loaf?
This loaf leans sweet thanks to the chocolate, cherries, and brown sugar, but it’s not overly sugary, like a cake would be. It’s perfect for brunch, an afternoon treat, or even a fancy toast with butter.

What kind of chocolate works best in this sourdough?
Dark chocolate chips or chunks (60–70%) are ideal. They offer rich flavor without overpowering the cherries. Like I mentioned above, you can always swap out white chocolate chips, if you prefer. 

Other Cherry Favorites from Out of the Box Baking

• Black Forest Bundt Cake
• Easy Cake Mix Cherry Pies
• Black Forest Icebox Cake
• Puff Pastry Cherry Pie

That’s it for this post, friends!

I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe. 

If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you're at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!

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About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 165 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.