Dark Cherry Chocolate Chunk Sourdough Loaf

1Dissolve the starter. In a large bowl, dissolve the active starter into the lukewarm water, whisking until no lumps remain. The water should turn faintly cloudy once the starter is fully worked in. If clumps of starter are still visible after a minute of whisking, your starter may be under-fed or too stiff. Let it sit a minute and whisk again before moving on.

2Mix in the flour and salt. Add about half the flour and mix well, then add the salt, then add the remaining flour and mix until you have a shaggy, sticky dough. This two-stage mix is the same trick used on the plain loaf. Adding salt after the first half of the flour protects the starter’s early activity, since salt dropped in too soon can slow fermentation down. The dough will look rough and uneven here, which is exactly right.

3Rest. Cover the bowl and rest 30 to 40 minutes. This short rest lets the flour fully hydrate before the first stretch and fold, and the dough will feel noticeably smoother afterward. In a humid South Florida kitchen the dough may already look slightly puffed by the end of this rest, which is a good early sign the starter is active.

4First stretch and fold. Pull the dough up at the side of the bowl and fold it toward the center, rotating the bowl to fold every side, then scatter the cherries and chocolate over the top and fold them in the same way. Folding in cold mix-ins can tighten the dough a little, so take it slow and let the fruit and chocolate work into the folds rather than forcing them. A few chocolate shards poking through the surface are normal, they will tuck in on the next rounds. Cover and rest 30 minutes.

5Repeat three more rounds. Repeat the stretch and fold three more times, for a total of four rounds, resting 30 minutes between each. By the last round the dough should hold together as one cohesive mass instead of shedding loose cherries and chocolate, and it will feel noticeably smoother under your hands. If fruit still falls out easily, give it one more gentle fold before moving on.

6Bulk ferment. Cover the dough and let it ferment on the counter until it has risen about 50%. Watch the rise, not the clock here. In a hot, humid kitchen this usually takes 2 to 3 hours, and going past 50% risks an over-fermented crumb with oversized, uneven holes around the fruit. The cherries add a bit of extra weight, so this dough can sometimes look a touch slower to rise than a plain loaf even at the same temperature.

7Turn out, pre-shape, and shape. Turn the dough onto a floured counter, pre-shape by folding the edges in, then roll it into a tight boule with the seam pinched closed. Work gently near any chocolate chunks sitting close to the surface, pressing too hard can tear the dough and let a chunk poke through the skin. Cup both hands around the dough and drag it toward you in small circles to build surface tension, the same motion as a plain loaf.

8Transfer to the banneton. Flour the banneton well, flip the dough in so the smooth shaped side faces down, pinch the seam closed on top, and dust with flour. A well-floured banneton matters more here than on a plain loaf, since a cherry or chocolate chunk sitting right against the cloth liner is more likely to stick. Cover with a breathable cloth.

9Refrigerate overnight. Place the banneton in the refrigerator and let the dough proof overnight. An overnight cold proof slows fermentation to a crawl, which is what gives you control over exactly when the loaf goes in the oven the next day. Take it straight from the fridge when you are ready to bake, no need to let it warm up first.

10Preheat. Place the Dutch oven inside your oven and preheat to 475°F, letting it heat for at least 30 minutes. A fully preheated Dutch oven is what gives this loaf its oven spring in the first few minutes of baking, so do not rush this step even if the oven claims it has reached temperature sooner. Chocolate chunks near the crust can scorch fast in a true 475°F oven, so keep an eye on the clock rather than guessing.

11Score and bake. Turn the dough onto parchment, score at a 45 degree angle, transfer to the Dutch oven with 4 ice cubes tucked under the parchment, and bake covered 30 minutes, then uncovered 10 minutes. Score through any cherry or chocolate sitting right at the surface rather than around it, a blade that catches on fruit will tear instead of cutting cleanly. By the time the lid comes off you should see good oven spring with the score mark opened into a clean ear, and the chocolate chunks near the surface will have started to look glossy.

12Finish on a baking sheet. Move the loaf to a baking sheet and bake open about 5 minutes more for a deep, dark crust. Watch this stage closely since any chocolate chunks sitting on the surface can go from glossy to burnt quickly at this temperature. Pull the loaf a minute early if the crust is already darker than you want.

13Cool completely. Move the loaf to a cooling rack and let it cool completely, at least 1 hour, before slicing. The chocolate stays molten inside the crumb for a while after the loaf comes out, so cutting in early gets you a gummy, smeared slice instead of a clean one. Give it the full hour if you can manage the wait.