1. In a small bowl or a coffee cup, mix boiling water with instant espresso. If you don't have espresso powder, instant coffee powder can be used as a substitute. Mix with a spoon and set to the side.

   You can also substitute with 50 grams of brewed espresso or brewed coffee.
   50 grams boiling water, 3 grams instant espresso

MAKE THE DOUGH

1. In a straight edge bowl, add active starter, warm water, espresso shot, and brown sugar. Mix the wet ingredients with a Danish dough whisk or your hand until it looks like a milky liquid.

   I prefer using a straight edge bowl so I can clearly see when my dough has rise by 75%.
   50 grams active sourdough starter, 325 grams warm water, 55 grams brown sugar
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the bread flour, cocoa powder, ground cinnamon and salt.

   Cocoa powder is notorious for clumping, so don't skip this step! Whisking these together first helps you to get a consistent brown color in your loaf, instead of streaks.
   470 grams bread flour, 30 grams unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 grams ground cinnamon, optional, 9 grams salt
3. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid sourdough mixture. Be sure to mix until all of the flour is incorporated.

   The dough will be stickier than your typical loaf. This will decrease as you build the gluten with stretch and folds.
4. Cover the bowl with the plastic cover or plastic wrap and let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes before you move on to the next step.

STRETCH AND FOLDS

1. With slightly wet fingers, scrap the dough away from the bowl. Grab a section of the dough and stretch the bread dough above the bowl, then fold it over on top of itself.
2. Rotate the bowl clockwise a quarter of the way and repeat identical stretches and folds until you come full circle. You will notice the dough will start to look smoother than before.
3. Cover the dough again and let rest for another 30 minutes.

MIX-INS

1. Before starting your second round of stretch and folds, gather the chocolate chunks.
   180 grams chocolate chunks, optional
2. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top of the dough and repeat the same stretches and folds as before. Some chunks may break through the dough – that is totally fine. They will continue to be mixed in during your next rounds of stretch and folds.

   You will notice that the dough isn't as stretchy as a traditional loaf. It will be more stiff. This is due to the inclusion of cocoa powder. Continue to stretch the dough without ripping to build up the gluten.
3. Cover and let rest for another 30 minutes.
4. Repeat the identical stretch and fold routine two more times (for a total of 4 different rounds), waiting at least 30 minutes between each stretch and fold.
5. Cover the dough after each stretch and fold and leave in a warm place to rest.

BULK FERMENTATION

1. After you’ve done all 4 sets of stretch and folds, cover the dough and leave it to complete its bulk fermentation on your countertop.
2. Now this is the most finicky part of sourdough. There isn’t a set time for your bulk ferment. It is greatly dependent on the temperature of your environment. The warmer it is, the faster your dough will ferment. The opposite is true for cooler temperatures.
3. From the moment you mix the dough until you shape your loaf, the bulk fermentation can take about 12-14 hours in an environment of 70 degrees F.

   But again, you will have to look for the signs that your dough is done fermenting, rather than the clock. Warmer temperatures will make the bulk fermentation faster, while cooler will be slower.
4. Here's what to look for:

   The dough should have increased in size by 75%

   The dough looks light, and jiggles when shaken.

   The dough should easily pull away from the bowl.

   There should be visible bubbles in the dough.

   The dough doesn’t tear when you do a windowpane test.
5. One thing to note -  Coffee inhibits yeast, while cinnamon has antimicrobial properties, so both can slow down the fermentation in a loaf. This means that the overall fermentation will be longer than a traditional sourdough loaf. The coffee will also result in a tighter crumb.

PRE-SHAPE

1. With slightly wet fingers, gently release the dough from the sides of the bowl. Be careful not to pop all of those lovely bubbles!
2. Tilt the bowl and leave gravity to do the work to move the dough on the counter.
3. Shape the dough by doing another round of stretch and folds until you have gone full circle.
4. With a bench scraper or your hands, turn the dough upside down, so the seam is now on the counter. Let it rest for 30 minutes.

PREP BANNETON

1. While you are waiting for the dough to rest, prepare your proofing basket. This can either be a banneton or a small mixing bowl lined with a tea towel. Dust the banneton or the tea towel with flour to prevent sticking.

FINAL SHAPING

1. After 30 minutes of rest, flip the dough.
2. Gently pull the bottom of the dough towards you, then fold it towards the center of the dough. Pull the right side of the dough out and fold towards the center. Repeat with the left side. Finally, stretch the top of the dough away from you and fold towards the center of the dough.
3. Flip the dough over again, seam side down. Gently cup your hands around the dough ball. Turn the ball in a clockwise motion about a quarter turn and then softly pull the dough towards you. Do this repeatedly until you see the dough form a tighter and more round shape. Stop if the dough starts to tear.
4. With a bench scraper or just your hands, carefully scope up the dough and lay it upside down (smooth side down) into your floured proofing basket and cover it with plastic wrap or a shower cap.

COLD PROOF

1. Place your proofing basket in the fridge for cold proof for 8-72 hours.

   Placing your dough in the fridge slows down the fermentation process, which deepens the flavors of your loaf. It also gives you flexibility in when you want to bake your bread. But don’t wait too long! If left in the fridge for too long, your dough will over-ferment, causing the dough to not be able to rise.

SCORE

1. Pro-tip: 30 minutes before baking, place your dough in the freezer. This helps with the scoring design.
2. Remove sourdough from the fridge.
3. Cut a piece of parchment paper that is big enough for your dough to be surrounded on the bottom and its edges.
4. Place parchment paper on your workspace and gently flip the banneton upside down over the parchment paper. Since you dusted the banneton, your dough should slowly release and fall onto the parchment paper, landing in the middle with the floured side facing up.
5. 29. With a lame / razor blade or sharp knife, score a crescent moon shape or any other fancy design you might find on Pinterest that you are dying to try!
6. 30. Grab the corners of the parchment paper and place the loaf into your COLD Dutch oven.

BAKE:

1. With its lid on, place your Dutch oven on a cookie sheet - this helps prevent the bottom of your loaf from burning and getting too hard. Slide the cookie sheet and Dutch Oven into the COLD oven and preheat it to 450 degrees F.

   Bake for 50 minutes total, this includes the preheat time.

   **This recipe can be baked in a HOT Dutch oven, if you prefer. Refer to the Notes below for step-by-step directions.**
2. After 50 minutes, remove the lid and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the crust is perfectly crispy.
3. Immediately remove the Dutch oven from your oven. Using the corners of the parchment paper, lift the sourdough bread and place it onto a cooling rack to cool.
4. Allow your homemade bread to cool for 1 hour before cutting into it. (I know!! How can you possibly wait when it looks and smells so good?! But trust me, if you cut in too soon, your masterpiece will turn mushy and gummy.) In the meantime, listen to your loaf "sing" its little tune to you with every crinkle and crack.
5. Once the hour is up, slice into your work of art, slather on some butter, and VOILA! You have baked your very own Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread! Congratulations, now ENJOY!