Sourdough Cherry Chocolate Bread

Combine the flour, water, and sourdough starter in a jar. Mix thoroughly with a spoon and ferment on the countertop overnight.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, milk, levain, sugar, and cocoa powder. Mix the ingredients for 10 minutes.

Add the salt, soaked sour cherries, and chocolate to the dough. Continue mixing for approximately 5 minutes until the dough reaches full gluten development and passes the windowpane test.

Transfer the dough to the countertop and perform a series of slap and folds. Shape the dough into a ball and place it into a greased plastic container. Rest for 30 minutes.

Over the next 2 hours, perform coil folds every 30 minutes. Once the folding cycles are complete, allow the dough to ferment undisturbed for an additional 4 hours.

Divide and lightly reshape the dough into loaves. Let the dough rest for 20–30 minutes. Perform final shaping and place the loaves into floured bannetons.

Cover the bannetons and transfer them to the fridge for an overnight cold fermentation.

Remove the dough from the fridge and score the surface. Bake according to the parameters below.

Transfer the baked loaves to a wire rack and allow them to cool before slicing.