This gorgeous chocolate rye boule with cherries and walnuts is a simple, no-knead recipe that you can make in a Dutch oven AT HOME! Yes, you read that right - beautiful, bakery-style bread can be made in your own kitchen with minimal effort.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr
Rising time16 hourshrs
Total Time17 hourshrs10 minutesmins
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: best chocolate rye boule recipe, best homemade chocolate bread recipe, chocolate bread recipe, chocolate rye boule recipe, chocolate rye cherry walnut bread, Dutch oven bread, easy homemade bread recipe, how to make chocolate bread at home, no-knead bread
Servings: 12servings
Calories: 306kcal
Author: Whitney Reist | Sweet Cayenne
Ingredients
3cupsKing Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1cupmedium rye flour
1teaspoonactive dry yeast
2teaspoonssalt
¼cupDutch process cocoa powder
2tablespoonssugar
1 ⅔cupscool water
¾cupdried Montmorency tart cherries
½cupsemi-sweet chocolate chips
1 ¼cupschopped walnutstoasted
Instructions
Day 1:
Combine the flours, yeast, salt, cocoa powder, and sugar in a large bowl by stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the water and stir until the dry ingredients are well-moistened and a shaggy, sticky dough has formed (I sometimes have to use my hands to lightly knead and work all the ingredients into a loose mass). Fold in the cherries, chocolate chips, and walnuts. Transfer the dough to a clean bowl coated with cooking spray. Cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough sit at room temperature (about 70 degrees F) for 12-18 hours. After a minimum of 12 hours, the surface will become dotted with bubbles - that’s a sign that ingredients are fermenting and flavor is developing!
Day 2:
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough with a little flour and lightly knead it with your hands for about a minute. Cover the dough with plastic wrap on your counter and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Generously coat a cotton towel (do not use terry cloth!) with cornmeal or flour. Gently and quickly shape the dough into a ball with floured hands and place seam-side-down onto the center of the towel. Dust the top of the dough with more cornmeal/flour and wrap the towel loosely around the dough. Place the towel with the dough in a large bowl and let it rise until the dough has doubled in size and does not quickly spring back when you poke at it. This should take 1 ½-2 hours.
Thirty minutes before the dough is ready, place a 2 ¾-quart up to a 5 quart cast iron pot/Dutch oven in the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F.
Once your oven is preheated, carefully remove the pot from the oven. Open the towel and slide your hand underneath so that you can turn the dough mound seam-side-up into the pot. Give the pot a little shake to make sure the dough is even on the bottom and put the lid on top of the pot. Bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 20-30 minutes until the boule is golden brown all over and sounds hollow when you tap it with a wooden spoon. Your kitchen will smell absolutely amazing!
Remove the pot from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the bread from the pot and let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. You will then have one 1 ½ pound bread loaf to enjoy!
Store the bread well-wrapped at room temperature for up to 5 days, or wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.