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Looking for a fuss-free and easy bread recipe? Try this Double Chocolate No-Knead Bread! It’s a foolproof homemade bread that’s loaded with melty chunks of chocolate. A perfect easy-to-make loaf for sweet morning toast or tasty afternoon snack. It’s even delicious as dessert 😉
INGREDIENTS + INSPIRATION
If you’ve never had a slice of decadent chocolate bread, you’re in for a treat! The good news is that while this bread may taste fancy, it’s made with only 5 simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. 
This No-Knead bread was originally inspired by Pinch of Yum – this version is just as simple, but has a lovely chocolate twist! One more equipment note – this double chocolate bread gets baked in a dutch oven with the lid on so that the inside is perfectly fluffy, then the lid gets removed for the last bit of baking so that the edges come out nice and crispy!
HOW TO MAKE DOUBLE CHOCOLATE NO-KNEAD BREAD
Making your own artisan bread may sound intimidating, but this Double Chocolate No-Knead Bread couldn’t be easier to make! Just like the name says, there’s no kneading involved—you simply mix all of your ingredients together the night before, let your dough sit, then pop it in a pre-heated cast iron pot the next day! Viola, you have yourself a warm, melty slice of chocolate toast for breakfast 🙂
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Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and yeast in a large bowl and form a well in the center. Mix in water, then the chocolate chips. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit out overnight.
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Once dough has doubled in size, transfer to a floured work surface and pinch the edges towards the top to shape it. Repeat until a tight ball forms, then flip onto a piece of parchment paper.
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Place dough and parchment paper into a preheated dutch oven and bake. Let cool before slicing (if you can wait 😉).
Store the loaf at room temperature in a tight-fitting container for up to 5 days. You can also pre-slice the bread and freeze it for up to 2 months—simply take out a slice or two and pop them in the toaster whenever a craving strikes!
This Double Chocolate No-Knead Bread is so yummy you can enjoy it on its own (I recommend toasting it so the chocolate gets melty 😉). If you’d like to make things even more decadent, you can top your slice with jam or your favorite nut butter (I love peanut butter with mine!). This would also make a very cute date night dessert by adding some fresh fruit on top like sliced strawberries—if you’re a serious chocolate lover like I am, you could even drizzle some melted dark chocolate over top!
COOKING TIPS + FAQ:
- Should I use instant yeast or dry active yeast? Either will work!
- Do I have to use all-purpose flour?Yes, the consistency will come out much better with AP flour rather than whole wheat flour or even bread flour.
- Can I add in extra ingredients? Absolutely! You can add up to 1 cup of chopped nuts or seeds such as walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, etc. for an extra crunch.
- Can I cut into this warm? *Technically* you should let your bread sit until cool to allow the gluten structure to set up. But if you do decide to cut into it while it’s nice and steamy and the chips are still melty? Well, I certainly wouldn’t judge you 😉
If you’re looking for more delicious homemade bread recipes, you’ll also love this Fluffy Vegan Banana Bread, this Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Bread, and The BEST EVER Vegan Zucchini Bread!
Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂
Double Chocolate No-Knead Bread
This super rich Double Chocolate No-Knead Bread is a fluffy, chocolate-filled loaf with the perfect crispy edges! A melty chunk of chocolate in every bite!
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 50 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 to 8 1x
- Category: Side
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 3 cups (405 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (18 g) cocoa or cacao powder
- 2 tablespoons cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast or instant yeast (I used reg)
- 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) + 2 tablespoons room temperature water, divided
- 3/4 cup (134 g) dairy-free chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Prep: Add the flour to a large mixing bowl, then sift in the cacao powder. Add the sugar, salt, and yeast, then whisk well until combined. Form a well in the center of the dough, then pour in the water and mix with a wooden spoon. Once the dough starts to thicken (there will still be some flour left), add in the chocolate chips and mix well, until all of the flour is absorbed. The dough will be thick and lumpy, but if it is too dry, add in the extra 2 tablespoons of water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (I like to use a rubber band to seal it tight) then set aside and let rest for 12 to 18 hours.
- Preheat: Preheat the oven to 450F; once it’s pre-heated, add a 6 quart (or similar sized) coated dutch oven or cast iron pot to the oven and allow it to preheat for 30 minutes. Set a sheet of parchment paper aside.
- Shape the Dough: After the dough has rested overnight it should have at least doubled in size and appear very loose and bubbly. Right before baking, use a spatula to transfer the dough onto a well-floured surface. Dust your hands with flour as well and pull the bottom edges of the dough ball towards the center of the top, pinching well to “shape” it – remember, no kneading! (Remember: NO KNEAD.) Repeat several times to get a tight ball, then flip the ball onto the sheet of parchment paper. I like to do this right before taking the cast iron out of the oven.
- Bake: Carefully remove the preheated dutch oven, place the parchment paper (and dough) in it, then cover and return to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes covered, then remove the lid and bake for an extra 18 to 20 minutes to get a nice and crispy crust.
- Serve: Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool before slicing…or slice it while it’s warm and the chocolate chips melty, I won’t judge 😉
this bread is delicious! the bread itself isn’t too sweet and the chocolate chips make it perfect for dessert. i don’t own a dutch oven but i successfully made this in a large glass dish with a lid :]
★★★★★
Happy that it was a success! Thank you so much for the review.
Just found your site. So excited to try some of your recipes. Do you think this will work with cup 4 cup gluten free flour?
Hi Danette! Unfortunately I don’t think this would work well with gluten-free flour. But let us know if you have any success with it!
All I have is a frying pan…when you say a dutch oven…do you mean a big pot??? I have one of those. It’s stainless steel and I’m worried about it sticking.
As long as your cookware is oven-safe and can withstand temperatures over 450 degrees Fahrenheit, you can use any covered metal pot for baking bread.
Great recipe! I made mine in a large, oven safe pot with a round baking sheet pan as a lid. I’ve done this trick for years and it will work if you don’t have a Dutch oven!
This recipe was great! I made it for Easter breakfast. I loved how it felt special but was so easy and fast to put together.
★★★★★
We definitely agree with you, Elizabeth! Happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Thank you for sharing this ,was so easy and yummy. I was a bit overzealous with the water. Should have added 3/4 of it and added more as I needed because the dough was a bit too sticky but it still came out well. Also totally agree with other commenter. Bake uncovered until its crispy enough for you. Thanks caitlin x
★★★★★
Glad you liked it, Humera!
Made in cast iron Dutch oven. Uncovered baked time reduced to 11 min and came out perfect. Easy recipe!! Thx!
You’re welcome, Stephanie! Glad it came out perfect!
Hi Caitlin. Can I let this bread dough rise in the fridge for 24 hours? I want to make the dough tonight and then bake it tomorrow after work.
★★★★★
Just let it sit overnight on the counter.
Excellent. Added the walnuts and used regular sugar (all I had). I also did the fast rise method so it was ready to bake in 1.5 hours. It is delicious! Just the right amount of sweet. Everyone loved it. It is nice to make something different 🙂
★★★★★
That’s awesome! Thank you for sharing and the 5-star review. 🙂
This bread was incredible!! I don’t have a Dutch oven so baked it in a tall-sided rectangular loaf pan. I used a second loaf pan on top as a makeshift lid and then removed it for the last part of the bake. The crust came out a bit too crusty, to the point where it was difficult to cut through the bottom of the loaf, so I think next time I will reduce the uncovered baking time to just 10-15 minutes in order to adapt it for my loaf pan.
I ate a slice as soon as it cooled and then immediately sliced and froze the rest – gotta pace myself so it lasts all week!
★★★★★
This was delicious! Definitely need to reduce the uncovered bake time in my oven, because it got a little too crispy, but it was still sooo good! We have a bakery in town that sells expensive, fancy dark chocolate/cherry bread at Christmas, and this bread reminds me so much of it, I can now make it year-round!
★★★★★
It’s definitely good to make year-round! Thanks, Sam! 🙂
I haven’t tried this recipe yet but I’m sure it will be stellar! I am wondering what else can be used to bake it in if you don’t have a cast iron dutch oven. No cast iron anything except a frying pan. thanks for your time.
★★★★★
A lidded ceramic dish also worked for me
I have about a 4 qt dutch oven. Could I use that for the bread or is it too small?
You might need to adjust the recipe. This would be a bit small.