📖 Instructions

1. **Autolyse (30 minutes):** In a large mixing bowl, combine 350g of bread flour and 270g of warm water. Mix until just combined; there should be no dry flour remaining. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. This step helps hydrate the flour and develop gluten.
2. **Incorporate Sourdough Starter (10 minutes):** Add 100g of active sourdough starter to the autolysed dough. With wet hands, gently massage the starter into the dough until fully incorporated. It might seem shaggy at first, but keep working it. I swear its worth it!
3. **Add Salt and Cocoa (5 minutes):** Sprinkle 10g of sea salt and 20g of unsweetened cocoa powder over the dough. Again, with wet hands, gently mix these in until evenly distributed. The dough will tighten up a bit.
4. **First Bulk Fermentation (3 hours with folds):** Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Then, perform a series of stretch and folds every 30 minutes for the next 2 hours (so, a total of 4 folds). To do a stretch and fold, wet your hand, grab one side of the dough, gently stretch it upwards, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat until you've done it on all four sides. This strengthens the gluten and distributes the gases evenly.
5. **Add Cherries and Chocolate (10 minutes):** After the bulk fermentation, gently flatten the dough on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle 150g of dried cherries and 100g of chopped dark chocolate over the dough. Fold the dough over onto itself to encase the cherries and chocolate. Gently knead a few times to distribute them evenly throughout the dough. Be careful not to overwork the dough.
6. **Shape the Dough (15 minutes):** Shape the dough into a tight round or oval. Place it seam-side up in a well-floured banneton basket lined with parchment paper. The parchment will make it easier to transfer the dough to the Dutch oven.
7. **Cold Proof (12-18 hours):** Cover the basket with plastic wrap or a damp towel and refrigerate for 12-18 hours. This slow, cold proof develops flavor and improves the texture.
8. **Preheat Dutch Oven (1 hour):** Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C) with the Dutch oven inside for at least one hour. This is crucial for achieving a crispy crust. The pot needs to be screaming hot! Carefully, I mean it now, be extremely careful when removing the hot Dutch oven from the oven. Place it on a heat-safe surface.
9. **Score and Bake (45-50 minutes):** Gently remove the dough from the banneton basket and place it into the hot Dutch oven, parchment paper and all. Use a sharp bread lame or knife to score the top of the dough. A single slash or a cross pattern works well. Cover the Dutch oven and bake for 20 minutes.
10. **Finish Baking (25-30 minutes):** Reduce the oven temperature to 425°F (220°C). Remove the lid from the Dutch oven and continue baking for another 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is deep brown and the internal temperature reaches 205-210°F (96-99°C).
11. **Cool Completely (2-3 hours):** Transfer the bread to a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing. This is very, very important! Cutting into it too soon will result in a gummy interior.