Chocolate cranberry sourdough bread rolls are a doughy, chocolatey, sweet, festive treat. With notes of tangy sourdough mixed with chocolate chunks and cranberries, you can’t go wrong making this sourdough Christmas brioche recipe for just about any occasion.
These chocolate cranberry sourdough bread rolls are a doughy, brioche-like texture with a chocolatey, sweet, cranberry inside. With the long-fermented sourdough, these Christmas bread rolls are a guilt-free treat that I know your family will love.
A Sourdough Christmas
Christmas is around the corner, and while most people are focused on gift-buying, I’ve got my heart set on a few sourdough Christmas recipes.
If you’ve been around you know that I love making sourdough recipes. If you are brand new to the world of sourdough, let me just tell you that you will love it once you get used to it! Keeping a sourdough starter is really easy. You just feed your starter before you use it, and stick it in the fridge when you don’t.
Whether it’s sourdough bread, sourdough chocolate chip cookies, or homemade sourdough bagels, there’s always something on my counter fermenting for that week’s dough. These chocolate cranberry rolls, however, are more of a treat for us than a regular staple. That is why they are perfect for a sourdough Christmas.
Why We Love Chocolate Cranberry Sourdough Brioche Rolls
Unique Flavor Combination. The blend of rich chocolate, sweet cranberries, and tangy sourdough is a festive and delicious combination you won’t soon forget.
Nutritional Benefits. Compared to all the artificial desserts you could make this Christmas, this one looks like a protein bar. Cranberries are packed with antioxidants and vitamins, while the long fermented sourdough provides a grain that’s healthier and easier to digest. I would consider these a guilt free treat for this time of year!
Festive and Elegant. Bringing a sourdough chocolate cranberry bread to a holiday gathering would bring smiles to everyone in the room. With the combination of chocolate and cranberries, this sourdough Christmas bread adds a touch of elegance and festivity for special occasions or holiday gatherings.
More Sourdough Recipes from the Homestead
Chewy Chocolate Chip Sourdough Brioche Rolls
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New to Sourdough?
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TOOLS NEEDED
Large mixing bowl or stand up mixer
Cutting board and sharp knife (use code DUVALLHOMESTEAD for 20% off!)
Tea towel
Plastic Wrap
Parchment paper
Sourdough Chocolate Cranberry Brioche Ingredients:
(Makes 8 large brioche rolls)
Levain:
1/4 cup starter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 TB water
Dough:
Levain
1/4 cup raw honey
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
4 1/2 cups flour
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, room temperature, cut into cubes
Other:
1 cup chopped chocolate bar or chocolate chips
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 egg for brushing on top of the dough
BAKER’S TIMELINE
Day 1 (morning): feed the sourdough starter (1 cup four + 3/4 cup filtered water)
(Early afternoon): make the levain, cover with tea towel
(Late afternoon): make the dough, cover with tea towel
(night): long ferment in the fridge
Day 2 (morning): pull dough out of the fridge and roll into balls
(late morning or afternoon): bake the rolls
Note: if you are brand new to sourdough bread making, I highly encourage you to print this recipe out! Save it on your countertop and follow it until you have it memorized. That’s what I did with my first couple of loaves. Now, once you memorize it, this will become second nature and very easy. So, do not let this process intimidate you. If I can do it, you can do it!
How to Make Sourdough Cranberry Chocolate Bread
Day 1 Steps
Day 1 (morning): Feed your starter (I like to feed mine with 1 cup flour and 3/4 cup water) and let sit on the counter 5-6 hours.
Early Afternoon: Add the levain ingredients to the mixing bowl. Combine with a fork or your hands until a sticky dough ball forms. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let sit, on the counter, for 4-6 hours.
Late Afternoon: Add the dough ingredients to the bowl and combine with the dough hook on medium for 5-10 minutes, or until a smooth consistent dough is formed. Form the dough into a large ball with your hands. Cover with a tea towel and let sit on the counter.
Evening: Replace the tea towel with plastic wrap (to keep the dough from drying out) and place in the fridge to long ferment over night.
Steps for Day 2
Day 2 (morning): Transfer the dough to a clean surface. Cut it in half with a sharp knife, or bread cutter, and then cut each half in half again, and half again. You will have eight total pieces. * Note: if you wanted to make a solid bread loaf instead of 8 rolls here, just skip this step.
Roll each piece out into a rectangle log shape about 6 inches in length. You might sprinkle a little bit of flour here and there to make the dough less sticky, but be careful not to over flour. You want the dough to be sticky.
Punch a small handful of chocolate and cranberries into each dough rectangle. Roll the dough up into a log, and then fold it into a ball. Repeat for all eight pieces.
Line a baking dish (I use an 9×12 baking dish) with parchment paper and place the rolls inside. Cover them with a tea towel and let sit in a warm location in the kitchen (I like mine near the stove) for 5-6 hours or until doubled in size.
Day 2 (afternoon): Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Meanwhile crack an egg in a small bowl and whisk with a fork. Use a food brush to brush the egg over the top of the dough.
Bake the brioche for 20-25 minutes, placing tin foil over the dough about half way through if it’s looking too dark. This helps bake the bread on the inside without burning the outside.
Remove from the oven and dive in! Pulling the brioche apart has to be the most satisfying thing ever. I hope you and your family love this sourdough brioche as much as we do!
FAQs:
Can I substitute the cranberries for another fruit?
How do you store sourdough bread rolls?
What’s the best kind of chocolate for sourdough bread rolls?
What should I serve with cranberry chocolate sourdough rolls?
More Dessert Recipes from the Homestead
Einkorn Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Sourdough Einkorn Sugar Cookies
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Einkorn Flour
Einkorn Chocolate Chip Brownies
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Chocolate Cranberry Sourdough Bread Rolls
Chocolate cranberry sourdough bread rolls are a doughy, chocolatey, sweet, festive treat. With notes of tangy sourdough mixed with chocolate chunks and cranberries, you can’t go wrong making this sourdough Christmas brioche recipe for just about any occasion.
Ingredients
- Levain:
- - 1/4 fed active cup starter (note: I feed my starter with 1 cup flour and 3/4 cup water)
- - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- - 4 TB water
- Dough:
- - Levain
- - 1/4 cup raw honey
- - 1/4 cup sugar
- - 1/2 cup milk
- - 1 1/2 tsp salt
- - 4 eggs
- - 4 1/2 cups flour
- - 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, room temperature, cut into cubes
- Other:
- - 1 cup chopped chocolate bar or chocolate chips
- - 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- - 1 egg for brushing on top of the dough
Instructions
Day 1 (morning):
- Feed your starter (I like to feed mine with 1 cup flour and 3/4 cup water) and let sit on the counter 5-6 hours.
Day 1 (early afternoon):
- Add the levain ingredients to the mixing bowl. Combine with a fork or your hands until a sticky dough ball forms. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let sit, on the counter, for 4-6 hours.
Day 1 (late afternoon):
- Add the dough ingredients to the bowl and combine with the dough hook on medium for 5-10 minutes, or until a smooth consistent dough is formed. Form the dough into a large ball with your hands. Cover with a tea towel and let sit on the counter.
Day 1 (evening):
- Replace the tea towel with plastic wrap (to keep the dough from drying out) and place in the fridge to long ferment over night.
Day 2 (morning):
- Transfer the dough to a clean surface. Cut it in half with a sharp knife, or bread cutter, and then cut each half in half again, and half again. You will have eight total pieces. * Note: if you wanted to make a solid bread loaf instead of 8 rolls here, just skip this step.
- Roll each piece out into a rectangle log shape about 6 inches in length. You might sprinkle a little bit of flour here and there to make the dough less sticky, but be careful not to over flour. You want the dough to be sticky.
- Punch a small handful of chocolate and cranberries into each dough rectangle. Roll the dough up into a log, and then fold it into a ball. Repeat for all eight pieces.
- Line a baking dish (I use an 9x12 baking dish) with parchment paper and place the rolls inside. Cover them with a tea towel and let sit in a warm location in the kitchen (I like mine near the stove) for 5-6 hours or until doubled in size.
Day 2 (afternoon):
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Meanwhile crack an egg in a small bowl and whisk with a fork. Use a food brush to brush the egg over the top of the dough.
- Bake the brioche for 20-25 minutes, placing tin foil over the dough about half way through if it's looking too dark. This helps bake the bread on the inside without burning the outside.
- Remove from the oven and dive in! Pulling the brioche apart has to be the most satisfying thing ever. I hope you and your family love this sourdough brioche as much as we do!
Notes
Day 1 (morning): feed the sourdough starter (1 cup four + 3/4 cup filtered water)
(Early afternoon): make the levain, cover with tea towel
(Late afternoon): make the dough, cover with tea towel
(night): long ferment in the fridge
Day 2 (morning): pull dough out of the fridge and roll into balls
(late morning or afternoon): bake the rolls
Note: if you are brand new to sourdough bread making, I highly encourage you to print this recipe out! Save it on your countertop and follow it until you have it memorized. That’s what I did with my first couple of loaves. Now, once you memorize it, this will become second nature and very easy. So, do not let this process intimidate you. If I can do it, you can do it!
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