Pecan bread fermented with white chocolate

This white chocolate pecan sourdough bread is so good that it tastes a must-have cake! It contains only a few simple ingredients and the best natural yeast!

Bread dough sourdough with white chocolate pecans cut on a wooden cutting board

What is the difference between sourdough bread and regular bread?

Traditional sourdough bread contains only three ingredients. Garnish with flour, salt and sourdough. There is no need for instant or fresh yeast, milk, oils, eggs or sweeteners.

Sourdough bread is made from a sourdough garnish, which is a fermented mixture of flour and natural yeasts that help the bread rise.
Sourdough is a vital nutrient that nourishes the “good” bacteria in your gut, helping to improve digestion by increasing the availability of nutrients.
Sourdough bread is usually easier to digest than regular bread because the fermentation process breaks down gluten, which can cause bloating and other digestive problems.
Plain bread contains higher levels of phytic acid, which makes it difficult to absorb other nutrients in bread. Sourdough contains lactic acid, which neutralizes phytic acid levels as it lowers the pH of bread. As a result, sourdough bread contains a higher level of minerals that your body has available to digest.

A whole loaf of white chocolate sourdough pecan bread in a dutch oven with parchment paper

How to make sourdough bread

Sourdough bread is one of those foods that you really learn how to make by doing it and practicing it many times. Although sourdough bread recipes may be similar, you can get completely different results based on the method you use and various user mistakes.

One of the things that I found was the most change with different sourdough recipes, which was the rise time. Some recipes require a big spike overnight, others call for a hike in the refrigerator, and some have longer times for a second rise. I’ve found letting it rise overnight is the easiest way for me to timing it.

Another variable is baking time and my kids prefer sourdough with less crust – which is how I came up with this recipe. Since this type of sourdough bread is a lot like a dessert, we like its softer and chewy texture.

An entire loaf of white chocolate-pecan sourdough bread sits on a wooden cutting board

Can I use other nuts in this sourdough bread?

The first time I ate white chocolate pecan bread was from Harmons Grocery Store. It was literal bread and I thought it was the most wonderful bread I have ever tried. Actually I never tried to recreate it until I started making sourdough bread. For some reason, a combination of pecans and white chocolate goes well with this bread.

So, can you use other nuts besides pecans? Yes of course! But, in my opinion, pecans are the best. It is sweet and crunchy but not too firm and blends beautifully with white chocolate.

Loaf of bread slices of white chocolate pecan dough on a wooden cutting board and the top slice greased with butter

Can I use milk or dark chocolate in this recipe instead of white chocolate?

The short answer is – Sure, do what you want! The long answer is that I personally don’t think milk and dark chocolate are delicious in this recipe. The funny thing is, outside of this recipe, I actually don’t like white chocolate. To me it’s very sweet. But for some reason, along with pecans and soft sourdough bread, it’s the perfect amount of sticky warm sweetness.

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100 Grams Sourdough starter, active champagne
330 Grams Water
10 Grams salt
500 Grams Flour*
1/4 Glass White chocolate chips
1/4 Glass Pecan chunks

Using a food scale, measure the starter and water into a large bowl. We whisk together then add salt and flour. I like to use prof Danish dough whisk To mix until the dough holds together. Then I finish with my hands until all the flour is incorporated. It’s definitely okay if it’s still a little sticky. Cover and let it rest for 5 minutes.
After it relaxes, add the white chocolate chips and the pecans. Go to the next step.
Then it will “pull and turn” the dough. Moisten our hand a little so that the dough does not stick to it. Pull the dough from the side and fold it in the middle. Turn your bowl a quarter of a turn and repeat. This will help increase the bread size and get a better height. Do this again after 30 minutes. Real experts say to do this 4 times in the first hour (I didn’t get that many)
This next step is “combined elevation”. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap or a wet towel (I sometimes use a bowl lid with only a small portion open) and let it rise overnight at room temperature. This takes between 8-10 hours. The dough is ready when it does not appear thick and doubles in size.
After rising bulk, you will shape the dough. Place the dough on a floured surface and shape it into a ball. I do this by placing my hands on either side of the dough and moving in a small circular motion while pressing the dough. Do your best to shape it into a narrow round circle.
You will let the dough rise a second time. Put parchment paper in the Dutch oven and put the dough in the middle. Put the cap and let it rise for an additional hour and a half. It could be a little more or less depending on how warm the area it is in. The dough should look a little flat and increase in size as it is done.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, sprinkle the dough with flour and rub the surface gently with your hands. Using the tip of the bread limp, a small serrated knife, or razor blade, make shallow slits around the dough. If you are an artist – go crazy with beautiful design!
Reduce the heat to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, place the Dutch oven on the middle rack, and place the cookie sheet on the shelf below. This helps prevent the bottom of the bread from becoming too dark. Bake for 45 minutes, covered. Remove the cap and continue baking for 10-15 minutes if you want a darker crust. When done, move it to a wire rack. Allow the bread to cool down a little before slicing. Enjoy!