Breads (Sourdough) - Soft Loaves
Mocha Sourdough Bread – Soft and Fluffy
June 17, 2019
| Recipe by Bake with Paws
Last Updated on April 23 2025
By Bake with Paws
If you love coffee and chocolate, this Mocha Soft Sourdough Loaf is the perfect way to bring those bold flavors into your bread baking. This naturally leavened loaf combines the richness of cocoa and espresso with the softness and extended shelf life of the Yudane method.
It’s light, moist, and just slightly sweet, making it ideal for breakfast, snacks, or even as a base for sandwiches and French toast.
Why You’ll Love This Mocha Sourdough
- Unique flavor: A subtle combination of cocoa and coffee brings out a beautiful mocha profile without being overpowering.
- Soft texture: Thanks to the Yudane method, the crumb stays moist and pillowy for days.
- No commercial yeast: 100% naturally leavened with sourdough starter.
- Shelf life: Keeps soft and fresh for 2–3 days at room temperature—longer than regular sourdough loaves.
- Visually striking: A deep brown crumb and golden crust make it a beautiful addition to any table.
What is Yudane and Why Use It?
Yudane is a Japanese technique that involves pouring boiling water over a portion of flour. This pre-gelatinizes the starch, enhancing the bread’s softness and moisture retention. When used in sourdough baking, it results in a loaf that is tender, moist, and stays fresh longer—especially beneficial in enriched or flavored breads like this mocha version.
Step-by-Step Instructions How To Make Mocha Soft Sourdough Loaf
Yields: 1 loaf
INGREDIENTS:
250g Loaf Pan (6.5" X 3.5" X 3.5")
|
450g Loaf Pan (8” X 4” X 4”) |
Yudane: 40g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour) 40g boiling water Levain - 150g (ratio 1:3:3): 22g sourdough starter (100% Hydration) 66g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour) 66g water Main Dough: 160g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour) All the yudane dough (from above) 150g levain (from above) 10g cocoa powder 1 sachet (2g) Nescafe instant coffee 30g (2 1/2 Tbsp) brown sugar 3/4 tsp salt 20g butter, room temperature 35g egg, whisked (from 1 egg and balance reserve for egg wash) 40 - 50g full cream milk (whole milk) |
Yudane: 50g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour) 50g boiling water Levain - 190g (ratio 1:3:3) 28g sourdough starter (100% Hydration) 84g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour) 84g water Main Dough: 205g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour) All the yudane dough (from above) 190g levain (from above) 13g cocoa powder 1 1/2 sachet (3g) Nescafe instant coffee 42g (3 1/2 Tbsp)brown sugar 1 tsp salt 26g butter, room temperature 45g egg, whisked (from 1 egg and balance reserve for egg wash) 50 - 60g full cream milk (whole milk) |
METHOD:
- Yudane:
- Add bread flour in a bowl, pour the boiling water and mix well with spatula or spoon until no dry flour.
- Cling film and leave on the counter for at least 4 hours or overnight in the fridge. I prepared the night before.
- Use directly from the fridge.
- Levain:
- One night before baking, mix all ingredients in a jar and cover.
- Let it ferment at aircond room temperature (approximately 25 - 27C) overnight until tripled. It took about 12 hours or less.
- Note: If you want to prepare the levain on the same baking day, please use the ratio 1:1:1. Let it ferment at room temperature (approximately 28 - 30 C) until tripled. It took about 3-5 hours depend how strong is your starter.
- Main Dough:
- Heat up milk in a small sauce pan. Stir in instant coffee until the coffee dissolved. Set aside to cool.
- Put all ingredients (except butter), including the 150g or 190g sourdough starter (levain) and yudane dough into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook, knead for 3 - 5 minutes until the dough comes together. Add in butter and continue kneading for another 10 - 12 minutes until reach window pane stage.
- First Proofing/Resting The Dough:
- In the same bowl, let the dough rest for 60 minutes. Keep it covered with clingfilm or use a lid. The dough did not rise a lot in 60 minutes.
- Shaping:
- Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface then divide into 2 equal portions.
- Form each portion to a ball. Flatten with rolling pin into a dish. Fold right to centre and fold left overlap it. Roll out with rolling pin into long rectangle shape. Roll up the dough like Swiss Roll until a small log is formed.
- Place all dough in the prepared loaf pan.
- Final Proofing:
- Let it proof at warm and dark place until the dough reaches the height of the pan. This one took approximately 4 hours at room temperature of 28C - 30C. It may take longer to proof depending on your ambient temperature and your starter.
- Baking:
- Fifteen minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 180C.
- Bake at preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the crust change darker colour.
- Remove bread from oven and let them cool on rack completely before slicing.
Tips for Perfect Results
- Sourdough Starter:
- A healthy starter is essential for successful bread baking. To ensure your bread rises well, it's important to feed your starter regularly and use it (the levain) at its peak. A consistently fed starter will be more active and reliable. If the mother starter isn’t strong, the dough may still struggle to rise properly, even if the levain is used at its peak. For more information, click the links: "How To Make Sourdough Starter" and "Sourdough Maintenance".
- Gluten Development:
- Essential for soft, airy bread, gluten is created when flour hydrates. To develop it, use techniques like autolyse or kneading. The windowpane test checks readiness—dough should stretch thin without tearing. From my experience, high hydration dough with high percentage of fat will be easy to stretch and achieve a paper thin windowpane stage.
- Kneading:
- Please regard the timing provided as an indication only. It is only meant as a guide. Times vary by flour and mixer type. For higher fat dough, knead longer (18–20 minutes).
- Flour & Hydration:
- Use high-gluten flour for optimal texture. Always reserve some liquid to adjust dough consistency for best results. If dough is too dry, add the reserve liquid one tablespoon at a time until the right consistency.
- Dough Temperature:
- Maintaining the right dough temperature during kneading is crucial for a fine crumb. If the dough becomes too warm, the crumb will become too big and uneven. To prevent this, use cold water, milk, or eggs, and chill your mixing bowl or hook attachment in the freezer. Knead at low speeds, and if your kitchen is warm, rest the dough in a cooler spot. Proper dough temperature ensures a soft, fluffy bread with a fine, even crumb.
- Proofing:
- Proofing time depends on your environment. Use the finger poke test to gauge readiness. To check dough readiness, lightly press the side with your finger:
- If it bounces back instantly, it’s under-proofed and needs more time.
- If the indentation stays, it’s over-proofed.
- If the indentation slowly bounces back, it’s ready to bake.
- There’s also a final rise called oven spring when the dough bakes, which adds to the bread’s height.
- Wrinkle Top or Shrinking:
- If your bread collapses or develops wrinkles on top after baking, it might be over-proofed during the second rise. Aim for the dough to rise to 80-90% of its final size or just below the rim of the pan to prevent this. Over-proofing leads to weaker structure, causing the bread to lose shape.
- Baking & Oven Temperarate:
- Do also note that the baking temperature and timing provided are what works for my oven and should also be regarded as a guide only. Every oven behaves a little differently, so please adjust accordingly for your oven.
Storage
Store the cooled loaf in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, slice and freeze. Toast or microwave slices directly from frozen for a warm treat.
Final Thoughts
This Mocha Soft Sourdough Loaf is a beautiful fusion of rich mocha flavor and natural fermentation. It’s soft enough to enjoy on its own, and flavorful enough to be a star on your brunch table. Using the Yudane method enhances its softness and helps it stay fresh longer—perfect for busy mornings or slow weekend breakfasts.
If you bake this bread, I’d love to see it! Tag @bakewithpaws on Instagram or leave a comment below if you have any questions about this recipe.
Labels:
Breads (Sourdough) - Soft Loaves,
My family and friends love it so much. I tripled the coffee powder for stronger flavor,added chocolate chips and raisin.
ReplyDeleteHi there, Thank you for your feedback and trying this recipe. I am glad that you and your family like it. It sounds yummy with the stronger coffee flavor and additional chocolate chips and raisin. Maybe I should add raisin too next time.
DeleteCheers :)
Hi, thank you for the recipe. The loaf turned out wonderful with additional chocolate chips. The only thing was the prominent sour taste with such high amount of levain. How much would you reduce the levain if a less sour loaf is desired? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHi there,
DeleteThank you for trying this recipe and for your feedback. I am happy to hear that it turned out wonderful. I used 75% (150g) of levain in this recipe. You may cut down to 40% which is 80g. Another way is use the levain when ferment double instead of triple.
Cheers :)
Hi do you think it will be ok to modify ur usual loaf bread recipe (with yudane method) to include the coffee powder and cocoa instead of using sourdough?
ReplyDeleteHi, Yes. It should work too. Cheers :)
DeleteHow much milk is needed?
ReplyDeleteHi, I am sorry for the missing information. I just amended and please have a look.
DeleteBYW, thanks for informing.
Cheers :)
Hi, thank you for the lovely recipe!
ReplyDeleteIf I may, there’s some quick questions to ask.
About substitutions and omission:
1. Substitute milk with water?
2. Substitute butter with oil?
3. Omit egg?
Hi, thanks for reading this recipe.
Delete1. Substitute milk with water? Yes
2. Substitute butter with oil? Yes
3. Omit egg? Yes. Need to replace with other liquid like water.
Just bear in mind, your bread will be less flavourful if you do not mind.
Cheers :)
for the final proofing, do you know how long will it take for winter weather (room temp is about 8C)? or will it even work at all given this cold weather? thanks
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for reading. Sourdough baking is very unpredictable. I am sorry, I can't give you the answer on this. However, I have seen people used different method of increasing the ambient temperature like putting in the oven or proofer. You may want to online search for the methods.
DeleteMy weather here is warm and easy for this type of bread baking.
Cheers :)
Thanks for this lovely recipe! I have tried it yesterday. The edge of the bread turns out to be more dense. What will be the possible cause for that? Thanks in adv for your advice.
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for trying. You mean the bottom dense? Could be your oven not hot enough or starter or proofing issue.
DeleteCheers :)