Chocolate chip artisan bread is a crusty, golden loaf with chocolate chips mixed right into the dough. It’s made like a regular bread dough and baked in a Dutch oven, so you get a firm crust with soft spots of chocolate throughout.
Chocolate Chip Artisan Bread, Made Like Real Bread
Chocolate chip artisan bread is not a soft, cake-like bread. The dough gets mixed and worked from the start, then shaped and baked hot, which gives it a crusty outside with chocolate in every slice.
I used to run straight into their kitchen and climb up on the chairs before anyone even said hello, because I knew exactly where I was going. My parents would be right behind me, talking to Frank and Christine like they’d been there a hundred times, which they had.
Frank had worked at Helms Bakery in Culver City his whole life after the Navy. It was the kind of job where he was in dough all day, kneading and rolling by hand. He would tell me he was a dough master, which I thought was a joke, but maybe it wasn’t. I would tell him he had Popeye’s arms because I had never seen forearms like that in my life, and he’d laugh and let me grab onto one so I could hang there while he held me up. I didn’t think much of it then, I just knew that wasn’t normal.
He would make everything Helms was known for, massive cream puffs, applesauce donuts when it got colder, bread, one thing after another. I had never had any of it from Helms itself because by then they weren’t around anymore, but Frank continued to bake in his retirement. I had a front row seat watching him do it and eating it when it was ready.
I’d sit there watching him and he’d ask me, “What do you want?” and I already knew.
“Chocolate chips.”
Every single time, that was my answer.
He’d take whatever dough he had going and make one giant bread loaf just for me. He’d fold in the chocolate chips, shape it, set it off to the side to rise. After it was baked, I wouldn’t wait for it to cool or for anyone to tell me to slow down. I’d just tear into it while he kept making things. There was always more dough and trays, more of everything. He baked for everyone, friends, charities, weddings, holidays, gatherings, whoever needed something, and he did it for fun.
I didn’t think about any of it then, but I knew I wanted to be in that kitchen, sitting there all day eating that loaf while he made everything else. I can still see him piping pâte à choux in perfect circles, with no template or hesitation. He didn’t have to even think about it. And I never questioned where all of these baked goods were going. It seemed completely reasonable to me that someone would be baking like this in their own home. Because as a kid, none of it had a purpose. It wasn’t production or efficiency. For me, it was something happening in the moment that I got to be part of.
So this is my loaf, what I’m calling chocolate chip artisan bread, and I make it the way Frank worked, starting with a real bread dough and mixing and kneading it from the beginning. I fold the chocolate chips in while I’m working it so they interrupt the dough and break it up in an uneven way. I bake it in a hot Dutch oven so I get a firm crust with softer pockets of chocolate in every slice. This stays in bread territory, but with something extra going on, which is the only way I’ve ever wanted it.
What Makes This Bread Different
- I make this the same way I make my regular bread and then add chocolate, not the other way around. If you’ve made my Dutch oven bread, this begins in that same place.
- I mix it and knead it from the start, getting it where I want it before it rises. It’s not a loose, watery dough you leave alone in a bowl and eventually bake.
- The chocolate chips go in right away. If I’m kneading by hand, I can feel them catching as they go through the dough, which ends up uneven. This is where those pockets come from when you slice it. If you knead with a stand mixer, you’ll hear the chocolate chips catch on the dough hook. That’s what you want.
- I keep everything else simple so it stays bread. Water, flour, yeast, salt, a little sugar, oil. Nothing extra.
- It’s also a same-day loaf. I let it rise, shape it, and bake it in a hot Dutch oven, covered and then uncovered, so I get a crust on the outside with a softer inside and chocolate throughout.
- It’s the kind of thing I’ll end up toasting later and slathering with butter, because that’s my favorite way to eat it.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour – this is the base of the dough. It gives it enough strength to handle the chocolate chips without tearing apart, but it’s still easy to work with.
- Warm water – I keep it in the warm range to activate the yeast so everything mixes smoothly.
- Instant yeast – I mix it straight into the flour without proofing. You can use active dry if that’s what you have, but I like instant since I’m making this the same day and not going for a long fermentation or anything tangy.
- Salt – helps slow down the fermentation and keeps the flavor in balance.
- Sugar – a little, but it’s not turning this into a sweet dough.
- Chocolate chips – these go in right from the start so they get worked through the dough instead of folded in later.
- Oil – enough to keep the dough workable and easy to handle without making it rich.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Artisan Bread
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.
- Step One (mix and knead)
Stir together the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and chocolate chips, then add the warm water and oil and mix until a rough dough forms. Knead it by hand for about 8 to 10 minutes, or use a stand mixer with a dough hook until it smooths out a bit. The chocolate chips will pull at the dough and leave it uneven in places, which is exactly what you want. - Step Two (first rise)
Shape the dough into a ball, cover, and let it rise until doubled in size. This usually takes about 1 to 2 hours, depending on your kitchen. - Step Three (shape and second rise)
Press the dough into a rectangle, fold it in, then roll it into a log and place it seam-side up in a floured banneton or towel-lined bowl. Let it rise again for 30 to 60 minutes, until it looks slightly puffy and slowly springs back when pressed. - Step Four (bake)
Preheat your Dutch oven to 475°F. Turn the dough onto parchment, score the top, and bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncovered for another 20 to 25 minutes at 450°F until golden and the crust is set. - Step Five (cool)
Let it cool completely before slicing so the inside finishes setting. Waiting is the hardest part.
Recipe Tips
- When I’m kneading, the dough won’t stay perfectly smooth because of the chocolate chips. You’ll feel them catching, and there’s a point where it looks a little off. I leave it alone and keep going. It evens out enough on its own.
- I don’t add extra flour because it feels slightly tacky. That’s how this dough should feel, and adding more flour will make it denser.
- I watch the rise more than the clock. It should look fuller and a little puffy, not overblown.
- When I shape it, I pull it into a tight loaf so it holds its form in the oven.
- The Dutch oven needs to be fully hot before the dough goes in. That initial heat is what gives you the crust on the outside.
- I score it right before it goes in so it has somewhere to open instead of splitting randomly as it bakes.
Storage
- I keep this on the counter with the cut side down on a board or lightly covered, and it stays good for a couple of days without drying out.
- I don’t usually put it in the refrigerator because it changes the texture faster than I want and dries it out.
- If I’m not going to finish it, I slice it and freeze it so I can take out pieces as I need them. If I’m freezing the whole loaf, I wrap it tightly and thaw it at room temperature before slicing. It goes straight into the toaster from frozen and comes right back without needing to thaw.
- If I want it warm without toasting, I’ll put it in the oven for a few minutes and it’s ready again.
FAQs
- Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant?
Yes. I would mix it with the warm water first and let it sit for a few minutes to proof before adding it to the flour. Your rising times will be a little longer. - Why does the dough feel a little irregular when I’m kneading it?
That’s from the chocolate chips. You’ll feel them catching as you work the dough and it won’t be perfectly smooth, which is normal. - Is this supposed to be sweet?
Not really. There’s some sugar in the dough and the chocolate adds sweetness, but I still treat it like bread. - Do I have to use a Dutch oven?
I do, because I like what it does to the crust. If you don’t have one, you can bake it on a sheet pan, but it won’t come out the same on the outside. - Why do I need to let it cool before slicing?
Because the inside is still setting when it comes out of the oven. If you cut into it too early, it won’t have the same texture. I realize this takes some willpower. - Can I make the dough ahead of time?
You can, but I usually don’t. I make this the same day and bake it once it’s ready. If you do make it ahead, keep it covered in the refrigerator and let it come back to room temperature before baking. - When do I serve this, breakfast, lunch, snacktime, dessert?
Yes. Or yes, yes, yes.
FROM MY KITCHEN NOTES
Just a few scribbles from my kitchen notebook. Not recipe tips.
- There are people who know how to make something at scale and still have it feel like it’s happening right in front of you.
- There’s real skill between someone following steps and someone who already knows what’s next.
- There are things you watch as a kid that don’t mean anything until they suddenly do.
- Helms wasn’t something you went to. It came to you. Trucks drove out to Los Angeles neighborhoods, they blew a whistle, people came out to buy. I didn’t see that part, but I’ve heard enough stories to wish I had.
- It’s not lost on me that I got to experience all the Helms Bakery items long after they went out of business, and it makes me feel lucky in some way.
- I never saw Frank measure anything. He didn’t need to.
- I used to think I was asking for chocolate chips because I was a kid. I don’t think that’s why anymore.
- Frank was not a pastry chef or a “baker” in the modern sense. He was someone who could take dough and turn it into whatever was needed, whenever it was needed, with no second-guessing. I respect that.
- Some things only make sense when they’re part of everything else that’s going on around them.
- For Easter, Frank would gift everyone loaves of beautifully braided breads with a butter lamb he made from molds. The image of this man with torpedo shaped forearms and a giant anchor tattoo across the top making delicate butter lambs makes me smile now. You don’t casually do that unless that kind of making is part of how you live.
- I don’t think anyone in that kitchen thought any of it was special. That might be why it was.
- I didn’t realize at the time that the thing I liked most wasn’t the bread, it was watching someone not hesitate. Confidence is everything.
- Waiting for bread to cool requires some kind of super human control, which I do not possess.
- There are things you recognize later and wish you had paid attention to differently.
- If I knew then exactly where every cream puff went, the whole thing might feel smaller to me now. Right now it still feels like something that just kept going beyond what I could see.
- There’s remembering something and realizing what it was. They are different. Not everything needs to be explained to be understood.
- I’m pretty sure the dough he used for everything was the same one Helms was known for, the one that had been around forever, because he made everything out of that. Mine was that same bread with chocolate chips on it, and I had no idea I was eating something with so much history tied to it. I just knew it was mine.
- Until I wrote this post, I didn’t realize how much this memory still mattered to me. I wasn’t only remembering Frank and how he was fully present, it was a reminder of what it felt like to be taken care of without asking, to be included without earning it and how it feels to exist in something good.
- As a kid I did the best version of enjoying it without awareness or analysis. I was just in it. Now, I have the awareness, but not the moment. That’s the gap.
- There are moments where everything is clear and nothing changes anyway.
- Some things don’t get better with more time.
If You Like Working With Dough
- Honey Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread – everyday loaf for toast and sandwiches.
- Everything Bagel Rolls – soft rolls with savory topping.
- Parker House Rolls – buttery, soft, pull-apart rolls.
- Round Challah Bread – braided loaf, rich and tender.
- Homemade Slider Buns – soft buns for sandwiches.
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Chocolate Chip Artisan Bread
Equipment
- mixing bowls (large) For mixing and rising the dough.
- Stand Mixer (with dough hook) Optional, for mixing and kneading.
- Dutch Oven (5-6 quart / 4.7-5.7 L) Cretaes steam for a crusty loaf.
- Banneton (10-inch / 25 cm oval or 9-inch / 23 cm round) or medium bowl lined with a well-floured towel. Helps hold shape during second rise.
- lame or sharp knife. For scoring the dough before baking.
- digital thermometer (optional) To check doneness during baking.
Ingredients
- 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
- 2¼ tsps (7 g / 1 packet) RapidRise yeast
- 1¼ tsps (7 g) table salt
- 2 tbsps (25 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (120 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips
- 1¼ cups (300 ml) warm water (38–43°C / 100–110°F)
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) neutral oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, instant yeast, salt, sugar, and chocolate chips, stirring until everything is evenly distributed so the chips are not clumped in one area of the dough.4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour, 2¼ tsps (7 g / 1 packet) RapidRise yeast, 1¼ tsps (7 g) table salt, 2 tbsps (25 g) granulated sugar, ¾ cup (120 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Add the warm water and oil, then mix until a shaggy dough forms. If using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes, then increase to medium-low speed and continue mixing for 4 to 5 minutes until the dough becomes mostly smooth and elastic. If mixing by hand, knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes until it becomes mostly smooth. The dough may tear slightly as the chocolate chips work through it, which is expected and part of how the texture develops.1¼ cups (300 ml) warm water, 2 tbsps (30 ml) neutral oil
- Shape the dough into a ball, place it in the bowl, cover, and let it rise until doubled in size, which typically takes about 1 to 2 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, gently deflate it, and press it into a rough rectangle. Fold the bottom up and the top down, then turn the dough and roll it into a tight log while pulling the dough toward you to shape it.
- Place the dough seam-side up in a well-floured 10-inch (25 cm) oval banneton or 9-inch (23 cm) round banneton, or use a medium bowl lined with a well-floured towel. Cover and let it rise again for 30 to 60 minutes. The dough is ready when it looks slightly puffy and slowly springs back when pressed with a finger.
- About 30 minutes before baking, place a 5 to 6 quart (4.7 to 5.7 L) Dutch oven with lid in the oven and preheat to 475°F (245°C) so the pot is fully heated when the dough goes in.
- Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper, score the top with a sharp knife or lame, and carefully transfer it into the hot Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the lid and continue baking for another 20 to 25 minutes at 450°F (232°C) until the crust is golden.
- The bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom or reaches an internal temperature of 205 to 210°F (96 to 99°C). Remove from the pot and let it cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- The dough should feel slightly tacky but not overly sticky. Adding too much flour during mixing can lead to a denser loaf.
- Chocolate chips will pull at the dough while kneading, which can cause small tears. This is normal and part of how the crumb forms.
- Let the bread cool fully before slicing so the inside finishes setting and doesn’t turn gummy.
Nutrition
Have you made this Chocolate Chip Artisan Bread? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.
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