How to Make Easy Sourdough Sour Cherry and Chocolate Chip Bread (Diabetic Friendly, No Artificial Sweeteners)

This is one of my favorite sourdough breads. The bread is simple to make, and it's good! A little sour and a little sweet, the bread is studded with chopped sour cherries and dark chocolate chips. With plenty of whole-grain white whole-wheat flour, fiber, and no refined sugar, the bread is acceptable if you're on a diabetic diet or want to "eat healthy." In moderation (as always!) the bread is less likely than many alternatives to cause blood sugar spikes. I usually cook the bread in the air fryer, but you can also bake it in a regular oven. We like the bread for breakfast. It's also good as a simple snack with a cup of coffee or tea or glass of milk. Enjoy!

How to Make Easy Sourdough Sour Cherry and Chocolate Chip Bread (Diabetic Friendly, No Artificial Sweeteners)

Sourdough Sour Cherry and Chocolate Chip Bread -- Makes 2 Loaves

1 cup of sourdough starter/discard

1/3 cup of canola oil

2 tablespoons of milled or ground flax seeds

1 cup of cherry juice (unsweetened or with no added sugar, if possible)

2 tablespoons of powdered milk

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 cup of chopped, pitted cherries (I use jarred cherries and save the juice)

1 1/2 cups of white whole-wheat flour

In a large bowl whisk together well the starter/discard, oil, ground flax seeds, cherry juice, powdered milk, and vanilla. Stir in the chopped cherries and the white whole-wheat flour until combined. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for at least an hour. I routinely let my mixture sit on the counter for 3-5 hours, and it's fine. When you're ready add:

2 1/2 cups of white whole-wheat flour

2 1/2 teaspoons of salt

1 cup of dark chocolate chips

With a sturdy spoon, stir in/knead in the flour and salt, then the chocolate chips. Knead the dough for 3-5 minutes, adding an additional 1/4 - 1/2 cup of flour as you knead to keep the dough from being too sticky. Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Form each piece into a loaf shape. Spritz two medium loaf pans (I use 8- x 4-inch pans that will fit in my air fryer) well with non-stick cooking spray and place the shaped dough into the pans. Spritz the tops of the dough loaves with non-stick cooking spray and loosely cover the dough with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until it increases in volume by about one-third (1-3 hours, usually). You can score the tops of the loaves (cuts about 1/4-inch deep) if you like, but it's not necessary.

Air Fryer: Air fry the bread at 320 degrees for about 35 minutes or until dark brown on top and an instant-read thermometer inserted into a loaf registers 190-200 degrees.

Oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the breads for 35-45 minutes or until dark brown on top and an instant-read thermometer inserted into a loaf registers 190-200 degrees.

Let the breads cool in their pans for 10-15 minutes, then remove them to cool completely. The breads will slice more easily if you let them cool before slicing them.

How to Make Easy Sourdough Sour Cherry and Chocolate Chip Bread (Diabetic Friendly, No Artificial Sweeteners)