Sourdough Double Chocolate Soft Sandwich Loaf - bread or dessert?
Sending this to Yeastspotting.
Made these when I was fighting the crazy "double chocolate croissant" battle. Luckily these are not nearly as difficult, the procedure was similar to other sourdough soft sandwich breads I have posted about. Didn't even have to get dutch processed cocoa for it, the natural cocoa worked perfect, even though it did take extra time to knead the dough to full development. I bet dutch processed cocoa would work here too, if not better.
Another thing I noticed was that it proofed much faster than other similar loaves, I am guessing it's another side effect of natural cocoa powder too. Do keep an eye on it during proofing.
Sourdough Double Chocolate Soft Sandwich Loaf
Note: 19% of the flour is in levain
Note: total flour is 250g, fit my Chinese small-ish pullman pan. For 8X4 US loaf tin, I suggest to use about 270g of total flour. For KAF 13X4X4 pullman pan, I would suggest using about 430g of total flour.
- levain
starter (100%), 13g
water, 22g
bread flour, 41g
1. Mix and let fermentation at room temp (73F) for 12 hours.
- final dough
bread flour, 203g (I used half KAF bread flour and half KAF AP flour for a balance of chewiness and volume)
sugar, 38g
butter, 18g, softened
water, 137g
salt, 2g
egg, 24g
cocoa powder, 10g (natural or dutch processed)
chocolate pieces or chips, 20g
1. Mix everything but chocoate pieces/chips until stage 3 of windowpane (-30sec), see this post for details. Add in chocolate pieces, mix in using low speed or by hand.
2. Rise at room temp for 2 hours, punch down, put in fridge overnight.
3. Takeout, divide, round, rest for 1 hour. shape as instructed here for sandwich loaf.
4. rise at room temp for about 4 hours. For my pullman pan, it should be about 80% full; for US 8x4inch pan, it should be about one inch above the edge. The dough would have tripled by then, if it can't, your kneading is not enough or over.
5. for sandwich loaf, bake at 400F for 45min, brush with butter when warm.
Soft and shreddy. The amount of chocolate chips/chunks was rather light, which is an effort to keep this still a "bread", rather than "dessert". You can certainly add more to satisfy your sweet tooth or chocolate craving.
Made another one using a different mini sandwich tin (also bought from China), which took 6X55g of dough, came out equally well
Comments
Yummy looking loaves, txfarmer! I wish I could make sourdough loaf with soft and light crumb like yours.
Can't remember you've already made something like this, but if not, could this be a future project for our Queen of croissant and chocolate?
pic 1
pic2
pic3
;) lumos
The first link doesn't seem to work? And the last two are of the same bread? This looks more like a marbled broiche loaf than a croissant, don't you think so?
don't, do they? They did yesterday.....
Here's a new link for the whole array of similar breads.
Yeah, it may look like a marbled brioche loaf, possibly made by a very similar method, or a very similar principle to making laminated dough like croissants. It became so popular in Japan some years ago among home bakers, many started marbling their regular toasting/sandwich loaf, so, as naturally, as things would go in Japan, you can now buy those chocolate sheet rather than having to make it yourself. But making it yourself is quite easy anyway, just a matter of mixing melted chocolate and butter and small amount of flour to bind, if you like, to make it pliable enough. Any interest? Wanna recipe (for choc sheet, that is. ) ;)
I think I recognize these breads - yeah, it's a laminated sweet dough, instead of butter in the middle, it's a sheet of chocolate. Sure, I will add this to my ever growing baking queue! :)
That's exactly what it is, though most of home bakers make this with their regular toasting/sandwich bread dough....though their regular loaf tends to be slightly sweet. It was so popular a few years ago, everyone was blogging about it, but I don't think so many people make it now....Typically Japanese. No one stays at a same place very long.... :p
There're many variations, but here're some of the examples, just to give you some idea.
Variation 1 (only chocolate) : Warm 80g milk in a small pan and melt 50g chopped chocolate. In a microwavable bowl, mix 1 egg white, 40g sugar and 20g plain flour until well blended. Add milk/chocolate mix and and stir gently until well blended with a whisk. Microwave for a 30 seconds- 1 minute (500-600W) and stir well, repeating this process a few more times until it becomes quite thick and lumpy. While it's warm put it on a sheet of cling film, fold the sides of the cling film over and shape into 12cm x 12cm square, pressing and spreading with a rolling pin (Just like you'd do with butter for croissants). Cool in a fridge until needed. (Makes 1 sheet enough for dough made with 250-300g flour)
Variation 2 (using cocoa powder) : Dissolve 20g cocoa powder in 80cc warm milk. Mix 50g sugar, 1 egg white and 20 g plain flour in, and blend very well with a whisk. Repeat the 'microwaving' process as above for a few times until the mixture is very thick. Add 10g unsalted butter and mix well. Shape into 15cmx15cm square as above. Cool in a fridge. (Enough for 300g flour dough)
Variation 3 (using both chocolate and cocoa) : 15g plain flour, 15g cocoa powder, 30g sugar, 55g chopped chocolate, 35g milk, 1 egg white, 10g butter. Method same as above variations. (Enough for 300-350g flour dough)
These are all copies from books/print-outs from internet I've kept in my file. It's been a while since I made it, so can't remember which one worked best. But I'm sure an expert like you can use these just as a guideline and conjure up your own recipe.
lumos
Yummy, and way easier than croissant! Thanks for the inspiration!
Just one word....Swoooooooon!!!!
Well done, txframer! I knew you can do it brilliantly! Not only it's easier than croissant, it's healthier with lot less fat in it, too!
Thank YOU for responding to my nudging so quickly. :)
lumos
I'll admit to reading your blogs amazed not at your breads (we are used to that :>) )but that you are firing up the oven in this awful heat! I've been working in El Paso, TX and I can't bear it - I cannot imagine baking anything.
As usual, nice baking!
El Paso huh? I see I suffer in good company. :P AC is a wonderful invention, I can't live without it right now.
Noting you have a real chocolate thing going on just now.
Txfarmer, your breads are of the very highest quality
Best wishes
Andy
Thanks Andy! Means a lot coming from you!
Txfarmer,
The chocolate sourdough loaf I made for my daughter's birthday yesterday is almost gone.....best ever due to your 'education' about processed cocoa vs 'natural' cocoa on your croissant thread....and now I check here and what do I find? Another formula for chocolate bread! I am not letting my daughter see this.....YET....but it is going into my files.
It looks so nice baked in a Pullman pan!
Thanks for the write up and your great pictures....
A side note: How do you bake in the temps you are having?????
Janet
So glad that your daughter liked her birthday bread!
Yeah, this sort of enriched bread made with a chocolate sheet was all the rage in Asia at a time. Well, if you should ever attempt this we'll look where to look for a reliable recipe!
These look wonderful !
To be honest - never tasted chocolate bread before, and now I'm very(!) curious