New here so hopefully I've picked the correct board. This is quite a novice question but after going through several pages of search results from the site i still don't have an answer.
When formulating a bread recipe and i want to add cocoa powder (dutch) do i need to alter the hydration? Do i add it in place of some flour? Is it dependant on how much I'm using?
Im doing lean to 5% fat gluten free sourdough if that matters. My dough hydration is high due to gluten free but better safe than sorry.
I would think if you added a significant amount of cocoa powder (more than 20 or 30%) that you may need to decrease the flour. You may also get better cocoa flavor if you add it to the fat and warm it gently.
I am intrigued that you are using a GF sourdough. Tell me more,please. What flour are you using for the starter?
Thank you for the input. I use 50/50 by weight gf oat and quinoa flours. I've used chickpea and oat before but i like using more than 25% starter per recipe and chickpea can leave a funky flavor in some dishes.
Generally you swap out cocoa for flour on a gram-by-gram basis.
I also recommend blooming the cocoa in boiling water; it brings out a more robust flavor.
Thank you :)
Thank you
I want to hear what chocolate sourdough is like. Send pictures too, please :-)
--Mike
Can do. I've had a number of late days so my discard went into pancakes last night, cinnamon buns up next, then probably the chocolate molasses bread once my starter has built up again.
And up the fat content, working the powder into the butter or coconut milk before adding to dough. Might also want to up sweeteners, then again why not just make a cake! It is so much nicer! Never mind...
Lol most of my breads are totally lean but ill sometimes do up to 5% fat. Haven't tried milks yet just oil
where i add a chocolate "syrup" at the end of a mixed dough (aka a bassinage).
i don't take anything out of the main dough. (i like to use a 30% rye for this, though you can do whatever).
for the syrup, based on the total flour, i use
5% cocoa
15% sugar
10% boiling water
5% oil
whisk the cocoa and sugar together to make it easier to mix, whisk in boiling water, add oil, cool before adding at the end of dough development. you can even do it in the first stretch and fold.
happy baking.
~andrew
In a chocolate mood as I just took Ian's Chocolate Tangzhong our of the oven, but can't cut it yet. Anyway, can you give a few more details about using your syrup? What's the total dough weight or flour amount, and is this a lean or enriched dough? It sounds yummy, just want to get the full advantage of the chocolate by using the right proportion in the final dough. Thanks!
Thank you for those ratios
Sorry its taken so long. I made this last month but it took me a while to sit down and upload my photos and even more time to get TFL to stop freezing up the second i attempted to post the picture. Anyway here is the formula i used and the tweaks id make next time.
Chocolate Apricot Cranberry Sourdough -
100% Flour (tapioca, chickpea, flax, coconut)
20% Dutch Cocoa (definitely would be fine with 15% possibly 10%)
15% Sugar
15% Chopped Dried Fruit (i used 50/50 apricot/cranberry
2% Salt
2% Guar Gum
30% Starter (quinoa/oat 200% hydration)
5% Oil
165% water (this one im guesstimating because 145% was to dry but my scale timed out)
Rose about 4 hours, cold start oven, baked 2 cup boule's for 1 hour until internal was 203F. I enjoyed it the cocoa added a nice bitterness that went well with sweet or savory toppings. Would make again just less cocoa for sure.