Chocolate Bread

A game changer for your breakfast table.

Not too sweet, slightly dry but creamy. It isn’t a classic cake but it is not a bread neither.

Try baking it using different types of chocolate, or toast a slice and spread a generous amount of Nutella on it.

​Difficulty level:
Cooking Time:	​1 hour and 40 minutes
Oven Temperature:	​30 minutes 50˚C - 70 minutes 180˚C
​Cooking Method:	​Static Oven, With Water

If you can make this you are ready for some serious baking. The raising of this dough may require longer than expected, do not rush, just wait until it is ready..

Ingredients for 1 plum cake tin of 24 cm length, 9 cm height, 12 cm width:

Using Sourdough Starter 350g Strong White Flour (W300 P/L 0,5/0,6) 280g Milk (3,5% fat) 2g Diastatic Malt 8g Salt 35g Soft Butter 100g Sourdough Starter 100g Sugar 50g Egg (1 medium egg) 40g Cocoa Powder 100g Dark Chocolate (70%) Butter for greasing the tin

​Using Dried Yeast 430g Strong White Flour (W300 P/L 0,5/0,6) 300g Milk (3,5% fat) 2g Diastatic Malt 8g Salt 35g Soft Butter 8g Dried Yeast 100g Sugar 50g Egg (1 medium egg) 40g Cocoa Powder 100g Dark Chocolate (70%) Butter for greasing the tinDried Yeast

Steps:

1. Roughly chop the chocolate and set aside.

2. In the mixing bowl dissolve the yeast in the milk, when yeast is almost dissolved add the malt.

3. The next four steps are very important to achieve a good result. Do not start the next until the dough is smooth and elastic.

4. Sift the flour and the cocoa and mix both together.

5. Add the sifted mix, and start kneading. If you use a stand mixer attach the dough hook and knead at speed 2 for about 10 minutes. The dough is well mixed when it is smooth elastic and remains attached to the dough-hook.

6. In a small bowl mix the egg and the sugar together.

7. Start adding the egg and sugar mixture to the dough, 2 tablespoons at the time and knead (for about 10 minutes) until the mix is completely incorporated. The dough should appear smooth, elastic and with a nice chocolate colour. Continue until you finish the egg and sugar mixture.

8. Add half of the softened butter and knead until it also completely incorporated (about 10 minutes) before adding the remaining butter.

9. Finally add the salt and knead until the dough stays on the hook and does not stick on the mixing bowl.

10. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl, round it let it rest for about 1 hour.

11. Grease a 1kg baking tin with some butter ensuring the butter is evenly spread.

12. Fold the dough in half 3 times and give it an elongated shape.

13. Place the dough with the smooth side up in a greased 1 kg baking tin 24 cm in length.

14. Cover the baking tin with a hood or foil and let the dough to leaven for about 12 hours at room temperature, or until it tripled its volume.

15. Mix the egg, milk and salt and brush with it the dough.

16. Put the baking tin into the cold oven, switch to 50°C and let the dough ripen for 30 minutes. Then switch to 180°C (dough remains in the oven during heating) and bake the bread for 70 minutes (including the heating phase).

The butter stops the creation of the gluten, changing the texture of the final result. If the dough is not well kneaded you will get a texture similar to a plum-cake. Not a bad taste, you will love it anyway, simply not the desired result. Just try again!