Ingredients
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1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
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1 cup lukewarm water
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1 cup all-purpose flour, plus
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3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
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2 1/2 cups bread flour
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1/4 cup good-quality cocoa powder
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1/3 cup sugar, plus
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2 tablespoons sugar
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2 teaspoons active dry yeast
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1 cup water
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1 1/4 teaspoons fine salt
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2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature,plus more for pans
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vegetable oil, for lightly oiling bowl
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1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
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3 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
Instructions
- Chocolate Bread Starter: Dissolve yeast in water for 10 minutes; stir in flour until completely mixed; cover loosely and leave to proof at room temperature 6 hours.
- Chocolate Yeast Bread: Stir and thoroughly mix flour, cocoa, 1/3 cup sugar, yeast, water and 1/4 cup Chocolate Bread Starter (save the remainder for another use); let rest 15 minutes.
- Scrape dough onto floured work surface and knead in salt and butter; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes; knead in chopped chocolate thoroughly.
- Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours; leaving dough in bowl, fold dough into thirds as if folding a letter for an envelope, recover with plastic wrap; let rest 30 minutes.
- Butter two 7"x3"x2" loaf pans and coat with remaining 2 T granulated sugar; divide dough in half and then divide each half into 4 even pieces; roll and form each piece of dough into a tight ball; place four pieces, smooth side up, side-by-side in each loaf pan; cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375°; combine egg yolk and cream and brush on loaves; sprinkle with turbinado sugar; place in oven, reduce temperature to 350° and bake for 40-45 minutes or until loaves have a slightly hollow sound when tapped on the bottom.
- Let rest in loaf pans for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack.