Chocolate Bread (Pane al Cioccolato)

I remember getting this bread, or something like it, at Turtle Bread. It was absolutely fabulously delicious, especially when schmeared with mascarpone. The recipes (here and here) I derived this from are pretty complex, and give the measurements in weight and traditional cups/tbsps. I prefer the latter, so that's what I'll use primarily. If you want weights, feel free to look at those links.

The Night Before:
You need to mix "biga naturales" which are a form of starter. I think they recipe would be fine without this, but you might want to increase the yeast later:

1/4c. flour
1/8c. water
pinch of yeast

Mix, and then let sit covered at least 8 hours (or overnight).

Day Of:

Biga Naturales, cut into small pieces
3 c. flour
1 1/8c. water
1/4 c. honey
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. yeast
1 Tbsp salt

1/4-1/2 c. chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients, then knead for 5-8 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes. Knead in chocolate chips.

Let rest until doubled in covered lightly oiled bowl (around 2 hours).

Divide into as many loaves as you want (this makes 3 smallish loaves, or 2 medium loaves). Shape into spheres, let rest 20 minutes, then shape into the final shape. Score with 2-3 slashes.

Let rest until around twice the original size (the original recipe said 3 hours, but I don't have that kind of patience.)

Place a stout pan in the bottom of the oven with ~1c. water, and preheat to 400 degrees. The recipes online say it should take 20 + 20 minutes with a rotation, but I found it only took about 12 + 12 minutes, so just use your instincts.

Let rest at least 1 hour. Eat (I don't foresee this step being a problem)

I only made this once, so anyone who wants to post modifications is quite welcome.

Comments

Lillian said…

I tested the recipe pretty much as Alex posted it. The biga and loaves didn't rise very high for me, but I think the cocoa butter prevents it from getting spongier. Turned out delicious! Most of the sweetness comes from the chocolate chips, which is just right for me. Might not be sweet enough for some.

March 21, 2010 at 2:35 AM

Thick-cut Pork Chops

These intimidating chops were actually pretty easy to cook. They're called an "Iowa Chop", and they're just a thick-cut, bone-in, center-cut chop. I've discovered that the secret to juicy pork chops is to start with a cold pan and obsessively checking the temperature . I find they're best just under 160 degrees. Pork Chops 2 1-lb. Iowa Chops 2-3 Tbsp. salt 2 Tbsp. white pepper 2 Tbsp. dried sage 2 Tbsp. Smoked (or regular) paprika 3 Tbsp. oil Sauce (optional): 1/2 c. chicken broth 1/2 c. white wine (I used Pinot Grigio) 2 Tbsp. corn starch 1 tsp. white pepper 2 tsp. Dijon mustard 1/4 c. cold water Preheat the oven to 350. Pat the chops dry with some paper towel. Sprinkle them liberally with the salt and spices and allow them to warm up to room temperature while you start the quinoa and chop the cauliflower. Place the oil in your pan, but do not pre-heat the pan. Add the chops to the pan and place them on the stove. Heat the pan up to medium, turning the chop

Graphic pig pictures below! >>

Miele Steam Oven Pulled Pork

I've been debating whether I should post some of these more niche recipes--now that we have a steam oven and a high powered stove, I am making recipes that not everyone can reproduce with other equipment. I've decided to post some of them 1) for my own records, and 2) because there are very few recipes available online for these devices (especially the steam oven). Perhaps these recipes will be of use to others. I don't have a photo for this one because I decided to post the recipe after the fact. 3-5 lb pork shoulder roast (~3 lb without bone, ~5 lb with) 1 large white onion, 1/4" slices 1 Tbsp. butter 1 chicken boullion cube 1 c. water 2 tsp. dried thyme 1 tsp. dried sage 1 tsp. whole coriander 1 Tbsp. coarse ground salt 1 Tbsp. brown sugar 1 tsp. dry mustard 1 tsp. white pepper 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. cayenne 1/4 tsp. allspice 1/4 tsp. celery seed Saute the onions in the butter in a saute pan over medium for 10 min until the onions are somewha

Graphic pig pictures below! >>

Quick Turkey Meatballs

For various reasons, Melanie likes ground turkey more than ground beef, and so I've been making turkey meatballs a lot. Obviously the problem with turkey is that it can be really dry since it's so lean, but one day we made a random hippy turkey burger recipe and it taught us the he secret to making ground turkey not be gross: ground mushrooms! If you grind up the mushrooms and mix them in, they kind of cook away but keep whatever you're cooking moist and give that umami flavor that's also missing from turkey. People who don't like mushrooms won't notice their presence at all unless they're specifically looking for them. This recipe is also designed to cook up really really quickly - you can have these done in the time it takes you to boil the water for the noodles. The spices are loosely based on Lillian's meatball recipe but only use dry spices for convenience. They still come out a little dry, but especially with a wetter sauce (marinara, vodka, etc.

Graphic pig pictures below! >>

Extra Schmaltz!

Search This Blog