I was just playing with some ingredients on Sunday afternoon, and this is what I came out with - it wasn't perfect, but is probably my favorite breakfast/dessert bread that I've made to date.
Ingredients:
1.5 cups water (80-85 degrees)
1.5 cups freshly brewed coffee (allowed to cool to 80-85 degrees)
.5 cup whole milk
1.25 cups chocolate chips
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
1.5 cups all purpose flour
2-5 cups bread flour (enough to give a good dough consistency - slightly tacky, but not wet)
1 packet instant yeast
1 tablespoon finely ground sea salt
Combine the water & the yeast in a small bowl.
Combine the coffee, milk, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, & all purpose flour in a large bowl. Once combined, add 1.5 cups of bread flour along with the water/yeast mixture, and combine completely.
Slowly add more flour to dough until it moist and tacky, but pulls into a ball (I begin by adding the flour 1/2 cup at a time, and then taper the addition when it's getting close to the correct consistency)
Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10-12 minutes. Return to a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a towel, and allow to rise at room temperature for 90 minutes.
Punch down dough and divide into 2 equal pieces. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Form dough into desired shape and allow to rise for 60 minutes. Put dough into oven and cook for 30-40 minutes until the top is a dark brown.
Allow to cool on rack for 45 minutes before cutting.
I have made this dough into rounds with great success - it should work in a pan too, but I have not tried it this way. Do not place dough directly on a baking stone - use parchment paper to cover or the chocolate chips will melt all over your stone
If you try this bread and have any comments, please e-mail me - I would love to know how it turned out for you!
