The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Nancy's Silverton's Chocolate Sour Cherry Bread

txfarmer's picture
txfarmer

Nancy's Silverton's Chocolate Sour Cherry Bread

 

I have made Italian chocolate bread before using the SFBI recipe: http://www.applepiepatispate.com/bread/pane-al-cioccolato-italian-chocolate/ , this one is from Nancy Silverton's book "Breads from the La Brea Bakery" (I have the book but you can find the recipe here: http://mamajjsbread.blogspot.com/2008/12/black-boots-and-my-long-necked-deficit.html . Note that the original starter is 145% hydration, I did adjust starter and water amount to use my 100% stater. The original recipe uses 0.6oz fresh yeast in addition to the starter, I used 2 scant tsp of instant yeast, which made rising time a bit shorter than what's in the book - 1hr and 45min before retarding in the fridge, and only 2 hours of proofing.). Silverton's version also uses commercial yeast (fresh yeast, but I adapted to use instant) in addition to a liquid starter, but it's a lot more decadant. A lot more chocolate pieces and a lot of sour cherries in the dough, which means messy kneading, cutting, and eating, but tastier results IMO. The recipe link author thought the bread was too dry and crumbly, but I didn't think so, the crumb was soft and moist to me.

It got good rise during fermentation and in the oven, but since the chocolate pieces and sour cherries were screaming to get out, the bread looks a little "messy".

Made one boule and one batard. The sour tastes of dried cherry complements chocolate well, I used organic imported chocolates, not a cheap bread to make!

Happy with the taste, I am going to try for a chocolate bread with no commercial yeast. Silverton says in the book commercial yeast is necessary otherwise coca powder would make the bread too dense. I wonder whether more starter would do the trick. I see several people here on TFL already tried, I am going to do some research on those.

Comments

saltandserenity's picture
saltandserenity

That bread looks amazing.   When I saw your name I knew it would be a beautiful loaf.  I love dried cherries and chocolate together.  It is a flavour match made in heaven.  I will have toi try this one! (once I finish my last 8 BBA breads!)

 

www.saltandserenity.com

 

txfarmer's picture
txfarmer

Good luck with your BBA challenge, you are almost there!

kdwnnc's picture
kdwnnc

That sounds so good!