The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Chocolate-Blueberry Sourdough Pullman Loaf

loydb's picture
loydb

Chocolate-Blueberry Sourdough Pullman Loaf

You know what's good? Chocolate chip blueberry pancakes with pecans. Don't want to make pancakes every morning? Try this.

I started with PR's BBA basic sourdough recipe, using a milled mixture of 50/50 hard red and hard white wheat with KA New England sourdough starter. I then added the following:

  • 5 oz dried blueberries
  • 4 oz pecans
  • 4 oz milk chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons softened butter
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup (for god's sake, real maple, not that goo in a plastic jug. If you don't have real, use maple extract or leave it out.)

The pictured loaf used 6 oz of chips, which was too much. I've adjusted to 4 oz. I did a stretch and fold every 45 minutes for 3 hours, then left it alone to rise another two hours, then put in the fridge overnight to retard.

The next problem I faced was that I really didn't want chocolate melting into my baking stone. Solution? Pullman pan! After retarding the final dough overnight, I let it warm up for a couple of hours, then shaped it and put it in a 13" x 4.5" x 4.5" pullman pan and let it rise for three hours. It was about 3/4 up the pan, and unlikely to go much higher on its own. I put the lid on the pan and put it into a cold oven, set it to 375 degreesF, and went away for two hours. I pulled the lid back far enough to check the browning, and let it have another 20 minutes. YMMV.

It needs no butter or anything else, and has been our breakfast all week.

 

Comments

Janetcook's picture
Janetcook

Loyd,

You are killing me here with your loaves....chocolate being one ingredient my kids will kill for.  In fact, I just got a shipment from King Arthur yesterday - large chunks of chocolate - both dark and white chocolate....something tells me it won't last long here.

A question, as I know you mill your own grains and you own both BBA and WGB....I noticed that your standard sd loaf is from BBA and I am curious as to why you prefer that recipe as to the one in WGB?  What makes it different?

Thanks!

Janet

P.S.

Also wondering if you have discovered coconut oil?  I started using it after the woman I buy my supplies started stocking it at a great cost - organic and not heat processed....On reading up on it's benefits I decided to give it a go and I am sold!  About the same cost as the unsalted butter I use and easy to use in recipes plus it stores easily at room temp. as it is a very stable 'solid' oil - really adds a nice texture to loaves.

loydb's picture
loydb

I use coconut oil when I make curries -- I haven't tried it in bread yet, I'll have to give it a shot. Walnut oil is my favorite I think...

I use the BBA sourdough recipe because I've made it so many times that I have it memorized, and know how it should feel. That lets me ad lib off of it with much greater confidence.

I always retard the final dough overnight, which I think duplicates the affect of a soaker as recommended by WGB.

Regarding chocolate, mine had way too much -- it's chocolate bread with a background of blueberrry and pecan, and that's not what I wanted. If you make it with 4 oz, let me know how it turns out, as it will be awhile before this rotates around again for me.

Janetcook's picture
Janetcook

Loyd,

Thanks for the answer - makes sense. And it reads a lot more straight forward than the recipe in WGB.

I have veered away from soakers too after finding txfarmer's recipes using ww where she retards the dough overnight...works like a charm.  I like mixing my doughs at night and then simply warming them up and baking in the morning or afternoon - whatever my schedule happens to permit.  ALso allows me do my leaven builds during the day and keep a better eye on how they are ripening.

When I was using the full amt.  leaven recommended by PR in WGB my doughs just couldn't handle an overnight retarding - very weak doughs come morning but with less leaven retarding works like a charm.  (Using whole grains, as you know, makes a huge difference in how flour ferments...too much enzymatic activity :-)

I am thinking of doing a choc. chunk loaf today but I think I will use the formula I usually use from ABAP....I know how it works.  Told my  daughter of my plan and she told me she prefers not to have choc. in bread anymore - she wants hers STRAIGHT!  Think she is developing into a choc-oholic....She will not get any of my choc.chunks plain....too much $$$$$  :-)  On the loaf I am wanting to make I just can't decide on blueberries or cranberries.....guess I will decide tonight....or maybe cherries....

Too many choices - once again :-0Janet

 

loydb's picture
loydb

Cherries are always appropriate with chocolate! My favorite Christmas-only treats are cherry cordials.

I like doing soakers for some things -- the WGB multi-grain struan is one of my favorites. For most, however, since both the preferment and the final dough get an overnight retard in the fridge, I think a separate soaker is overkill.

 

EvaB's picture
EvaB

It looks great! I think I shall have to cut down on reading posts here, I think I've gained 10 pounds just today! And I havent' even baked one thing!!!