The Fresh Loaf

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Coconut Yeast Water Challah

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Coconut Yeast Water Challah

I have wanted to try my hand at a Challah made with a Yeast Water starter for a while so I decided to give it a try this weekend.  Naturally I needed to change it up a bit more and added some shredded coconut and used coconut water in place of the liquid.

I figured since today really finally feels like Fall it warranted using a nice fall themed cake pan for this bread.  This is the first time I successfully used a cake pan/bundt pan for a bread.  I was planning on removing the dough from the pan before baking, but the dough was very moist so I was afraid I would ruin it if I tried to un-mold it before baking.

I was very happy with the way this bread turned out.  It has nice sweet flavor from the honey and coconut and the mold worked perfectly as the bread easily popped out after it was finished baking.

Procedure

I used a combination of my white sourdough starter which I keep at 66% hydration and did a 3 stage build with my fruit flavored yeast water starter.

Yeast Water Starter Build 1

60 grams AP Flour (KAF)

60 grams Yeast Water Starter

Mix the flour and Yeast Water in a bowl until thoroughly combined.  Cover the bowl and let it sit at room temperature for around 4 hours.  The starter should almost double when ready to proceed to build 2.

Build 2

Add ingredients below to starter from above and mix until incorporated.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 4 hours.

60 grams AP Flour (KAF)

60 grams Yeast Water Starter

Main Dough Ingredients

240 grams  Yeast Water Starter (all of the starter from above)

844 grams European Style Flour (KAF)  (You can substitute Bread Flour with a little White Whole Wheat)

35 Grams Shredded Coconut

170 grams Egg Yolks

71 grams Vegetable Oil

21 grams Pure Vanilla Extract

19 grams Salt (Sea Salt or Table Salt)

66 grams Honey

390 grams Coconut Water at Room Temperature

Procedure

Mix the flour with the egg yolks, starter,  and 340 grams of the coconut water for about 1 minute.   Let the dough autolyse for 30 minutes to an hour in your bowl covered with a cloth or plastic wrap.  Next add in the salt, oil and honey, rest of the coconut water and mix on speed #1 for 3 minutes and #2 for 2 minutes or by hand.  This dough is very wet but it should start to come together after mixing but will still be very wet.

Next take the dough out of the bowl and place it on your work surface.  Do a stretch and fold and rest the dough uncovered for 10 minutes.  Place the dough in an oiled bowl after the rest and do another stretch and fold and cover the dough in the bowl and let it rest for 10 minutes.  Do one more stretch and fold and put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and let it sit at room temperature covered for 2 hours.  (If the dough is still too lose, you can do several more stretch and folds until you are ready to put in the refrigerator). After 2 hours you can put the dough into the refrigerator for 24 hours or up to 2 days before baking.  (Note: this dough is very moist and you may want to add more flour, but try to resist or you will make it too dry.  It will firm up while in the refrigerator overnight.)

The next day (or when ready to bake) let the dough sit out at room temperature for 2 hours.  After 2 hours form the dough into your desired shape and put them in floured bannetons, bowls or you can braid and make a traditional style Challah.  I decided to use a cake pan which I sprayed heavily with baking spray and after forming the dough into a rough oval I placed the dough in the pan and covered it with a moist towel.

Set your oven for 450 degrees F. at least 30 minutes before ready to bake.  When ready to bake place the loaves into your on  your oven stone with steam and lower the temperature immediately to 350 degrees.  Bake until the loaf reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees F. which in this case took about 1 hour and 10 minutes.  If you make it as a free-from loaf it will probably take  a lot less time.

Let the loaves cool down for at least an hour or so before eating as desired.

Please visit my other blog at www.mookielovesbread.wordpress.com for all of my recipes.

Comments

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

Autumn Coconut Horn of Plenty Challah before.  But, being from the Ozark Mountains there are many things that are still unseen even though I am old.  I'm sure they are very common on Long Island though, nothing special and probably available free at the convenience store with a fill-up.  Out here they are nearly unheard of until very recently.  Now its just not the recipe that is inventive but the shape too!  Way to go Ian.  It is just beautiful and has to be delicious.  It being wet you were wise to contain it in steel or aluminum.

For the Holidays, I would expect little white and blue flashing strobe lights or perhaps a crust that changes color cuttle fish style or both if it is a challah shaped like the bust of Elijah. 

I have to admit that at first I though it was a really cool volcano and expected to see cheese lava coming out if it later or a ciabatta that actullay looked like a medieval slipper but then when I saw the form it was even better than that.

Unbelievable!

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks DA...appreciate the compliment.  It came out better than I expected and made some great French Toast for dinner.

Like the volcano idea though...interactive bread....now that's a thought!

Regards
Ian

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

 So it's  Yeast water coconut challah!   I first thought you might be using coconut yeast water.  Must taste similar to a coconut cake.                    Falling into Autumn feelings thru your pictures and props.  :)

Sweetened or unsweetened coconut?  ( listing on back,  carb grams are about half the fiber grams for unsweetened)

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Hi Mini...sorry for the misleading title.  It has a subtle coconut flavor but not too overpowering.  It is unsweetened coconut water and shredded coconut so no exta sweetner.  I will double check later, but almost positive that is the case.

Saturday was almost 80 degrees and now the last couple days it finally feels like Autumn as it is in the 50's and 60's.  Before you know it we will be wishing for the hot summer days again.

Thanks for the comments.

Regards

Ian

hanseata's picture
hanseata

and that is a gargantuan bread mold. I'm amazed that every detail came out without something being lost by crumbling.

Karin

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks Karin... I was surprised how well it came out myself.

Mebake's picture
Mebake

you had me misled, too, by the title. Great bread Ian, lovely color and crumb. I like your photography too.

Expecting a braided loaf, i was shocked by the deformed loaf at the top, only to appreciate later that it was the beautiful mold that had imprinted the dough. How are your travels going? I'm getting ready for my first epidural shot in a day or two. Will update you soon.

 

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Hey Kahlid, thanks for the comment.  I am glad you liked my Fall Challah.  I was impressed myself that the mold came out so well as I've been meaning to try one of my wife's myriad of cake and bundt pans for a while.

I was actually supposed to be leaving for a 14 day journey to China on Monday but I just had to postpone the trip due to some issues my company is having at work.  Hopefully it will work itself out and I will reschedule for later this month.

Good luck with your epidural shot.  I hope it brings you some relief.

I am fortunate that rigth now my back is doing well but I feel your pain none the less.

Regards,
Ian

Justkneadit's picture
Justkneadit

Although it will be sometime before I dive into yeast water, your loaf looks amazing! I'm defintely trying to picture the taste in my head now.

 

Nice bake Ian!

 

Lane

Isand66's picture
Isand66

Thanks Lane...appreciate the comments.

Regards,
Ian