modifying liquids/flavors, how to calculate changes?
So, not sure how many remember me from my disatrous first thread here, but I've come a ways since... I have been successfully doing the first lesson a lot, adding little bits here and there (lemon zest, cinnamon, etc.).
Now, I got a couple ingredients that I have thought about using but not sure what to do yet. Besides, I don't have much of anything under my belt besides the lesson 1 loaves and failed expirements. I'm going to be melting down chocolate chips, and cooking that up with some amaretto and a pinch of cinnamon. It's a good flavor I've used on some meats sparingly before.
My first thought was to make a glaze and spread that out over the loaf after it's done baking. However, for the little amount of liquid needed compared to how much I will be mixing of it, about 95% would go to waste. If I use it in the dough, I have to calculate out stuff for new hydration right? I've seen it in other recipes/discussions, but never knew much about how to get there.
Just by going with what I know, if I am looking to modify this, how would I modify water amount or flour amount to incorporate about 3/4 -> 1 cup of the liquid mix so it spreads out flavor to the whole loaf:
**Sorry I don't know weights**
3 cups ap flour
1 1/4 cups warm water (1/4 for yeast act.)
1/8 cup sugar (for yeast act.)
1 package active dry yeast
2 tsp salt
Would it sound reasonable for you to add the amaretto directly into the dough liquids ? (Put amaretto on the bottom of the cup and fill with water.)
And/or roll the chips (maybe hack them a wee bit or use sprinkles) into the bulk fermented dough along with a few shakes of cinnamon (check the sugar on the packaging, if it contains any, it will melt nicely. If not, moisten with something (like amaretto) and dribble it in along with the chips before rolling/shaping the dough.
Try not to knead cinnamon into the dough itself without adding more yeast to the dough recipe beforehand as cinnamon is anti-fungal.
Sound good? Good luck!
Edit: Forgot to answer your question - not much amaretto, maybe about 1 1/2 shots worth.
Actually, I decided to bake this a couple nights ago, using the method of melting/cooking down the chips with amaretto. It was thick, so after the bulk ferment (nothing in it so it was plain) I rolled out the dough, spread out the thick chocolate paste and (this part was dumb), instead of rolling it, I tried to re-shape it back into a loaf, so everything was mixed around well together. The result, a sticky mess from the chocolate made the dough hard to work with and was seeping out as I was trying to form/shape it. Anyways, a double in size later and baked for about 30 minutes. Result of that, most of the chocolate boiled out of closed seams and onto the pan. The bread was soft and fluffy with a good crust, where all the chocolate (if any left in the bread), was right under the crumb.
I will def. take the suggestion of the amaretto in the dough liquid, with crumbling the chips down, but not melting them, and also rolling it this time. I like the looks of the loaf more, but I think this idea might be better if I treated it sort of like a cin. bun. I will be trying it this new way in a couple days! Can't wait!
If it turns out good, I'll snap a pic of the finish.
What if you were to divide the dough, repeat what you did to one half or two thirds of the dough (mix with melted chocolate and all the good stuff) and after getting a nice marble look, form a log and wrap it with the rolled out plain dough. Covering it like a sleeping bag sealing in the chocolate so nothing can ooze away? Might make a cool looking crumb shot!
Or line the pan with the plain dough and place the choco-dough into it or do the blueberry cream cheese braid trick cutting dough to cris-cross over the top. (pictures are column left listed under favorite recipes.) Might be an easy way to end up with a classy looking loaf.
So, I decided to try the adventure of alcohol into the dough, perhaps using way to much in this attempt. I split the water/alcohol 50-50, 1/2 cup each (plus 1/4 cup water for activating the yeast). The mixing and kneading went well, and placed into a bowl for the bulk ferment. About an hour later, not much activity. It took about 4 to 4 1/2 hours to approximate a 1 3/4 rise, so almost double. I punched it down, shaped it, put it on a tray for the final rise...
4 hours, not much activity, but I can see improvement over the initial shape/size. So I fridged it overnight. 8 hours later, in the fridge it looked like nothing happened - but I know cold slows down yeast. So, I have a set 4-5 hours after taking the dough out to have it hit room temp and hopefully rise a little more. Regardless, after a little activity last night, I'm planning to bake it tonight anways.
After the bulk ferment and punching it down, the dough was really dense, I wonder if any gasses even escaped. I read a little on how certain %'s of alcohol affect yeast development, with some higher %'s basically nullifying yeast activity. I think with a straight 50-50 water-alc. mix I made a terrible environment for the yeast to work in. However, a learning expirement this thread is.
I'm starting to ponder if I should try to cook the alcohol first before putting into the dough, effectivly ridding the 'alcohol' but leaving the flavor. At least, I am led to believe this, so it shouldn't have much of an effect on the yeast/dough...
I'll report back on the baked loaf later tonight!
So, after having the loaf out of the fridge for 4 - 4 1/2 hours it looked just about doubled from the previous shaping. So, I baked it at 375 for 45 minutes. I created a really good crumb, and it didn't come out dense at all. However, it is really rich and filling :).
I don't like the chocolate chips around the outside of the loaf, as surrounding the chips created was a darker, almost burnt looking crust. If I attempt this again, I enjoy the turn-out of the 50-50 amaretto to the water after being patient enough, but I would take the advice here and split the dough, with the chipped mixed portion wrapped inside of a plainer dough.