Starter
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup lukewarm water
- 1/8th tsp yeast
Mix all ingredients and let them sit at room temperature for 6 hours. The mixture should be bubbly and have expanded somewhat.
Dough
- the starter
- approx. 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 6 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp yeast
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- scant 1 cup lukewarm water
- 2 tbsp margerine, cut into small pieces
- 4 oz. 70% chocolate, chopped (I used 60%)
- optional: 1/2 cup dried cranberries or diced dried apricots
- turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top of the bread
Directions
- Dissolve the yeast in the water. Put the starter and all dry ingredients through salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast water and begin to knead, either in the bowl if it’s large enough or on a board lightly dusted with flour. Sprinkle on the margarine pieces, and knead them in. Knead for 10 minutes. Just before the dough is done, sprinkle on the chocolate chunks (and dried fruit, if using) and knead them into the dough.
- Cover the dough with a cloth or plastic wrap and let rise for until doubled in size, about 3 hours.
- Now shape the bread. Line a baking sheet with parchement. Gently punch down the dough and cut it into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth, round roll. Place the rolls into the pan. It’s fine if they are touching a bit.
You could also bake this as a boule, or you could bake it in two small, greased loaf pans. - At this point you can either let the dough rise for 2 hours at room temperature, or you can cover it and let it rise in the fridge over night. Just let it sit out at room temperature while the oven preheats the next morning if you do that.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Brush the dough with soy milk and and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Reduce oven to 350 degrees. Bake until the bread has a slightly hollow sound when you tap tops with your finger, 40-45 minutes. Turn the bread out of the pan, and put it on a wire rack; let cool completely. Wrap tightly in plastic and store up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month
