2 pk Quick-rising dry yeast
2 1/2 c Tepid water (95 degrees)
3 c Rye flour plus enough white
-flour to make up 2 lbs
-total
3 tb Plain cocoa powder
1 ts Salt; dissolved in:
1 ts -water
3 tb Cornmeal for baking sheets
MAKES 3 LOAVES
The flavor of cocoa in rye bread is so natural to me that I cannot
understand why I did not try this before. I am wondering now how good a
stiff shot of cocoa would be in pumpernickel. This recipe is easy and tasty
and it will help change your mind about chocolate having to be sweet.
As always, you will need a good kitchen scale in order to make good
bread.
I do all of this in my KitchenAid so there is no work to making bread, no
work at all.
In your electric mixer bowl dissolve the yeast in the water. Let sit for
5 minutes.
Measure out the flour on a scale. I use a lunch sack for this. Mix the
flour up a bit and add 4 cups of the mixed flour to the water mix. Beat
with your mixer; I use my batter blade for this, for about 10 minutes. Add
the cocoa powder and the salt water. Mix well and then work in the rest of
the flour, using the dough hook. If you do not have a powerful mixing
machine it is best to stir the remaining flour in by hand.
Knead on a floured board or on a piece of marble until the dough is very
smooth, about 15 minutes. If you use a machine for this it will take half
that time.
Place the dough on a plastic countertop and cover with a very large
stainless-steel bowl. Allow to rise once until double in bulk and punch
down. Allow to rise a second time and punch down again. Shape into 3 loaves
and place on cookie sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. Allow the loaves to
rise until double in bulk.
Bake in the upper third of a 450? oven for about 25 minutes, or until the
loaves are light brown and hollow-sounding when you tap them on the bottom.
From The Frugal
Yields
18 Servings