Coffee cocoa bread

[brunoise]

I was bored today so I decided to take the bottom of the pot coffee and make something with it. I'm sure you're thinking, "Why wouldn't you drink it? It's perfectly fine coffee." you're right but culinary aspect of coffee should be exploited. Thus, I used coffee instead of water in my bread today. No, this is not a sweet bread either.
Recipe:
Makes 2 loaves
5 tsp traditional active dry yeast
2 cups coffee
1 tbs molasses
1 tsp cocoa powder
~5 cups flour (Used all purpose but, if you have it, use bread flour) [I'll be using the "~" sign to mean approximately]
1 tbs salt

With active dry yeast (as opposed to the quick rise) you're going to need to let it 'bloom'/revive. If you're a final fantasy fan, you'll have some phoenix down but here's where you add the water to the yeast and molasses. Should look something like this...



That's the yeast, 1 cup of coffee (really warm coffee but not hot), and molasses. I do have a fancy-schmancy kitchenaid which makes life easier but I'll post instructions on how to do it otherwise. Either way, start off in a bowl. I add in 2 cups of flour at this point, the other 1 cup of coffee, and I added in the cocoa powder too. Stir with the handle of a wooden spoon until blended and semi-smooth, alternatively kick in your kitchenaid. Once it's smooth, I add in the salt here because it's still watery enough to dissolve easily (I use kosher salt for everything, table salt is fine and you can add it in here or with the last addition of flour. The local supermarket had this Himalayan sea salt which just added incredible flavor to my bread for some reason, as an extra tidbit.) and just add in another two cups of flour.
This is the relative consistency after 2 cups of flour



and after 4 cups added...



It should be a sticky dough at this point in which case put some flour on a flat surface for the dough. Once you have done this, add 1 more cup of flour to it and knead knead knead! Five mins minimum. Again, kicthenaid users just need to let it knead. A soft smooth dough should be the result after a while...



Something like that. Now all you do is put the dough back in the bowl (granted you had it out) and cover with plastic wrap, leave in a warm, draft-free place for an hour. During the winter months, I usually just hide it under the bed covers because it's insulated and the dough's already warm so it'll rise nicely. Today, I just stuck the bowl in the oven without it turned on. If you think about it, it's insulated and draft-free. After an hour the dough should have doubled in size. Take the plastic wrap off and beat that dough down. Re-cover it and let it rest another hour.



I chose not to use a lot of sugar in this recipe and let it rise twice. I normally add 1/4 cup of honey and just let it rise once. The reason why I'm doing this is because I want the flavor of the coffee and chocolate to come out rather than any of the sugars and such. While it's rising a second time, I buttered and floured two pyrex baking dishes, comme ca...



After rising, beat it down again, tear the dough roughly in half and place each half in the dishes. Set your oven to 350F and wait ~30 mins for the dough to rise again. Pop it in the oven and in ~45 mins, you'll have your bread.



Et voila! A savory-ish cocoa coffee bread. Had I included a fat and/or more sugar, this would have made it a sweet bread. I wouldn't mind tweaking about with that should it be requested actually...

Questions? Comments? Answers? Reply and I'll address them the best I can.

[redflags]

I've actually got bread on its first rise right this very minute. Had I seen your post first, I would have used the decaf hazelnut coffee I have sitting here. Great idea, and the bread looks amazing!

[PixieVal]

oh that looks so good! thank you for the step by step, I might actually be able to make bread for once!

[lapoli]

This looks really good!

I have a question about your bread pans. I usually use the cheap aluminum ones, but they don't last long.  Do you like the glass ones?  Does it change the cooking time of the bread at all?

[Belladune]

3 of my favorite things? in one delicious package?!  I like sweet, but not my coffee or my chocolate..... I'm thinking I need to make some of this one day soon!

[brunoise]

This looks really good!

I have a question about your bread pans. I usually use the cheap aluminum ones, but they don't last long.  Do you like the glass ones?  Does it change the cooking time of the bread at all?

Well aluminum will work okay and you'll get a crustier crust because the metal does conduct really well. They may be cheap but they do work. I use pyrex just because I've always used pyrex in baking bread. I'd figure they'd have the same cook time since the ambient heat cooks from the outside in. I think the only difference is in the crust. [and if you want a crustier crustier crust, spray the top of the bread with water]

oh that looks so good! thank you for the step by step, I might actually be able to make bread for once!

Well bread was intimidating at first but once you do it a couple of times it'll be easy. Besides, if its not the bread you'll like, then just take a big wiff of the house when you're baking the bread. It's intoxicating. If you run into any problems, I'd be more than happy to help.

I've actually got bread on its first rise right this very minute. Had I seen your post first, I would have used the decaf hazelnut coffee I have sitting here. Great idea, and the bread looks amazing!

It's pretty decent tasting as well. It has a certain "spiced" taste to it, which I was trying to go for. I think next time some beer/spices may make their way into the mix. Of course I'll post here.

3 of my favorite things? in one delicious package?!  I like sweet, but not my coffee or my chocolate..... I'm thinking I need to make some of this one day soon!

It's not an overwhelming flavor that you get, it's just a subtle nuance of the bread tasting different. I think next time I'd modify the cocoa powder to mimic 'mexican chocolate' (which to my understanding has flavors of nutmeg, cinnamon and some other things). Just something different, something to pique one's mind with. Glad you guys enjoy it.

[uropygid]

this sounds fantastic, because it isn't sweet.  is it bitter at all?
-now I want to try some Guinness biscuits or panbread...

[brunoise]

this sounds fantastic, because it isn't sweet.  is it bitter at all?
-now I want to try some Guinness biscuits or panbread...

Wasn't bitter, but wasn't overly sweet. Just let the yeast develop its flavor and you'll have a pretty good bread. Though if I was to do this again, I would do it differently.