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Well, reading Shiao-Ping's recipe and excellent wee blog on chocolate sourdough had me drooling like my grandma eating an ice scream without her falsers I had to attempt in and couldnt wait till i had it all 100%.
Started the first build with 61g starter.....what ? 75% hydration. !!! ...........what the heck, I have to do this now as my starter is at that full growth stage so lets just use my 100% hydration......surely it cant make that much difference.......can it ?
Second Build next morning, now i can use a 75% hydration formula to make this !......What mix and only leave for 2 hours.......oh dear this is all alien to me, will my starter even do anything in two hours
Final dough now its getting close to getting to grips with chocolate sourdough............what everything in the bowl except chocolate chips bring together and AUTOLYSE !!!!!..........oh dear ive never done an autolyse with the salt already in
Just waiting for 30 mins dough looks and smells good here is a picture..............to be continued the buzzer is going Autolyse Done !!!
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Phew !!!! Now its time to add the choc chips 250g.......oh dear !!! i only have 200g in total and its made up with some white chips.............surely that wont make a difference, will it ???
Spread the chips on your counter and place dough on top, then top with more chips...........ok that sounds easy enough........now fold dough in on it's self and pinch sides.
lift back into your bowl and S and F .......................what !!!!.............10 - 20 times !!! ....... Oh dear ! I could only managed to do about seven S & F's as dough getting very tight and actually looking quite smooth and shinny .............Will not doing enough make that much difference ?
The recipe says dough should only look smooth after next lot of stretch and folds.
OK ! first stretch and folds done, now rest 45 mins.............I did take loads more pictures at this stage but just noticed I can't upload anymore.................to be continued
In the second S & F I managed to do two, one either side, the dough was so tight I couldn’t stretch it without tearing it.![](https://sourdough.com/sites/all/libraries/fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/msn/confused_smile.gif)
The 3rd stretch and fold was a much better I was able to get a great elastic stretch and managed 4 folds either side, dough felt really good. I Just want to add at this point that the recipe had stipulated that the timing was crucial, I had to time the four hour bulk fermentation perfectly from the second the mix came together. All will revealed soon why I mention the crucial timing.
After another 45mins and I was ready to shape, the picture I took now shows how good the dough is looking. I will post a series of pictures to my album……………..oh no Grrrrrrr !!!
time to shape and the door goes and it’s the BT Engineer come to fix my problem broadband, do I send him away so as not to spoil my beloved chocolate sourdoughs perfect timing or should he come in and fix my problem broadband. ![](https://sourdough.com/sites/all/libraries/fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/msn/devil_smile.gif)
40 minutes later I’ve made the obligatory cup of coffee explained the problems and finally got back in the kitchen. I am now well over the bulk fermentation times………….oh dear is this going to make a difference
Shaping the dough was very easy the dough was great to handle and seemed perfect however I've just noticed that the recipe stipulates to try to stick to the "right side" of the dough always being at the bottom……………oh dear !!! I've turned it always while stretching folding and shaping........what is the right side ?…….will this make a difference ??
I now have 4 x 560g boules which I have place on a home made couche thing. The dough now sits at room temperature for two hours then goes in the fridge overnight for baking in the morning………………to be continued
I am going to put up some pics in my album, although the dough did felt and looked great I have a sneaking suspicion the bake isn’t going to be good. Tomorrow will tell.![](https://sourdough.com/sites/all/libraries/fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/msn/wink_smile.gif)
Haha, oh the worries!!!
I have made that bread, twice now. The pictures of it had me drooling like crazy as well! The second time I didn't add the chocolate chips in, but melted some in a little butter to spread over my slices after they had baked and cooled.
The right side is simply the side that is on the bottom of your bowl, as opposed to the seam side, or, the side that will have the seam after you shape it. I find it gets more confusing after I've divided the mass of dough into four balls, but I think the more important thing is to have the seam side up when it is in the couche. We'll see. I'm still a novice. Keep us updated!
Thanks everyones experiences and procedures all are being, digested , computed, and regurgitated.![](https://sourdough.com/sites/all/libraries/fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/msn/wink_smile.gif)
Love this site and how everyone wants to help![](https://sourdough.com/sites/all/libraries/fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/msn/teeth_smile.gif)
Couldn't wait to get up this morning, get that oven cranked up and get the kitchen smelling of cooking chocolate bread.![](https://sourdough.com/sites/all/libraries/fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/msn/regular_smile.gif)
Turned on the oven and while waiting for it to heat I took my rye pre-ferment, made last night, and started to add a final mix of ingredients for a plain bread .
It's 7.40am and i can relax without fears of getting interrupted as kids off to work and collage. THEN........... Just got to the part prior to autolyse stage where your mixture has stuck to your hands like window putty and its not at the stage where it comes off easily...............Grrrrr !!!! the door again AT THIS TIME IN THE MORNING !!! those kids ordering clothes and shoes from the intermet me thinks![](https://sourdough.com/sites/all/libraries/fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/msn/confused_smile.gif)
Trying to turn handles with arms and elbows in the position of a top surgeon is rather difficult, how will I sign for this with dough covered fingers. Ah Ha !! its not a delivery its my sister in law......."saw your light on and though i would pop in for a coffee"
Getting that bean to coffee machine seems to have upped my number of "pop in " visitors, there was no mention of that in the manual. .![](https://sourdough.com/sites/all/libraries/fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/msn/omg_smile.gif)
Plain bread Autolyzing, coffee made, oven ready while chatting its now time to take the Chocolate sourdough out the fridge, open up the couche..........Mmmmmm smells great but dough doesn't seem to have risen a great deal. I new these loaf were going to fail.![](https://sourdough.com/sites/all/libraries/fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/msn/sad_smile.gif)
Into the oven they go and............ooops I've cranked the oven up to normal bread baking heights 250 and chocolate dough should be 190........oh well will the first five mins at 250 make a difference to the end bake ?![](https://sourdough.com/sites/all/libraries/fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/msn/omg_smile.gif)
After 35 minutes of trying to chat, making more coffee, getting on my knees and peering through the oven glass, turning the oven up and down, eventually the room is filled with the glorious smell of chocolate. Its now time to take them out the oven. The bottom looked wet and gooey but when tapped they sounded ready, they didn't have a great oven spring but the have risen by another half. I took them out, left them to cool and was now ready for more coffee and a chat..............oopps !!!!! first stretch and fold overdue on my plain bread. Patiently strumming my fingers waiting to cut into Chocolate Sourdough..................to be continued![](https://sourdough.com/sites/all/libraries/fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/msn/regular_smile.gif)
Well cooling time was taking too long so I had to cut a loaf open while it was still warm
.............I know you're not supposed to.
.......... inside looked great if a little wettish looking from cutting while still hot and the smell amazing however it certainly wont win the award for getting great holes in your bread. It tasted fabulous. The crumb was soft the crust was crunchy, actually the loaves were a bit over fired. This seems to be my usual problem, i think i have a turbo fan assisted oven. The white choc chunks had disintegrated and left no trace behind, the dark choc chips stayed in tack.
All in all I am very pleased with the outcome, it can only get better in my next try. One loaf has gone already just between my Hubby, sister in Law and myself so I suppose the loaf was ok
. I did forget to flour the top of the loaves so they are not the prettiest. I have added a picture to my album.
I would recommend the recipe to everyone and want to thank Shiao-Ping for this recipe and all the fabulous information she imparts. Her skill and talents are immense.![](https://sourdough.com/sites/all/libraries/fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/msn/teeth_smile.gif)