Choco Pan de Coco features prominently in Bryan Ford’s New World Sourdough. If you let flour and water sit long enough, it will ferment and adds complexity and texture to any bread. That’s the very essence of making sourdough bread. Going a step further, Bryan Ford takes us back to the coast of Honduras abundant with coconuts (the meat, the juice) and his roots. It’s a journey bringing the emotional ties from the old world to artisan baking in the new world. Meanwhile, he helps us bake without judgement and expectations, and cultivate the craft of breadmaking in the light of a creative mindset.
I like the idea of an expanded aperture in the process of making sourdough bread. What excites me about the choco pan de coco are some of the less frequently used ingredients: shredded coconut, coconut milk and cocoa powder.
Enriched sourdough breads like the choco pan de coco can be very appealing. Not so much as a daily bread, but as a treat throughout the day. The addition of coconut milk adds a smoother texture as compared to that of rustic breads. Furthermore, the bittersweet chocolate and cocoa powder impart a touch of sweetness which I find winsome. Baking and tearing up the rolls in a loaf pan is fun — for eating and sharing. My family gobbles up the bread with a berry purée (leftover from the stripe cake) in no time.
There is a whole charter of enriched breads in the book I can’t wait to explore further. Especially, I’m interested to bake some pecan praline monkey bread and the Cuban muffins from the book. Stay tuned.
Choco Pan de Coco
Ingredients
- FOR THE LEVAIN:
- 2 ounces/60 grams mature sourdough starter
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons/120 grams bread flour
- ½ cup/110 milliliters warm water
- FOR THE FINAL DOUGH:
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons/200 milliliters canned coconut milk
- 7 ounces/200 grams levain (about 1 generous cup)
- 1 ¾ cups/225 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 ⅔ cups/225 grams bread flour
- 1 ⅔ cups/125 grams unsweetened shredded coconut
- Scant 1/3 cup/50 grams bittersweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup/25 grams Dutch process cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons/30 grams softened unsalted butter or coconut oil, plus 1 tablespoon for greasing the pan
- 2 tablespoons/30 grams light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons/10 grams kosher salt
Instructions
Build the levain: In a large bowl, mix the mature sourdough starter, flour and warm water until incorporated. Cover, and leave in a warm place for 3 to 4 hours, or until doubled in size. Use immediately, by going to Step 2, or refrigerate to use the next day.
Prepare the final dough: Combine the coconut milk and with a scant 1/2 cup/100 milliliters water, and warm gently in a pan over low heat or in the microwave until steaming. Transfer to a large bowl, and add 7 ounces/200 grams of levain, along with all the remaining dough ingredients. Using your hands, squeeze everything together. Turn out onto a clean work surface, and knead, using the palm of your hand to push the dough forward and your fingers to pull it back. Repeat until the dough is mostly smooth. Cover, and let ferment for 4 hours, then refrigerate for 12 hours.
Coat a loaf tin with 1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter, and set aside. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface, divide into 6 pieces, and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Flatten the dough, fold the corners to the center and press down, then flip the dough to reveal a smooth surface, and tighten the dough into a ball by tucking the edges in with your palms.
Repeat with the remaining pieces, then place the pieces inside the tin, arranging in 2 rows of 3. Cover, and proof until dough rises by about a third, for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature.
To bake the bread, heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 35 minutes, or until lightly brown and shiny on top, turning the pan once in the middle of cooking. Remove from the oven, let the bread rest in the hot pan for 20 minutes, then remove from the pan, and let cool for another 20 minutes.
Notes
Adapted from: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021315-choco-pan-de-coco?
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