My Second Loaf: Chocolate Coconut

So now that it's been established that I love baking bread, I ventured into Lahey's book and decided to try the chocolate coconut bread for my second loaf.

There are so many possibilities and combinations when using Lahey's "no knead" method. It's a very slow rise and requires little work except time.

For this beauty, I grated chocolate chunks and used a good unsweetened natural coconut in the mix.



I reduced Lahey's cooking time by a whole 15 minutes, because my bread was starting to burn. I used the same method as the fig walnut bread and lined the Le Creuset with parchment paper (my best friend, besides puff pastry) for a guaranteed lift out.

This bread came out moist and delicious with streaks of chocolate running thru, the coconut was not assertive, just enough to give a nice texture and aroma. The outside had a beautiful crust and a moist, chewy inside. This was much like a pain du chocolat, though more of an Italian style loaf.

LOVED.



Jim Lahey's Chocolate Coconut Bread (from the book
My Bread)
makes one 8" round loaf

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons bread flour
2 cups loosely packed unsweetened large-flake coconut
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon instant or other active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups cool water

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, half of the coconut, the chocolate, salt, and yeast.
Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix until you have a wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds. (I did this at 8 a.m. Saturday morning).

Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the surface is puffy and the dough is more than doubled in size, 18-24 hours (the longer it sits, the better).

When the first rise is complete, generously dust a work surface with bran or flour.
Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl in one piece.
Using lightly floured hands or a bowl scraper or spatula, lift the edges of the dough in toward the center.

Nudge and tuck in the edges of the dough to make it round. Place a tea towel on your work surface, generously dust it with wheat bran or flour, and sprinkle it with 1/2 cup of the remaining coconut.

Gently place the dough on the towel, seam side down. Lightly sprinkle the surface with the remaining 1/2 cup coconut.
Fold the ends of the tea towel loosely over the dough to cover it and place it in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for 2-3 hours.

The dough is ready when it is almost doubled and feels like a water balloon.
If you gently poke it with your finger, it should hold the impression. If it springs back, let it rise for another 15 minutes.

Half an hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F, with a rack in the lower third, and place a covered 4 1/2 - to 5 1/2 -quart heavy pot (Le Creuset Dutch oven works great) in the center of the rack.

Lay your big ball of goodness onto a piece of parchment paper, big enough to fit into the pot.

Using pot holders, carefully remove the preheated pot from the oven and uncover it. Unfold the tea towel and quickly place the parchment parcel into the oven.
Cover the pot and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the lid and continue baking until the bread is a deep chestnut color but not burnt, 10-15 more minutes.

Use a heatproof spatula or pot holders to carefully lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool thoroughly.



I let mine sit about 30 minutes, or until I couldn't take it anymore........I needed to slice into this baby.



SO FREAKIN' GOOD!

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