Chocolate Croissant Sourdough Bread

Source: https://amybakesbread.com/chocolate-croissant-sourdough-bread/

SCHEDULE Day 1 – Mix levain: 8:00 PM–8:00 AM mix the levain, let sit at 78°F about 10-12 hours until doubled/bubbly and ripe. Day 2 – Bloom cocoa, mix dough, bulk fermentation, shaping, cold fermentation: 8:00 AM mix dough and begin bulk fermentation. 8:30 AM stretch and fold #1. 9:00 AM #2 add half butter. 9:30 AM #3 add half butter. 10:00 AM #4 add chocolate chips. 10:00 AM-5:00 PM bulk fermentation continued (70-72ºF). 5:00 PM pre-shape. 5:30 PM shape and begin cold fermentation. Day 3 – Score and bake: 9:00 AM preheat the Dutch oven. 9:20 AM score and bake.

LEVAIN (1:10:10 ratio, 10-12 hours peak at 78-80ºF)

1. Mix ripe/active sourdough starter with all-purpose or bread flour and water. Cover loosely and let sit 10-12 hours at 78-80°F until doubled, bubbly and peaked. (Equal weight of ripe active starter can substitute.)

CHOCOLATE CROISSANT SOURDOUGH BREAD 2. Bloom cocoa powder: shortly before mixing, warm the coconut oil and cocoa powder together on the stove or in the microwave. Let cool completely before using. 3. Mix dough: in a large bowl mix ripe levain, sugar, water, the cocoa mixture, salt and bread flour until a wet, sticky, fully combined dough forms. Cover, rest 30 minutes. Keep dough at 70-72ºF. 4. Stretch and folds: over the next 1½ hours perform stretch and folds to strengthen the dough, adding cold butter along the way (wet hand, pull dough up and over, quarter-turn, four times; ~30 minutes between sets). 5. Fold #1: after 30 minutes, first set. Cover, rest 30 minutes. 6. Fold #2: grate the cold butter, put half on top and refrigerate the rest; fold in. Cover, rest 30 minutes. 7. Fold #3: add the rest of the butter, fold again. Cover, rest 30 minutes. 8. Fold #4: add the chocolate chips on top and fold them in; dough should feel cohesive and strong (add more folds if loose). 9. Rest: cover and rise 6-7 more hours at 70-72ºF (faster if warmer). Ready to shape when risen about 60-70%, jiggly, with scattered bubbles. 10. Pre-shape: tip the dough onto a clean counter, gently. With wet hands and a bench knife, tuck the dough under itself in a circle to build tension into a ball. 11. Bench rest: let rest uncovered about 30 minutes at room temperature to relax the gluten. 12. Shape: prepare a bowl or banneton lined with a towel or hair net, well floured. Flour the top of the dough, flip it floured-side down onto the counter, then pull the dough sideways and fold up to the top going around 90º at a time, increasing tension. Gather into a round and place in the lined bowl. 13. Cold fermentation: cover with a towel/shower cap/plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or 12-18 hours. (Same-day option: rise 2-3 hours until puffed, then chill 1-2 hours or freeze 15-20 minutes before baking.) 14. Preheat: put a Dutch oven (with lid) in the oven and preheat to 450°F for 20 minutes. Pull the loaf from the fridge, place parchment on top, flip so it sits on the parchment, and remove the bowl and towel. 15. Scoring: with a sharp knife or lame, score the cold dough at a shallow ~30º angle about 1 inch deep. 16. Baking: carefully place the bread (with parchment) into the hot Dutch oven, cover, and bake at 450ºF for 30 minutes. Remove the lid, reduce to 400ºF and bake 20 more minutes until baked through (195-200ºF internal). Cool on a rack. Tip: a layer of rice under the parchment helps prevent the crust burning; adjust for your oven; some butter may leak, so use parchment.

NOTES Temperature: very sensitive—keep butter flaky and dough warm enough to rise; 70-72ºF best, never above 75ºF; use the fridge to cool if needed. Levain: equal weights of ripe active starter can substitute. Butter: unsalted or salted, American or European; a little leaks—use parchment and a Dutch oven. Chocolate chips: milk chocolate preferred, but any chocolate works. Coconut oil: any neutral oil can substitute. An autolyse/fermentolyse and vigorous mixing would increase dough strength but were omitted to keep the recipe approachable. Nutrition: Calories 251kcal, Carbohydrates 36g, Protein 5g, Fat 10g, Saturated Fat 6g, Cholesterol 15mg, Sodium 245mg, Fiber 1g, Sugar 8g.