Yeasted Chocolate Bread

       Some of you know that I was misdiagnosed with Celiacs the week before I left for college. I moved out to Colorado (thankfully the land of people wanting to convert every recipe to gluten free) and started to re-learn food. There were weeks at the beginning I ate a lot of corn tortillas-some of those weeks were because I didn't exactly know everything I could eat, and some of those weeks were because I was to poor to afford ridiculously expensive gluten free bread.

       I was not much of a cook before this time, but due to a series of events in my life, I started to enter the kitchen more. Being gluten free was a big factor. I did not want to go the rest of my life without eating a delicious x, y, or z. (Let's be honest, most gluten free things at the store are less than stellar.) So my task began, and I simultaneously began my journey to trying to learn gluten free and high-altitude baking. In all honesty, it was fun and I'll probably share some of what I learned with you guys another time. However, this is my post in praise of gluten. After about 3 1/2 strict, no slip up, gluten free years, it was discovered that I did not have Celiacs. I went out for a sandwich with crusty, multigrain bread and an almond croissant, and nearly cried with happiness.

        Getting to eat gluten again has been one of the most wonderful discoveries of my life. I still eat things I had not had in years and it is so exciting. I will never, ever, take advantage of the ability to bake and taste test my gluten-filled things because its freaking awesome, and to be honest it gives you a lot more range. There are some things that just cannot be duplicated (phyllo dough, croissants, ect.) gluten free. Getting to eat it and bake with it is a blessing and not something I will ever take for granted.

        I have to tell you guys, two of my favorite things in the world are Bread and Beer. (Yes, capitalized because they are truly almighty food for me!) Yes, I know they make gluten free beer and bread, but it is just not the same. 

        This bread is an ode of my appreciation to being free to be able to eat whatever I would like. It is yeasted, fluffy, and delicious. It is packed with an extremely rich chocolate flavor from Dutch processed cocoa powder, semisweet chocolate chips, and chopped bittersweet chocolate. It is sweet, and decadently creamy to the point where it is like you are almost eating warm ice cream because it seems to simply melt in your mouth. You can put a spot of butter on your piece, but seriously, even on its own-simple, sliced thick, warm out of the oven, this bread is heaven. The soft dough center is like a gentle chocolate pillow and the varieties of chocolate strewed within add a complexity and a serious depth of flavor. This is unlike any bread I have ever had, and it definitely deserves the title of an ode of my appreciation.

Adapted from "Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook" by Cheryl and Griffith Day

Makes one 10x4 inch loaf (you can use a 9x5)

2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/4 C Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/3 C granulated sugar
1 1/4 TSP active-dry yeast
1-11/4 C warm water
6 TBSP unsalted butter, cubed, room temperature
1 TSP fine salt
1/2 C semisweet chips
1/2 C chopped bittersweet chocolate
Granulated sugar for sprinkling
1 TBSP whole milk 
A dash of vanilla extract

Ingredient notes: This loaf is absolutely lovely as is. However, if you wanted to mix it up some, I think the zest of an orange, a TBSP of a hazelnut or raspberry liqueur, a TSP of a fun extract or 1/2 C of nuts would all be wonderful!

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook attachment, combine the flour, cocoa powder, 1/3 sugar, and yeast. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add in the water to the mixture. (Yours may only take the 1 C so start with that, at altitude it will likely take more. Add the last 1/4 C only if necessary and only as much as is needed to wet the flour mixture). Mix for 3 minutes. Turn off the mixer and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.
2. After 20 minutes, add the cubed butter and salt and mix on medium speed until the dough comes together and the sides of the bowl are clean (about 5 minutes) and the dough has developed a sheen appearance. It is sticky and you may need to scrape off the sides once or twice to help it incorporate everything.
3. Turn the speed back down to low and add the chocolate chips, kneading for 1-2 minutes until the chips are distributed. 
4. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, form it into a round loaf and place it into an mixing bowl coated in a vegetable or canola oil, seem side down. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm spot for 1 1/2-2 hours, until it has doubled in size.
5. Get out your loaf pan and sprinkle the bottom a small amount of granulated sugar. Next, turn the dough back out onto a floured surface and form in into an 8x6 loaf. With the long side towards you, roll it into a cylinder and place it into the loaf pan, seem side down. Loosely cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and allow it to double in size again (about 1 1/2 hours). 
    * I placed mine covered in the fridge over night for a slow rise. The next morning I took it out while the oven preheated and allowed it to rise for about 30-40 minutes at room temperature. This is a great option if you do not have time to do it all in one day or what the bread warm in the morning). 
6. After about 1 hour into the second rise, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 350F. After the dough has finished rising, remove the plastic wrap. Combine the milk and vanilla extract in a small bowl and stir together. Brush the vanilla milk over the bread and then sprinkle the top with a touch of granulated sugar. 
7. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes and then allow the bread to cool on a rack for 30 minutes before inverting. Slice and enjoy some warm! It will last about 3 days, wrapped up. It makes great toast as well :)

Yay, Gluten! Yay, Bread!

Love,
   Boulder Butter

Bourbon Caramel Brownies

     I already went on a pretty long rampage in my last post about my sudden desires for bars, particularly brownies. Although I got slightly sidetracked by some totally worth it blondies, I had to return to my original intentions. I will not talk to much in this post, because I realized as I cut these in squares a few hours ago just how tantalizingly sexy a brownie can be. So I think instead, I will just let the photos help you ponder what I mean by that...

Maybe it is the smell of butter, burnt sugar and bourbon that fills your kitchen as they bake.

Maybe it is the thick, dark chocolaty color they contain.

Maybe it is their fudgy, sticky quality.

Or just maybe it is the crunchy, sweet and salty notes the walnuts add from candying in the caramel.

I don't know what it is exactly, but these are sexy brownies.

Notes: If you don't want to use bourbon, substitute 1/4 C heavy cream for the bourbon. However, since the bourbon is balanced with the butter, it is not too strong and rather takes on a buttery caramel flavor with notes of bourbon. It is not overwhelming. For cocoa powder I did a mix of 3/4 C natural (un-alkalized) and 2 TBSP super alkalized (called Black Onyx from Savory Spice Shop in Denver). The cocoa powder is flexible though, so you can use all Dutch processed, all natural, or some combo of the too if you would like. 

Brownie base is from Alice Medrich's BitterSweet, "Best Cocoa Brownies." Found on Epicurious. 

Caramel/Topping:

1/2 C sugar

2 TBSP water

4 TBSP unsalted butter

1/4 C bourbon* (see notes)

1/4 TSP salt

1/2 C Walnuts 

Brownies:

10 TBSP unsalted butter

1 1/4 C sugar

3/4 C + 2 TBSP cocoa powder* see notes

1/4 TSP salt

1/2 TSP vanilla extract 

2 cold eggs

1/2 C all-purpose flour

For the caramel:

1. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water, turn onto medium heat and allow the sugar to liquefy and brown to a copper color (for more caramel making details go to Bananas Foster Cake)

2. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in 4 TBSP of diced butter, until it melts. Next add the 1/4 C of bourbon and salt, continue to stir, and then return the pan to heat. 

3. The mixture will seize into a ball. Continue to stir until the clumps have undone them selves and the caramel has darkened just a smidge. 

4.Pour the caramel onto a silicon mat or piece of parchment paper over a plate and place it in the freezer to harden.

For the Brownies:

1. Preheat the oven to 325F and line with aluminum and grease an 8x8 pan. 

2. In a heatproof bowl, combine the butter, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Place the bowl over a small saucepan with an inch of simmering water. Stir the mixture periodically until the butter has melted and the ingredients have mixed together.

3. Remove the cocoa mixture from heat and let it cool. 

4. When it is warm (no longer hot), stir in the vanilla extract, followed by the eggs, one at a time they have completely combined. Add in the flour and stir until that is completely combined as well.

5. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan.

Assembly:

1. Remove the caramel from the freezer and cut it into small squares. Remove the squares and scatter them over the top of the brownies.

2. Chop the nuts into smallish pieces and scatter them on top of the caramel.

3. Bake in the oven at 325 for 25-30 minutes until the brownies have cooked through (you can use a knife to check). The caramel on top will look melted and soft, so look past that. It will harden as it cools.

4. Allow to cool in the pan for 20-30 minutes before removing. Allow to cool for 10 more minutes before slicing. They are delicious served with a glass of milk or vanilla ice cream :)

Love,

    Boulder Butter