| Pain Noir
Ingredients:
¼ cornmeal
½ boiling water
1/3 cup cold water
1 package (2 ¼ teaspoons) yeast
1 oz (one square) unsweetened chocolate
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup molasses
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
½ cup mashed potatoes
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rye flour
1 ½ cup bread flour
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
1 tablespoon of course salt (Kosher or Sea Salt)
Baking Pans: 1 sheet pan, covered in parchment paper or dusted with cornmeal.
Method:
Bring the water to boil in a small pan or container in the microwave. Measure out the cornmeal into a small bowl. Stir in the boiling water. Stir in the cold water. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and stir to mix completely. Set aside.
In a small pan or a small microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate and butter together. If you are doing this on a stove, use very low heat, it won't take long for this small amount of each to melt. Just keep stirring it until both are completely melted and smooth.
In the microwave, place the butter and the chocolate in the bowl and zap it on high for 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave and stir. Then using 10 second increments repeat until the chocolate and the butter are smooth.
In your large mixing bowl or the mixing bowl of your stand mixer, combine the cornmeal mixture and the chocolate mixture. Be sure to use a spatula to get every bit. Add the molasses, salt, caraway seeds, and mashed potatoes. Using the flat paddle attachment or a sturdy wooden spoon mix the various ingredients for three minutes; until smooth. You will want to stop half way through and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the whole wheat flour and stir vigorously for two more minutes.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand, at room temperature for 1 hour. This is allows the dough to ferment and provides a lot of the flavor.
Remove the plastic wrap and stir in the rye flour. Add 1 cup of the bread flour can keep stirring until it forms a shaggy mass. If you are going to knead this by hand, scatter ¼ cup of the remaining bread flour on your work surface. Turn the dough out onto the flour. Using your newly acquired dough scraper, lift one side of the dough and fold it over the middle. Then turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat. It is going to be messy, you are going to use your hands when you don't want to and it is going to stick to your hands. Don't Panic! You are doing just find.
The dough is going to absorb the flour pretty quickly. When it does you can use the remaining ¼ cup in liberal sprinkles to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface. Knead for 8 minutes.
If you are using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to stir in the 1 cup of flour. Then switch to the dough hook. Set it running a medium low stetting. Add the remaining ½ cup of flour in liberal sprinkles. The dough will eventually clean the sides of the bowl and revolve around the dough hook. Knead for 8 minutes.
Place the dough in a large greased bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside to rise until it has doubled in volume, about an hour and 15 minutes.
Turn back the plastic and punch down the dough. Cover the bowl and let it stand for another 15 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and form into a ball. Place it on your prepared sheet pan and cover with wax paper. Allow to rise until it has doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.
Twenty minutes before baking, set a rack in the middle position of your oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
When the oven is ready remove the wax paper and brush the loaf with the egg wash. Sprinkle the salt over the top of the loaf. Slip the pan into the hot oven and bake for 10 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350 and bake for another 35 minutes.
The loaf should be dark brown, almost black, and should yield a hard hollow sound when thumped on the bottom. If it does not sound hollow, return the loaf to the oven for up to 10 more minutes.
Remove the loaf from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack. Now you have great multigrain bread. A little sweet, a little salty, and hardy as the day is long. It makes great toast and is, of course, just the bee's knees for sandwiches.
Next week is my 15 wedding anniversary, so I am making Tiramisu for my bride of 15 years. It is not bread, but what the hell it is still baking. Come on by and find out how to make this incredible dessert!
The flour is yours! |
