“Why waste calories on something that’s not chocolate” has always been my motto. A close second is warm bread, fresh from the oven. Well, this recipe does it all. What could be more delicious than sourdough bread combined with brownie. Read on and see if you don’t agree.
Natural yeast produces wonderful slow-rise breads that are easy on the stomach, but it may seem like a limited material to the new baker. However, this Whole Wheat Brownie Sourdough Bread proves that sourdough starter can have a sweet side. Moist and rich, this loaf straddles the line between brownie and bread, and since it uses healthy fats like coconut oil, 100% whole grains, and just a little bit of unrefined sugar, this is a dessert you can enjoy knowing that your body will enjoy it along with you.
Whole Wheat Brownie Sourdough Bread
Ingredients–
Dough:
• 7 oz recently fed sourdough starter
• 12 oz water, plus 3 tablespoons water, separate
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup unrefined sugar
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (or grass-fed butter)
• 3 + cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
Filling:
• 3-6 Tbs unrefined sugar (depending on preference)
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbs whole wheat flour
• 1 Tbs vanilla
• 3 Tbs coconut oil or butter
• Boiling water
Time: About 30 minutes active, 6+ hours passive, 1 hour baking
Directions–
In a large bowl, combine the starter, water, salt, sugar and cocoa powder. Swirl with your hand until well combined. Add 2 cups of flour and mix well. Add oil, mixing with your hand, then add the third cup of flour. The dough should hold together well by this point and be slightly glossy and sticky. (If it seems too dry, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all the flour is incorporated.) Knead until it is smooth, then let rest in the bowl for five minutes.
Now comes the most important part of the whole recipe. Keep the dough in the bowl, add a tablespoon of water, and knead for three minutes. Allow another five minute rest, add another tablespoon of water, and knead for three more minutes. The end result should be a pliable dough that yields to your hand, yet can hold its shape in a ball. It may seem like you’re adding too much water at first, but the whole wheat will soak it up as you knead—and the added water will make for wonderful, fudgy bread.
Cover the bowl with a towel, and allow to rise for three hours in a warm place.
In a separate bowl, combine the dry filling ingredients. Add the oil, and mix thoroughly (it’s alright if it seems dry). Add small amounts of boiling water to the mix, stirring well, until it is the consistency of peanut butter. Set aside.
Flour a clean counter top and pat the dough into a circle about half-inch thick. Cut the radius of the circle with a butter knife (your dough should look like a chocolate pac-man). Spread the filling over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1-inch margin around the outer edge and the edges of your cut. Lick the extra filling off the spoon–its delicious. Then, starting from your cut, roll up the dough like a circular cinnamon roll, pinching the edges as you go. With a little shaping, you should have a round ball. Dust the ball liberally with flour.
Line a large bowl with a lint-free cloth. Place the floured dough into the bowl and allow to rise for three more hours in a warm place.
Preheat your oven to 415°F. To bake, you can slide the dough onto a baking stone, or line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper—either way works. Just be sure you score the top of the loaf with a serrated knife before baking to allow the dough to expand.
Bake in the middle rack of your oven until the dough reaches an internal temperature of 190-200° F—roughly an hour.
Let rest 10 minutes before slicing, and enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee and good conversation.
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Andrew and Michelle are the new owners of a 12-acre homestead in rural America. They are just embarking on this journey that is far removed from their city-life upbringing, so they realize that they have a lot to learn in order to succeed in this new place.Come along with them and read more about what they learn as they make this transition at simplelifehomestead.com.