I’m venturing into the wild wonderful world of bread making. I have a basic recipe for a sweet yeast dough, and I want to add extras (chocolate chips, raisins, etc). When in the process do I add these? Before I let it rise the first time? After punching down for a second rise (this is my instinct)?, just before baking? Another time?
just before kneading, I would think. Otherwise you will have a hard time distributing them evenly through the dough.
Raisins and things like that can be added to the dry ingredients before first mixing; chocolate chips I would be inclined to add as late as possible - after knocking back the last time, otherwise they will melt during proving and be no more than a faint stain in the dough after you knead it. You can get them fairly well distributed through the loaf by rolling the dough out flat, sprinkling them over the top, then rolling it up like a swiss roll.
Of course there’s no reason why you can’t add fruit at the end like that too; I make a stollen-esque christmas loaf by flattening a sweet bread dough and rolling it up with lots of (soaked) dried fruit, sugar and spices.
just before kneading :eek:
chocolate chip bread becomes chocolate bread :smack:
I always add after kneading, usually before the lfinal rise.
Do you knead the chips back in, or just roll it up and cut it into roll sized chunks without mixing more? I’m planning cinnamon chip and chocolate chip large roll sized bread chunks.
I can’t start the bread until tomorrow, so I’m trying to work out the theory before I get the dough all ready for the oven. I plan on making lots of mistakes (hopefully tasty mistakes) before perfection.
When I make bread, I put raisins in when shaping the loaves.
After the first rising, punch the dough down, separate into the number of loaves. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes. Take one piece, and roll it flat. Be sure this action pushes out any large bubbles.
At that point, if I’m making raisin bread, I sprinkle first sugar, then cinnamon, then the raisins. Then more cinnamon, then more sugar. Then roll up the dough. Pinch the end into the loaf, and place seam side down in the loaf pan, with the ends touching the ends of the pan. Repeat as needed, obviously, for the other piece(s).
Allow to rise for a second time, then bake. The raisins come out in a spiral pattern in each slice.
The Joy of Cooking has good step-by-step instructions on breadmaking.
Ooh, I didn’t think to check the Joy of Cooking. Thanks!
All due respect, dude, but if you don’t know what you’re talking about, “I would think” you should withhold the advice.
My experience is that when you put that kind of thing in when there’s still kneading to do, it gets all smeared and yucky, plus the raisins pop out of the dough while you’re kneading. Kneading is a pretty violent process; anything in the way is gonna get pretty pummeled.
Me, I put raisins in, like MLS does, when I’m shaping the loaves. I roll the dough thin and flat, distribute the chunky bits, and roll up to form the loaf. When you slice your loaf, you get a spiral of decently distributed chunky bits.
Now, wet stuff–potato bread; squash bread (like potato bread, only sweeter and oranger; my own invention)–I add with the liquids, in Step 1. But raisins, pine nuts, sundried tomatoes, apricots, pepitas, etc.–they all get added after all kneading is done.
I made my rolls, twice now. First time I didn’t use enough chocolate and cinnamon chips, so they were good but not spectacular.
Second time, I used a LOT of chips (added when forming rolls) allowed to rise again and baked. Delicious!
Thanks for the advice.