Chocolate Pistachio Bread

In my opinion, the key to a great tasting bread that provides depth of flavor is contrast. That is not to say that any two opposing flavors will create good bread, but balance is essential to create taste riddled with mystery. The aim of this bread was precisely that - to compliment the mild sourdough flavors with the salty tang of pistachios and bitterness of dark chocolate.



They key ingredient here is 4 ounces of grain (9 parts pale malt, 1 part chocolate and 1 part caramel) left over from the beer I am brewing. The grain had a wonderfully chocolate aroma. After it was finished steeping, I left it out to ripen overnight. The addition of honey is important as well. It goes a long way in bridging the gap between the flavors and adding a fantastic subtly to the entire loaf.

8 ounces sourdough starter
4 ounces leftover grains
1 ounce honey
1 ounce powdered milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp yeast
12 ounces bread flour
about 1/2 cup buttermilk

plus about a quarter cup pistachios ground finely and a half cup of diced chocolate

I kneaded for 3 minutes, rested for about 45 and then kneaded for another 3. During the second knead, I finished by hand, folding in the finely diced chocolate and ground pistachios.

I baked it on a stone at 420, steamed a few times and then lowered to 380 for about 35 minutes.




The result was possibly my favorite loaf to date. The crust, while thin, remained crisp and beautifully brown, littered with specs of chocolate. The crumb was incredibly moist and very creamy. The sourdough flavor is present, but certainly complicated by a hint of honey and the scattered pistachios and chocolate. The grains add a fantastic crunch to every bite, yet still remains smooth and soft.

This loaf has some serious balance, allowing each flavor - sharp sourness of the dough, salty tang of the pistachios, mild honey and creamy milkiness, crunchy grains and of course, bitter chocolate - to tantalize you without giving away the show.

While I have a lot of blueberry jam waiting around to be used, I think that this loaf may best be enjoyed alone, with a little sea salted butter.