Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons rapid rise yeast
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/4-1/2 cup more
- 3/4 Whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
Preparation
Step 1
Grease a large bowl and set aside.
Step 1: In a small bowl, combine warm water, yeast and sugar. Set aside to proof for 8 minutes.
Step 2: In the bowl of a stand-mixer, add remaining ingredients. Once yeast begins to bubble (about 8 minutes), add to the flour mixture. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed until mixture comes together into a sticky dough.
Step 3: Turn dough out on to a well floured surface (start with about 1/4 cup AP flour). Knead gently. Add more flour as necessary to form a very soft, but not sticky dough (just a minute or two). Transfer dough to the greased bowl. Flip over so that top of dough is now greased. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place for 1 hour. Dough will double in size.
Step 4: Transfer dough to a greased loaf pan (ceramic or glass is preferable since metal has a tendency to brown the high-sugar content dough too quickly). Cover with a clean dish towel and set aside in a warm place for 45 minutes.
Step 5: Bake on the center rack of a 350°F for 35 minutes. Remove from pan, then bake for 10 minutes more on the open rack or on a baking stone. Remove and let cool for 30 minutes.
I always have a hard time waiting for the bread to cool. I want to dive in right away. However, I've learned that the texture of the bread and even the flavor are much better once the bread has had a chance to cool and rest. Enjoy with plenty of sweet cream butter!