Categories: Bread

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 Tbsp. butter, softened
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 cups bread flour
• 2 cups wheat flour
• 1 Tbsp. cocoa
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. instant coffee
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 1/4 tsp. yeast (1 pkg.)
• 1/4 cup water ( if dough feels too sticky, I leave this off)
• 75 drops red food coloring (1/2 +1/8 tsp.)
• 45 drops blue food coloring (1/4 +1/8 tsp.)
• 30 drops yellow food coloring (1/4 tsp.)
• Cornmeal for dusting

Directions

1. . If using a bread machine, add all of the ingredients for the dough in the exact order listed into the pan of your machine. Set it on “knead” and when the machine begins to mix the dough, combine the food coloring with the 1/4 cup of water and drizzle it into the mixture as it combines. After the dough is created, let it rest to rise for and hour or so. Then remove it from the pan and go to step #3.

2. If you are not using a bread machine, combine the flours, cocoa, sugar, coffee and salt in large bowl. make a depression or “well” in the middle of the dry mixture. Pour the warm water into this “well,” then add the butter, honey and yeast. Combine the food coloring drops with 1/4 cup of water and add that to the “well”. Slowly mix the ingredients with a spoon, drawing the dry ingredients into the wet. When you can handle the dough, begin to combine it by hand, kneading the dough thoroughly for at least 10 minutes, until it is very smooth and has a consistent color. Set the dough into a covered bowl in a warm place for an hour, to allow it to rise.

3. When the dough has risen to about double in size, punch it down and divide it into 8 even portions (divide dough in half, divide those halves in half, and then once more.) Form the portions into tubular shaped loaves about 8 inches long and 2 inches wide. Sprinkle the entire surface of the leaves with cornmeal and place them on a cookie sheet or two. Cover the cookie sheet(s) with plastic wrap and let the dough rise once more for another hour in a warm location.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Uncover the dough and bake it for 20-24 minutes in the hot oven. Loaves should begin to darken slightly on top when done. Serve warm with a sharp bread knife and butter on the side. If you want whipped butter, like you get at the restaurant, just use an electric mixer on high speed to whip some butter until it’s fluffy.

5. I suppose you could leave off he food color without affecting the flavor of the bread, but it would not look as good.

6. If you prefer, you can put the loaves in small loaf pans to rise and bake, or make them into round loaves and bake on the cookie sheets.

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