Wholewheat Chocolate Chip Bread with water roux method

Wholewheat chocolate chip bread with water roux method
 


Its going to be six months since my little one started playschool. He enjoys school and I enjoy the small hours that I get for myself. But its not such a ideal situation for real. He finds it real hard to get up in time for school and we wallow in pity and find it hard to wake up such a tiny soul for the rigours of school.Then he takes his time to finish his milk and if the breakfast of the day at home catches his fancy, he doesn’t mind a bite or two. Consequently not only he gets very late to school , his hunger pangs do not follow the school's schedule. So in spite of the fact that his school dishes out scrumptious meals, I have to pack him a small lunch box. And believe me its quite mind boggling to pack a lunch box for an almost three year old. Anything chewy like a nut or a fruit lands in his mouth along with the bite of a parantha or muffin, the whole thing will promptly land in the mud.
Thank God there is chocolate to the rescue.

The basic recipe here is of a hokkaido milk loaf, very soft with a hint of sweetness and all the goodness of wholemilk. I also like to add an egg for the texture and protein but you can totally skip that and replace with half a tablespoon of cream. I will be very honest that if you don’t have a kitchen aid then kneading this dough will give you serious pain in the arms..... that can be cured in an instant with a slice of this warm piece of heaven dotted with chocolate. 
I have made this a number of times, trying to make a few changes here and there every time. I tried replacing one fourth of a cup of a flour with cocoa powder, another time I added two tablespoons of coffee powder, onetime vanilla essence but to my dismay the final product did not give any taste or fragrance of these additives. So this time I left it plain and it tastes just as good.
Infact wonderful and wholesome breakfast when accompanied with a steaming cup of filter coffee.

Working with water roux at first is difficult because it is a very sticky dough.Perseverance and persistence should be your best friends here and when you see the result for yourself, all your bread recipes will take the water roux route...You can thank me for the biceps later..

Ingredients
Water Roux

· 1/3 cups all purpose flour

· 1 cup water (alternatively 1/2 cup milk+1/2 cup water)

For the Dough

· 2 cups wholewheat flour + 1/2 cup all purpose flour+(optional)1tsp gluten powder

· 2 loaded tsp powdered sugar
.2 tsp active dry yeast(I use gloripan)
. 2/3 cup water roux or half of the water roux you made from the above quantity

· 2 loaded tsp milk powder
 . 1 egg OR 1/2 tsp malai
.  1/2 cup warm milk
. 1 tsp salt
. 1.5 tsp ghee or butter

· 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Water Roux - On a medium flame whisk the flour and water together in a small vessel.Keep whisking till you see the lines forming and the consistency becomes like soft cream.Take it off the flame and continue whisking. Cool this paste and refrigerate in an airtight box for later use.This is good for use up to two  days only. Also keep in mind that water roux should be at room temperature when you actually use it for the dough. So remember to place the water roux out of the fridge in advance before kneading the dough.

2.  Dough -  In a mixing bowl, combine the flours, sugar, milk powder, gluten if using and yeast. Give it a good stir. Add the water roux, lightly whisked egg or cream(whatever you are using)and milk. Mix and let it rest for five minutes.Then drink a glass of water and begin.
3. Lightly dust the work platform with flour and place your dough on it.Knead for a good ten minutes.Resist the urge to add extra flour and remember the only way you can get out of this mess is by kneading. Once you have a somwhat smooth ball in your hand instead of the sticky gooey mixture, add salt and ghee. Now flex those muscles and knead again.Our aim is to pass the window pane test.By this I mean- take a grape sized piece of dough in your hand and stretch it between your two fingers.If its translucent and light is passing through that film between your fingers like sunshine comes through your window pane...you have passed the test.If not..keep kneading braveheart!

4. Place this dough in a greased container, cover and keep in a warm place for it to rise and double in size.

4. Once double in volume, take the dough out, deflate it and roll out a ½ inch thick rectangular sheet. Please take care to oil your hands and use minimum dry flour for rolling out the sheet so that the dough doesn’t result in a dry bread later.

5. Sprinkle the choco chips and fold the sides like an envelope. Lightly dab the dough to form a rectangle again. Sprinkle more choco chips and and fold the sides to form a loaf.This is to make sure that choco chips are evenly interspersed in the bread and not form a layer at the bottom.

6. Now place this loaf with seam side down in a greased mould and keep for another half an hour, for it to double in size again.

7. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

8. Bake the loaf in preheated oven for about fifteen minutes at 200 degrees, then lower the temperature to 180 degrees and bake for another fifteen minutes. It should sound hollow when knocked.Brush with ghee/butter immediately after you take it out of the oven. It gives a nice sheen to the loaf and helps it keep soft. I could not do that to my loaf though, because greedy me had topped the loaf with more choco chips before placing it in the oven

9. Remember not to toast this bread on the tawa before consuming. The chocolate chips will melt and make everything squishy. If in hurry just pop the slices in the microwave for twenty seconds. And if you have time then place the slices for a couple of minutes in a preheated oven at 200 degrees.