GATHERINGS
These wonderful rolls, slightly adapted from “The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook” by Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez (Clarkson Potter, 2015), have a crusty outside with a rich chewy inside.
Chocolate Cherry Rolls
Makes 12 rolls ⁄2 cup plus 1 tablespoon 1 dried cherries
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate (60% to 70% cacao), melted, plus 5 ounces additional bittersweet chocolate, cut into 3⁄8-inch chunks
1 cup minus 1 tablespoon warm water
2 1/3 cups bread flour 1⁄4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1⁄4 teaspoons kosher salt
⁄4 teaspoon active dry 1 yeast
1/3 cup (risen and deflated) pâte fermentée cut into walnut-size pieces (see recipe)
Canola or vegetable oil
Make the pâte fermentée first, 8 to 24 hours ahead (see recipe).
Cover cherries with hot water and set aside to soak.
Put melted chocolate in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, and let cool until warm (about 100 degrees). Gradually whisk in the warm water (if you add water too quickly or if the water is too cold, the chocolate will break up). Add flour, cocoa powder, salt, yeast and pâte fermentée. Mix on low speed until all ingredients are combined, 1 to 2 minutes.
Increase speed to medium-high and mix until dough is smooth, pulls away from side of bowl (and leaves the side clean), has a bit of shine and makes a slapping noise against side of bowl, 5 to 6 minutes. You will know the dough is ready when you lightly tug a piece of the dough and it doesn't pull right off — it snaps back.
Drain cherries and add them to dough along with the chocolate chunks and mix on low speed until just combined, about 2 minutes. The dough may feel slightly soft and sticky, but it will firm during the long rising time.
Coat inside of a medium bowl with oil and transfer dough to it. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until it has risen, 2 1⁄2 to 3 hours.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently divide dough into 12 equal pieces (each weighing around 2 1⁄2 ounces). Working with one piece at a time (keep the rest covered with plastic wrap), shape each into a roll. (See note.)
Transfer rolls to baking sheet, seam side down, arranging them so that they're nearly touching each other but aren't too tightly packed. Loosely cover rolls with plastic wrap and let stand until they almost fill the pan, 2 1⁄2 to 3 hours.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put a baking dish on bottom of oven.
Score each roll with an "X." Place baking sheet in oven and put 10 ice cubes in dish on the oven bottom. Bake until rolls are even darker brown, tops feel crusty, and when you gently separate the rolls with a thin knife, the interior dough is fully cooked, not gummy, 15 to 20 minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in a plastic bag up to four days.
Note: To make dough into rolls, gently form the pieces into rough rectangles. With dough lying flat on work surface, gather corners to the center — you’ll have a little bundle. Pinch the place where the 4 corners meet. Now, gather the new edges to your pinch. You will have a little beak where your corners came together and, when you pick it up, you should have a nice, smooth round ball.
Put the bundle beak side down on the work surface and use your palm to lightly round the ball.
This extra step extends fermentation time and allows you to achieve a light, flavorful loaf with less yeast. Unlike other types of pre-ferments, pâte fermentée does not impart a sour flavor to the bread. Instead it adds depth of flavor and extends the shelf life of your bread.
Pâte Fermentée
Makes about 1 1 ⁄4 cups (risen and deflated)
1⁄2 cup plus 1 teaspoon lukewarm water
⁄3 teaspoon active dry 2 yeast
11⁄3 cups plus 1 tablespoon bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt Put water and yeast in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, then add flour and salt. Mix on low speed 2 minutes until combined into a shaggy dough. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
Refrigerate mixture at least 8 hours and at most 24. (There is no need to return it to room temperature before using.)
If you’re measuring the pâte fermentée rather than weighing it, be sure to deflate it with a wooden spoon or with floured fingertips before measuring.