CLEAN CHOCOLATE SOURDOUGH BREAD

I love sourdough bread. And I love chocolate. But we also eat clean for my husbands autoimmune disease. So, I set out to find a clean Chocolate Sourdough, but eventually just decided to create it myself.

It has the perfect touch of sweetness from coconut sugar, and then pops of dark chocolate from the chocolate chips. It is the perfect after dinner treat or brunch bread. I hope you absolutely love it!

Below are sone of my favorite tools for sourdough:

I hope these recommendations help set you up for success as you bake your sourdough!

 
 

CLEAN CHOCOLATE SOURDOUGH BREAD

PREP TIME: 2 days, including bulk fermentation and cold proofing | BAKE TIME: 55 mins

  • 125 grams Starter

  • 365 grams of Water

  • 500 grams of Flour

  • 12 grams of Salt

  • 100 grams of Coconut Sugar

  • 50 grams of Cocoa Powder

  • 125 grams of Chocolate Chips

I - Pull out your scale, and add the starter from your Weck jar, and the water, to your bowl. Whisk them together until the starter is all blended in, and small bubbles appear.

II - Add the flour, salt, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips to your bowl. Mix them all together with a fork or whisk. Once you have mixed or whisked them together until they are clumpy, begin to use your hands to knead the ingredients until they have formed a messy, loose ball.

III - Let your dough rest on the counter in the bowl for 45 minutes covered with a tea towel.

IV - Complete 3 stretch and folds on your dough every 45 minutes, covering the bowl with a tea towel after each stretch and fold.

V - After the third stretch and fold, leave your dough on the counter overnight, covered with a tea towel. Your dough should roughly double in size overnight.

VI - First thing in the morning, take your dough out of the bowl and lay it on the counter. Stretch the dough gently until it is a small rectangle. Fold the dough in thirds one way and then in thirds the opposite way until you have a ball of dough.

VII - Shape your dough into a tight ball with pushes and pulls on your counter. (I do not put flour on the counter while I do these pushes and pulls.) Once you have the dough shaped, lightly sprinkle your banneton basket with flour using your wooden spatula. Using the bench scraper, place the shaped dough into your banneton basket and cover it with a fabric dough bowl cover.

VIII - Place the banneton basket in the fridge to proof for 8-36 hours.

VIIII - When you are ready to bake your bread (Sometime within 8-36 hours), preheat your oven to 450 degrees before taking the dough out of the fridge.

X - Once your oven is preheated, cut a square piece of parchment paper big enough to come up just over the sides of your dutch oven. Take your dough out of the fridge. Place the dough on the parchment paper and lightly sprinkle with flour. using your wooden spatula (This will help the designs from your bread lame show better!) Use your bread lame to score the bread to your desired design. Place the dough on the parchment paper in the dutch oven and put the lid on. Place the dutch oven in the oven.

XI - Bake covered for 22 minutes. Once your timer goes off, take the lid off of the dutch oven and bake uncovered for 30 minutes uncovered. (This timing works perfect for my oven - your oven may cook slower or faster so the timing may be a little trial and error as you learn your oven.)

XII - Take the bread out of the dutch oven with the edges of the parchment paper and place it on the counter for 30 mins to 1 hour before eating! (This is the hardest part, but so worth the wait!)

I hope you love making - and most importantly, eating - this clean chocolate sourdough bread. Enjoy!

Sincerely-

CRANBERRY ORANGE APPLE CIDER

If you are looking for a way to offer a warm drink to your guests, have beautiful rich colors on your table, AND have your home smelling like Christmas, I have the perfect, quick, and simple crockpot recipe that you need.

You will simply need a crockpot or a large pan for your Apple Cider to warm in. I hope you love it!

 
 

CRANBERRY ORANGE APPLE CIDER

PREP TIME: 5 minutes | COOK TIME: 1 hour

  • 1/2-3/4 cups of fresh Cranberries

  • 2 Oranges sliced

  • 10-12 Cinnamon Sticks

  • Fresh Apple Cider (No sugar added)

I - Pour 1 jug of Apple Cider into a crockpot.

II - Slice 2 Oranges and add on top of the Apple Cider.

III - Top with Cranberries and Cinnamon sticks.

IV - Turn your crockpot on high and leave uncovered to warm and make your home smell like Christmas!

That’s it! So easy. So simple. So beautiful. So yummy. (Feel free to spike it if that is your thing!) May you invite people in to your home with joy this Christmas season and may it feel like home to those who need a friend.

Sincerely-

CRAFTS HOMEMADE BLUEBERRY JAM (PALEO)

I grew up going blueberry picking in New England during the late summer, and I absolutely love blueberry jam. I am team chunky jam, and cannot get enough of it. One my favorite things about blueberry jam, especially when homemade, is that it is extremely versatile.

For this recipe, it would be beneficial to have a Farberware Masher to mash the blueberries (If you prefer them like that!). This is technically a meat masher, but works perfect for this jam! It will not scratch or ruin your pans either, which is a bonus.

It would also be beneficial to have canning jars ready to store your jam. These are my favorite!

Below are a few fun ways to enjoy your jam:

  • Toast with grassfed butter

  • Atop homemade sourdough bread

  • Grassfed burger with bacon, avocado, and lettuce

  • Sausage for breakfast

  • Goat cheese on Simple Mills Rosemary and Sea Salt (Almond Flour) crackers

  • Good Culture Cottage Cheese (Basically like dessert!)

  • …and of course the ultimate classic - PBJ! (Almond Butter and Ezekiel Bread)

This recipe is made with three simple ingredients and you will never want to eat store bought jam ever again.

 
 

CRAFTS HOMEMADE BLUEBERRY JAM (PALEO)

PREP TIME: 5 minutes | COOK TIME: 30-35 minutes

  • 5 cups frozen organic blueberries

  • 3/4 cups of maple syrup (1 cup if you like your jam a touch sweeter)

  • 2.5 tablespoons of lemon juice

I - Add blueberries, lemon juice, and maple syrup to a pot.

II - Cook on medium high for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally with a spatula. (Please beware that as the jam boils, it may bubble up and splash on your hand or clothes. It will be VERY hot and could burn you.)

III - Reduce to medium heat for the last 5-10 minutes. It is a personal preference to mash the blueberries. I love to keep them whole. To mash the blueberries, simply use your Farberware Masher to make your jam smooth.

IV - Timing can vary with how long this cooks and when it is done. You can tell it is done when it starts to get thickens and the bubbles make a louder noise. This is when it has turned from a liquid to a thicker gelatin. This may take some time to master how long it takes on your stove.

V - Remove from the heat. Let cool and thicken for 10 minutes.

VI - Pour the jam into canning jars. Refrigerate and enjoy.

 
 

I hope life is a little sweeter as you make your own blueberry jam.

Sweet blessings,

Ash