A jet-black bread can look quite strange to some. Every time I have given a bread made with charcoal to an unsuspecting bread lover they’ve given it a worried stare. We never see bread this way. It seems like it should never look like that. And that is exactly what I love about it. The best part is that it tastes no different from regular bread. Charcoal has no taste; it only adds a beautiful black colour.
You can find activated charcoal in my Amazon storefront, but even your local supermarket may stock it. It is generally used for alleviating a belly ache in the case of food poisonings and such. It is totally safe to consume for almost everyone.
This recipe contains a very small amount of it. Saying that, it can prevent some medicines from being absorbed by the stomach, so if you’re on medication I’d suggest consulting with your doctor just in case.
Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.
Ingredients
For the dough –
200g (7oz) white bread flour
50g (1.75oz) whole wheat flour
180g (6.35oz) water
2.5g (0.09oz) instant dry yeast or 3g (0.1oz) active dry yeast or 7.5g (0.26oz) fresh yeast
4g (0.14oz) salt
4g (0.14oz) activated charcoal
20g (0.7oz) olive oil
To top –
Cherry tomatoes
Basil leaves
Olive oil
Salt
The flour I use has a protein content of 13%. If your flour is weaker, then you may need to lower the hydration.
If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.
Method
- Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the water, yeast, salt, charcoal, and whole wheat flour. Mix well to dissolve the salt and hydrate the yeast. Add the white flour and mix to a dough.
- Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Fold.
- Cold ferment for 18 – 24 hours.
- On the next day when you’re ready to proceed take the dough out of the fridge, fold it and shape it into a tight ball. Place it in an oiled baking tray and cover it with more oil.
- Final proof will take around 1.5 – 2 hours.
- Stud the dough with toppings and press them in well. Pour on some more olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 210C (410F) fan on or 230C (445F) fan off. The muffin shaped ones take only 15 minutes to bake.
Leave to cool down and tuck in!
Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.
Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.
