The health effects (pro and con) of putting small amounts of charcoal into everyday foods are hotly debated.
Photo by Gina Moore
There’s an interesting new cooking trend that calls for adding small amounts of food-grade activated charcoal to a variety of items. The health effects (pro and con) of ingesting charcoal are hotly debated, and adding it to recipes is a matter of personal choice. I decided to experiment with charcoal in the following bread recipe. In my experience, it does not add to, or take away, from the taste of the bread, and can be a festive ornamental touch. This recipe is also great without the charcoal.
Charcoal Sandwich Loaf
MAKES 1 LOAF
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon instant yeast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon food-grade charcoal (optional)
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1½ cups water
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, yeast, salt and charcoal. Add honey, oil and water, and using the handle of a medium to large wooden spoon, stir until blended. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature* for 12–18 hours. Dough surface will be dotted with bubbles. This is a sign that the yeast is working.
Spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with no-stick spray. Oil your hands and start to shape dough into a loaf. Add dough to loaf pan and press lightly to fill dough to the edges of pan. Cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Let rise (called proofing) for another 2 hours.
During the last 30 minutes of proofing, preheat oven to 400 F. Bake for 45 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack.
*If your kitchen is colder than 70 degrees, put bowl in the oven or microwave.
___
Tips and techniques
All about yeast. This recipe calls for instant yeast. If you do not make bread often, store yeast in the freezer. Yeast is a living organism. Freezing “pauses” it and extends the lifespan.
Check label for instructions. Instant yeast can be mixed in with flour and does not require activation. Active dry yeast needs to be activated with warm water before mixing with flour.
All about flour. Flour becomes compacted as it sits in the container. Stir flour with a whisk to aerate it before measuring.
Flour differences are based on the amount of gluten each contains. Gluten gives bread its elasticity. The higher the gluten, the more stable the bread. These recipes will work well with either all-purpose flour (8% to 12% gluten) or bread flour (11% to 14% gluten).
How to make a bread “wash.” A simple application of bread wash will help seeds and herbs adhere to the bread. Egg wash (1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water) is common, but milk, cream or melted butter work equally well, especially for those with egg allergies.
Preheat, please. Always preheat the oven for 30–45 minutes prior to baking bread. Dutch ovens and pizza stones should also be preheated.
Working with dough. Keep hands well-floured at all times to prevent dough from sticking. Wetting hands with water or a little oil can achieve the same results.
Fermentation rules. While these recipes call for 12 hours of fermentation, it will not hurt dough to rest for a full 24 hours. Dough can be refrigerated for 3–4 days after mixing. Allow dough to come to room temperature before continuing at the proofing stage of the recipe.
____
Related story
No-knead breads—Stuck at home in the COVID-19 pandemic, Chef Belinda Smith-Sullivan experimented with bread recipes and baking techniques—and the results are delicious.