Chocolate- Dried Blueberry Bread... A No Knead Incarnation

It's been so long since I made the No Knead Bread (and I've made it many times since to raves!) that I totally forgot that I promised to make a variation or two. In fact, my memory can be so weak sometimes, that I can't recall what reminded me to to make this recipe yesterday. In any case, I had been wanting to try a bread with fruit and even chocolate. This recipe is an adaptation of King Arthur Flour's Chocolate-Cherry-Pecan Bread that can be seen here. I didn't have pecans, so I omitted them and I also had no dried cherries, so I substituted dried blueberries that needed to be used. I also didn't have any rye flour on hand, so I just doubled the whole wheat flour. Baking went as per usual, resulting in a beautiful crust. The crust was perfect and although the bread grew on me, the chocolate was very overwhelming. I think I'd have done better to reduce the amount of chocolate chips. I must admit, I decided that I think I'm not a big fan of things in my bread. I think I'd rather be able to appreciate the crust and crumb alone without any distracting flavors involved. That said, this really wasn't bad and it was a good experience. Perhaps my next no-knead incarnation, should I remember to make it again, will include some savory accents.

Chocolate Blueberry No-Knead Bread
adapted from King Arthur Flour

3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 3/4 cups cool water
3/4 cup chopped dried blueberries
1/2 cup (3 ounces) chocolate chips

The night before you plan to bake,

combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl,

and give it a thorough whisking.

Add the fruit and chocolate,


and stir to combine.
Add water,


and mix to form a cohesive dough. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature overnight.
Here's the dough well risen and bubbly.
Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface,
give the dough a turn or a fold and allow to rest for fifteen minutes.
Gather up all the edges of the dough into the center to form somewhat of a boule shape. Allow to rise for two hours, covered with a sheet of plastic wrap.
Here is the risen dough. About half hour before rising time is over, preheat a closed crock, I used a LeCreuset, in your oven set to 450 degrees.


Here's the dough en route to the oven. When the oven is sufficiently heated, place the dough in the pot and cover. Bake for twenty minutes. Remove the cover, turn the oven down to 425 and bake for another thirty minutes until deeply golden.


Like this. Remove to a cooling rack, carefully, to cool.

And here's the lovely crumb. The chocolate kinda shmeared, if you know what I mean. Bon Appetit!