Maple and Coffee Sourdough Bread

Name: Maple and Coffee Sourdough Bread
Prep time: 24 h
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 24 h 45 min
Yield: 12 slices
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup active sourdough starter (240g); 600g bread flour (500g initially + 100g added during mixing); 10g salt (1 3/4 teaspoons); 1 cup brewed coffee (240g, room temperature); 1/4 cup water (60g); 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (60g)

AI Kitchen

Dec 30, 2024

This Maple and Coffee Sourdough Bread pairs the bold flavors of coffee with a touch of maple sweetness for a loaf that’s both unique and versatile. Whether toasted or fresh, it’s a treat for any time of day.

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My husband believes he's discovered the culinary breakthrough of the century: maple and coffee-flavored sourdough bread.

I chose not to mention that I found similar recipes online—why spoil his moment of glory?

I of course turned to my own personal upgraded search engine- ChatGPT, and asked:

I want to make maple and coffee sourdough bread. Recipe?

It responded with a recipe:

Here's a recipe for Maple and Coffee Sourdough Bread:

Ingredients

For the Starter:

50g active sourdough starter
50g all-purpose flour
50g water

For the Dough:

350g bread flour
100g whole wheat flour
10g salt
250g brewed coffee, room temperature
50g pure maple syrup
100g water

Instructions

1. Prepare the Starter

Mix the starter ingredients in a jar or bowl. Cover loosely and let it sit at room temperature for 4–6 hours or until bubbly and doubled in size.

2. Mix the Dough

In a large bowl, combine the bread flour, whole wheat flour, and salt.
In a separate bowl, mix the brewed coffee, maple syrup, and water. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until no dry spots remain.

3. Incorporate the Starter

Add the prepared starter to the dough and mix until fully combined. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.

4. Stretch and Fold

Perform 3–4 rounds of stretch-and-folds every 30 minutes over the next 2 hours. This builds gluten strength.

5. Bulk Fermentation

Cover the dough and let it ferment at room temperature for 4–6 hours, or until it has almost doubled in size.

6. Shape the Dough

Lightly flour a surface and shape the dough into a round or oval. Place it in a floured banneton or bowl lined with a kitchen towel. Cover and refrigerate overnight (8–12 hours).

7. Preheat and Bake

Preheat your oven to 475°F (245°C) with a Dutch oven inside for at least 30 minutes.
Carefully transfer the dough onto parchment paper and score the top. Place it in the hot Dutch oven, cover, and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the lid and bake for another 20–25 minutes, or until deep brown and crusty.

8. Cool and Enjoy

Let the bread cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

This bread will have a subtle coffee flavor balanced with a hint of maple sweetness—perfect for breakfast or a snack!

Since I am pretty comfortable with certain quantities and ratios of liquid and flour, I asked for some adjustments:

Adjust quantities for 1 cup active sourdough starter and 1.5 cups liquids (water, coffee, etc) and 500 grams flour.

It updated the recipe:

Here’s the adjusted Maple and Coffee Sourdough Bread recipe using 1 cup of active sourdough starter, 1.5 cups of liquids, and 500g of flour:

Ingredients

1 cup active sourdough starter (about 240g)
350g bread flour
150g whole wheat flour
10g salt (about 1 ¾ teaspoons)
1 cup brewed coffee (240g, room temperature)
¼ cup water (60g)
¼ cup pure maple syrup (60g)

Instructions

1. Mix the Dough

In a large bowl, combine the bread flour, whole wheat flour, and salt.
In a separate bowl, mix the coffee, water, and maple syrup. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

2. Incorporate the Starter

Add the sourdough starter to the dough and mix thoroughly. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.

3. Stretch and Fold

Perform 3–4 rounds of stretch-and-folds every 30 minutes over the next 2 hours.

4. Bulk Fermentation

Cover and let the dough rise at room temperature for 4–6 hours, or until it has increased by about 50%.

5. Shape and Refrigerate

Shape the dough into a round or oval. Place it in a floured banneton or bowl lined with a kitchen towel. Cover and refrigerate overnight (8–12 hours).

6. Bake

Preheat your oven to 475°F (245°C) with a Dutch oven inside for at least 30 minutes.
Transfer the dough onto parchment paper, score the top, and place it in the hot Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the lid and bake for another 20–25 minutes, or until deeply browned.

7. Cool and Serve

Let the bread cool completely before slicing.

This adjusted recipe balances hydration with the flavor of coffee and maple syrup, while maintaining a great texture!

While I acknowledge that whole wheat is healthier, I also have to admit it doesn't taste as good to me, and I wanted the first time to be as delicious as it can be. So I asked:

Why whole wheat?

ChatGPT responded:

Using whole wheat flour adds a deeper flavor, nuttiness, and complexity to the bread. It also gives a slightly denser texture, which works well in sourdough. However, if you'd prefer a lighter crumb or don't have whole wheat flour, you can substitute it with bread flour. Here's how:

Replace the 150g whole wheat flour with 150g bread flour, keeping the total flour at 500g.

This adjustment will create a softer, airier loaf with a more delicate flavor profile, allowing the coffee and maple to shine even more. Let me know which version you'd like to try!

I asked it to rewrite the recipe:

Ok rewrite the recipe with updated white bread flour

And it did:

Here’s the updated Maple and Coffee Sourdough Bread recipe using only white bread flour:

Ingredients

1 cup active sourdough starter (about 240g)
500g bread flour
10g salt (about 1 ¾ teaspoons)
1 cup brewed coffee (240g, room temperature)
¼ cup water (60g)
¼ cup pure maple syrup (60g)

Instructions

1. Mix the Dough

In a large bowl, combine the bread flour and salt.
In a separate bowl, mix the coffee, water, and maple syrup. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until fully incorporated.

2. Add the Starter

Add the sourdough starter to the dough and mix until no streaks remain. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.

3. Stretch and Fold

Perform 3–4 rounds of stretch-and-folds every 30 minutes over the next 2 hours. This helps develop the dough’s structure.

4. Bulk Fermentation

Cover the dough and let it rise at room temperature for 4–6 hours, or until it has increased in size by about 50%.

5. Shape and Refrigerate

Shape the dough into a round or oval. Place it in a floured banneton or bowl lined with a kitchen towel. Cover and refrigerate overnight (8–12 hours).

6. Bake

Preheat your oven to 475°F (245°C) with a Dutch oven inside for at least 30 minutes.
Transfer the dough onto parchment paper, score the top, and place it in the hot Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the lid and bake for another 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown with a crisp crust.

7. Cool and Serve

Let the bread cool completely before slicing to allow the crumb to set.

This all-white bread flour version will produce a light, airy loaf with a subtle coffee aroma and a hint of maple sweetness!

I then asked, just to be sure:

Can the bread be transferred directly from refrigerator to oven?

Yes, it said and even recommended doing so, which makes sense, especially when you want to score the dough:

Yes, the bread can be transferred directly from the refrigerator to the oven! This is actually a common practice in sourdough baking. The cold dough is easier to handle, and baking it straight from the fridge helps retain its shape, especially if it's highly hydrated.

Here’s how to do it:

Preheat your oven with the Dutch oven inside to 475°F (245°C) for at least 30 minutes.
Take the dough out of the fridge just before baking. There's no need for it to come to room temperature.
Transfer the dough onto parchment paper, score the top, and carefully place it into the preheated Dutch oven.
Cover and bake as directed (20 minutes covered, 20–25 minutes uncovered).

The cold dough will bake beautifully, and the initial oven heat will give it a strong "oven spring" for a perfect rise!

As I was making, it was too wet, so I asked for adjusting quantity of flour:

actually, I needed an extra 100 grams of flour to accommodate for how wet the mix was

Enjoy:

Servings: 12 slices

Calories per Serving: ~130 kcal

Total Time: 24 hours (including overnight fermentation)