Bread is the ultimate comfort food. Pair that with chocolate, and it takes it to a whole other level. I’ve never seen chocolate bread before, and this recipe intrigued me–and it gave me an opportunity to try working with yeast again. I loved the way my place smelled when I baked up the bread, especially as intermingled with the warm chocolate aroma. And this is the type of bread that makes me want to throw out any carb restrictions.
I was never really drawn to baking my own bread–the intimidation of yeast and the process of kneading all seemed like work I’d rather leave to someone else. For once, the dough actually rose, which means I managed to activate the yeast and not kill it in the process. That alone is victory for me. After baking this, I can see how the freshness of bread right out of the oven provides a reward unequaled by a loaf purchased from the store. I now have a much deeper respect for the craft.
Recipe notes: While the recipe calls for regular unbleached all purpose flour, I used Bob’s Red Mill’s organic unbromated unbleached white flour, which was labeled as ideal for bread making. The flour has a higher protein and gluten content, and my bread came out very chewy–the way I like sweet breads.
{The Back in the Day Bakery’s Chocolate Bread}
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder (the book recommends Valhrona)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1-1/4 t. instant yeast
- 6 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed
- 1 t. sea salt
- 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup turbinado sugar
- heavy cream to brush on top
Preparation
- Using the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar and yeast. Mix on low, using a dough hook.
- Add 1 cup lukewarm water (about 110F degrees, to activate the yeast), and continue mixing for a few minutes until dough comes together. Allow dough to rest for 20 minutes.
- Mix in butter and salt on medium with the dough hook until incorporated–the dough should form a mass with a glossy sheen.
- Add the chocolate chips, and mix on low until just combined.
- Shape dough into a round loaf on a floured surface, and place in a bowl that has been lightly coated with oil. Cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise for about 2 hours–the dough should double in size. (Placing in a warm area is ideal.)
- Lightly grease a 10×5 pan (according to the cookbook; I used a 9″ round cake pan since I couldn’t find a 10×5 loaf pan). Sprinkle 1/8 cup of the turbinado sugar on the bottom of the pan.
- Using a floured surface, reshape the dough into an 8×6 rectangle (if using the loaf pan) and place into the pan with the seam side down. Shape dough into an 8″ round if using the round pan.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap, and allow the dough to double in size again, about 1-1/2 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Brush the top of the dough with heavy cream and sprinkle remaining turbinado sugar on top.
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes. When done, allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 30 minutes, then remove it from the pan to cool completely on a wire rack.
