Adapted from Grant Corner Inn Breakfast and Brunch Cookbook by Louise Stewart.
I have adapted this recipe for the bread machine. It’s so easy and the results are predictable IF you get the flour and liquid amounts right in the beginning. Proportions may vary according to the humidity, ambient temperature, temperature of ingredients, hormones, etc. (Just kidding about the last one–I think.) For those of you who prefer to make bread with a mixer, click here for general instructions.
Some observations:
- I think Dutched cocoa tastes best in this bread. Valrhona is my favorite when I can get it. I buy it out of a bin at Central Market because it’s cheaper. Hershey’s Special Blend will also work.
- The egg wash is especially important since the dough is so dark in color.
- Although you could use chocolate chips, I highly recommend a good bar like Ghirardelli for best taste and appearance. If you must use chips, at least chop them just slightly–not too small or they’ll be absorbed into the dough. The chunks of chocolate are half the fun in eating this bread
- If braiding intimidates you, try a different shape or use a 9 x 5 loaf pan. I tried a round shape but it wasn’t good considering the color of of the bread, if you know what I mean.
- Serve bread with cherry butter or preserves for a “black forest” taste experience. Or spread with peanut butter a la Reese’s peanut butter cup. Try Nutella if you’re the kind of person who just can’t get enough chocolate.
- This bread is still amazingly good on day 2 and 3. Try it toasted. Oh my. Divine does not adequately describe it. Crispy on the outside with melted chunks of chocolate on the inside. What a way to start the day!
- Use this bread to make bread pudding or panini. I will be posting recipes for both soon.
- Leave out the chocolate chunks and use the dough to make cinnamon rolls. Finish with chocolate icing.
Braided Chunky Chocolate Bread
Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole milk or put 2 tablespoons heavy cream in measuring cup and add skim milk to make 1/2 cup
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), melted and cooled
1/4 cup Greek yogurt (I use nonfat) or sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/4-1/2 cups bread flour (if you use all-purpose unbleached flour you will probably need the entire 3 1/2 cups)
2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate bar coarsely chopped into 1/4 pieces.
Egg-wash: one egg plus 1 teaspoon water
Directions:
First: Add all ingredients except semi-sweet chocolate to bread machine in order listed. Set machine on dough cycle and start. Immediately check to make sure blades are in place and turning. After 10-15 minutes, assess consistency of dough. Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time if necessary to get dough to come into a ball. If dough is too dry and slapping the side, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until dough sticks to side slightly but pulls off. If you are new to using a bread machine, click here for some tips with pictures.
Second: When dough cycle is complete and dough has risen to double its original size, remove from machine to lightly floured board. Divide dough in thirds. Roll out each third to an approximately 5 x 14-inch rectangle. Sprinkle 1/3 of chopped chocolate over each rectangle. Roll from long side into a cylinder and seal. You should have three snake-like pieces of dough with no visible chocolate pieces. Transfer to a prepared cookie sheet (covered with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper). Form into a braid, tuck the end pieces, and shape into a semi-circle. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place.
Third: When twist is almost double in size, brush egg wash over every exposed surface.
Fourth: Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes. Admittedly, it is difficult to tell when this loaf is done because of the color but it does get brown. In fact, I cover mine with aluminum foil in the last 10-15 minutes so it won’t get too brown. This next hint may not be helpful until you have some experience but I lift the bread up on one side and if it feels relatively light, I know it is done. If it is still heavy, give it a few more minutes. You could use a thermometer. Reading should be approaching 190 degrees but you can be fooled if you happen to stick thermometer in a chocolate pocket. Cool on a rack.
Peachy Cornbread
(Serves 12. From the cookbook Grant Corner Inn by Louise Stewart & Pat Walter).
½ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs beater
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup milk
4 ripe peaches, peeled and chunked
Whipped honey butter (see below)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 15-inch baking pan. In a medium mixing bowl, blend oil and sugar, beat in eggs and set aside. Into a small mixing bowl sift flour, baking powder, salt and cornmeal. Add dry ingredients to sugar-egg mixture alternately with milk. Stir in peaches. Pour into pan and bake at 400 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with whipped honey butter.
Almond Fans–A Sweet Yeast Roll
Cinnamon Rolls are my Achilles heel. I have no self-discipline when they are in the house. I knew I shouldn’t make these last weekend because they are just fancy cinnamon rolls with almonds on top, but I couldn’t help myself. They were even better than I expected. I’m not admitting how many I ate.
I adapted the recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, Grant Corner Inn Breakfast and Brunch Cookbook by Louise Stewart. I have yet to find a bad recipe in this little book. In fact, I think I will make it one of my goals in life to try every one of Ms. Stewart’s yeast bread recipes. Surely this would qualify me for a Nobel Peace Prize or something similarly lofty. In reality, it would probably land me a spot on The Biggest Loser.
Although they look complicated, they aren’t hard at all. Like most of my bread recipes, I make it in a bread machine. But I have included the author’s original instructions in case you find kneading bread by hand therapeutic.
Almond Fans
Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup lowfat sour cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
4 1/2 – 5 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
2 packages or 4 teaspoons bread machine yeast
Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup softened butter
Frosting:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon cream cheese
1 1/2 tablespoon coffee or milk
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds
Directions:
First: Add ingredients to bread machine in order listed. Set to dough cycle. When finished, remove dough from bread machine pan.
(To make by hand: In large mixing bowl combine [active dry] yeast, water and 2 tablespoons sugar. Let stand 10 minutes, or until slightly bubbly. Mix in sour cream, salt and remaining sugar. Stir in eggs and butter. Gradually add enough flour to make soft dough. Turn out onto floured surface and knead until smooth and satiny, about 8 minutes. Put into greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Punch down and let rise again until almost doubled, about 35 minutes.)
Second: On a lightly floured board, divide dough into two portions. Roll each half to 12 x 12 inch rectangle.
Third: Spread half of melted butter (2 tablespoons) on one rectangle. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over buttered area. Begin rolling from long side and roll up tightly as possible. Flatten log slightly with palms and slice log into 6 pieces. Then using kitchen shears or pizza cutter, make 3 cuts into each slice cutting to within 1/2 inch to the other side. Twist each slice slightly to make it lay somewhat flatter. Place on a greased baking sheet or one covered with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Cover and let rise until almost double.
Alternate method for a smaller roll: Cut flattened log into 10-11 pieces instead of 6. Instead of 3 cuts make one. The final product won’t be quite as impressive as the large one but the calories will be much more reasonable. See the picture below for illustration of roll with 3 cuts (top) and roll with 1 cut (bottom).
Fourth: Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
Frosting: Soften or allow butter and cream cheese to come to room temperature. Combine butter, cream cheese and coffee or milk together and beat until perfectly smooth. Dip over rolls with a spoon or pour into small plastic zippered bag. Cut off small corner of bag and use to drizzle frosting back and forth over rolls. Sprinkle toasted almonds over frosted rolls immediately before frosting dries. Or pick up frosted roll and turn upside down pressing icing into plate of almonds. This insures the almonds will stick to icing.
