American Chocolate Bread
Submitted by hankm
Yeasted chocolate bread made with a honey sponge starter and semi-sweet chocolate rolled jelly-roll style into 8 individual mini loaves. Brushed with egg glaze and best served hot from the oven.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
150 minCOOK
30 minREADY
180 minEight individual yeast bread rolls, each with a spiral of melted semi-sweet chocolate running through the center, glazed with egg and cream, and dusted with sugar before baking. Serve them hot, straight from the oven, and the chocolate inside is just barely set.
The dough starts with a honey sponge, a mixture of flour, water, yeast, and honey that rests for an hour before the main dough comes together. That fermentation time builds flavor in a way that skipping to a direct dough won’t. After the first rise, the dough gets divided into eight pieces, each patted into a rectangle, layered with an ounce of chocolate, and rolled up tight like a jelly roll. The seams are pinched shut so the chocolate stays put.
A short final rise of just 15 minutes lightens the loaves before they go into the oven. The hollow thump test is the reliable doneness cue: tap the bottom and if it sounds hollow, they’re ready.
Chef Tips
- Knead thoroughly, about 10 minutes by hand, until the dough is smooth and no longer sticks to the surface. Underworked dough yields a dense loaf.
- Keep the chocolate near the short end so the spiral stays tight as you roll.
- Pinch the seams and ends firmly. Any gaps let the chocolate bubble out.
- Serve hot. These are at their best within 10 minutes of coming out of the oven.
Variations
- Raspberry chocolate: Spread a tablespoon of raspberry preserves on the dough before adding the chocolate, as suggested in the original recipe.
- Dark chocolate: Use chopped 70% dark chocolate instead of semi-sweet chips for a more intense filling.
Ingredients
Directions
Sponge:
For sponge: Whisk flour, water, yeast and honey in large bowl until smooth. cover with plastic. Let stand in warm draft-free area 1 hour.
For dough: Stir down sponge, using wooden spoon. Blend in milk, butter and salt.
Mix in enough flour ½ cup at a time to form soft dough. Knead on floured surface until smooth and no longer sticky, adding more flour if necessary, about 10 minutes.
Grease large bowl. Add dough, turning to coat entire surface. Cover bowl with plastic. Let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled, about 1¼ hours.
Grease eight 2½ x 2½-inch loaf pans. Gently knead dough on lightly floured surface until deflated. Pat out to ¾ inch-thick rectangle. Cut into 8 even pieces. Pat each out into 4×7-inch rectangle.
Spread 1 ounce chocolate on short end of each. Roll up jelly roll fashion. Pinch seam and ends to seal. Arrange seam side down in prepared pans. Cover with kitchen towel. Let rise for 15 minutes to lighten.
Preheat oven to 375℉ (190℃). Brush loaves with egg glaze and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until light brown and loaves sound hollow when tapped on bottom, about 30 minutes. Immediately remove from pans. Cool on racks 10 minutes. Serve loaves hot.
Variation: Spread 1 Tbs raspberry preserves on short end of dough before adding chopped chocolate.
Comments
