Braided Chocolate Loaf (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Dough
01 -
180 ml milk, warmed up
02 -
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
03 -
60 g sugar, split into two portions
04 -
440 g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
05 -
2 room-temperature large eggs
06 -
45 g unsalted butter, melted and split
07 -
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
08 -
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
09 -
Coconut oil for brushing, if you like
→ Chocolate Filling
10 -
240 ml heavy cream for whipping
11 -
50 g sugar
12 -
225 g semi-sweet chocolate bits
# Instructions:
01 -
In your stand mixer bowl, mix the yeast into warm milk. Wait 7 minutes. Stir in 25 g sugar and 65 g flour, mixing until smooth. Cover and let sit until it puffs up, 25 to 45 minutes.
02 -
Combine eggs, salt, 35 g melted butter, vanilla, the rest of the sugar, and mix thoroughly. Using the dough hook attachment, gradually add the rest of the flour in 60 g portions, letting it come together into a soft, slightly sticky dough. Knead for 8–10 minutes until silky.
03 -
Cover the dough tightly and let it sit somewhere warm to rise. Wait 1–2 hours until it doubles in size.
04 -
Warm the sugar with the cream in a pot over medium heat until the cream is just bubbling and the sugar is fully dissolved. Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate in a bowl, cover, and leave undisturbed for 5 minutes. Use a whisk to mix from the center outward until smooth. Let it cool, or put it in the fridge for a while to firm up.
05 -
Split the risen dough into two pieces. Dust your worktop with flour. Roll each piece into a rectangle, roughly 30 x 40 cm. Spread a third of the ganache across each rectangle. Roll tight from the shorter side. Wrap in plastic and chill for 15 minutes.
06 -
Cut each chilled roll in half lengthwise, keeping an inch at the top uncut. Twist the two halves together gently. Set each in a buttered loaf pan lined with parchment. Cover and allow to rise until they’re plump, about 30–90 minutes.
07 -
Set your oven to 175°C. Spread the remaining butter over the tops of the loaves. Bake in the middle rack for 30 minutes or until golden. Take them out to cool.
08 -
Use coconut oil to brush over the warm loaves for shine, or slather on the leftover ganache as a topping. Let them cool before cutting.
# Notes:
01 -
Keeping the dough and ganache cool will make it way easier to braid without sticking.
02 -
Wrap them tightly, and these loaves freeze beautifully for later.