chocolate bread

November 2, 2022November 2, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

If you long for slightly warm pain au chocolat directly from a Paris pâtisserie, long no more! This chocolate bread offers real competition! If you battle to understand the finishing instructions, go to my instagram account (karen_claassen) or my YouTube channel, for a demonstration video.

300ml milk

30ml butter

10g instant yeast

80ml sugar

a pinch of salt

850ml cake flour

2 egg yolks

350g chocolate spread

2 egg whites

Put a small saucepan onto the heat and warm the milk in it.

Stir the butter into the milk so that it can melt.

Allow the milk to come to a temperature where you can comfortably keep your finger in it without feeling it is hot.

Sprinkle the yeast onto the milk and give it a good stir. Set aside for 5 minutes or so.

Add the sugar, salt and flour to a large mixing bowl.

Add the yeast mixture as well as the egg yolks and mix to form a rough dough.

Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave to stand until doubled in volume.

Preheat your oven to 180℃.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Transfer the dough to a work surface and divide it into four equal pieces.

Roll the first portion of dough into a circle – I like to measure my circle with the loose-bottom of a 22cm cake tin. This is a real help in getting all the circles/discs to the same size.

Transfer this dough circle onto your prepared baking sheet and spread a third of the chocolate spread as evenly as you can over the dough.

Repeat this process with the other three portions of dough.

Once the last dough circle has been placed onto the stack, you are ready to cut and shape your bread. If you have difficulty in following this process, go to my instagram account or my YouTube channel for demonstration video.

Finishing instructions:

Imagine a 5cm diameter circle as the centrepiece of your dough circles – DO NOT cut through this circle.

Now, if the dough circles were a clock, make an incision from the centre circle on 12 o’clock, 6 o’clock, 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock.

Half each of the four triangles you have so that you are left with 8 pieces.

Lastly, cut through each of the 8 pieces to end up with 16.

Now lift two pieces that are next to each other, one in each hand, and make two twists in opposite directions. Carefully place these pieces down. Keep going until all of the bread pieces have been twisted and your have a beautifully patterned bread.

Cover the bread with a clean tea towel and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.

Whisk the two egg whites with a fork and glaze the bread with it.

Bake for 20 minutes, until golden.

Serve slightly warm.

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Tropical Chocolate Bread

January 20, 2022January 20, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a great variation on banana bread and perfect for brunch when served with roasted peaches. Keeps for 2-3 days in an airtight container but it is very good when toasted thereafter.

150g butter
190ml caster sugar
2 eggs
30ml milk
2 ripe bananas, sliced
250ml self-raising flour
5ml bicarbonate of soda
62ml dodo powder, sifted
125ml desiccated coconut
160g De Villiers Cocoa Nut Butter Chocolate, chopped

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 11cm X 25cm X 7cm loaf tin with baking paper.
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Beat on medium-high speed until creamy.
Add the eggs, milk and sliced bananas and mix for another minute.
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder together and stir into the mixture.
Take the bowl from the mixer, add the coconut and chocolate and stir through by hand.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Turn the bread out onto a wire rack to cool.
Slice to serve.

Honey-Roasted Peaches:
6 fresh peaches
15ml butter, cubed
62ml honey

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Cut the peaches in half and remove the stones.
Place the peach halves on an oven tray and dot the cubed butter over it.
Drizzle over the honey.
Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until caramelised and golden brown.
Serve on a toasted slice of Tropical Chocolate Bread.

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Bitter Chocolate Banana Bread

May 11, 2021May 8, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This banana bread is delicious and chocolatey without being sweet and has incredible depth of flavour. I have included the substitutes for ingredients in brackets, to make it vegan. Enjoy this tea-time bread with a spread of salted butter.

220g banana, mashed (about three bananas)
5ml apple cider vinegar
35g butter, melted (nut butter)
300ml milk (soy milk)
100g sugar (Erythritol/any other sweetener)
a pinch of salt
200g flour
2,5ml bicarbonate of soda
10ml baking powder
50g cacao powder
40g + 40g dark chocolate, chopped

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a small bread tin (22cm X 11cm) with baking paper.
Mash the banana with a fork in a mixing bowl.
Add the vinegar, melted butter and milk and mix through with a spatula.
Add the sugar to this mixture and stir through.
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and cacao powder into the bowl and mix well.
Stir in 40g of the chopped chocolate.
Spoon the batter into the prepared bread tin and sprinkle the other 40g of chopped chocolate on top.
Bake the bread for 1 hour 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the bread, comes out clean.
Take the banana bread from the oven and lift the bread from the tin by holding the ends of the baking paper.
Cool the bread completely on a cooling rack before cutting.
Serve with a spreading of salted butter.