Recipe: Marbled Chocolate Bread

Here's a technique to create a marbled effect in your bread with two kinds of dough. A recipe for a basic sweet dough is provided here, but use any preferred recipe and then add the chocolate mix-in into one portion as detailed in the step-by-step instructions that follow. Use this marbled bread in chocolate French toast.

MARBLED CHOCOLATE BREAD

Makes 1 loaf

400g bread flour

1 tsp fine salt

40g sugar

1 tsp instant yeast

240g whole milk

1 tsp lemon extract

1 egg, beaten

55g butter, softened

Chocolate mix-in

50g bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 tbsp water

1 tsp instant coffee powder

2 tbsp bread flour

½ tsp baking soda

Combine the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a mixing bowl. Combine the milk, lemon extract and half the egg (the remaining egg will be used later).

This next stage can be done by hand or in a stand mixer. Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture, and combine into a rough ball of dough. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes.

Add the softened butter and knead into the dough until fully incorporated. Knead the dough until smooth, cover the bowl and leave to proof until triple in volume, 1½-2 hours.

Butter and flour a 20cm loaf tin.

Make the chocolate mix-in: Melt the chocolate in a microwave or over simmering water. Take off the heat and stir in the water and coffee powder. Stir in the bread flour and baking soda – the mixture will become more paste-like.

[vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][/vc_column][vc_column width="2/3"]Divide the dough into three equal portions; form into balls. Take one portion and flatten into a thick disc.[/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][/vc_column][vc_column width="2/3"]Add the chocolate paste and knead into the dough until fully incorporated.[/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][/vc_column][vc_column width="2/3"]Press the three pieces of dough into rough 18cm squares and sandwich the chocolate dough between the plain doughs. [/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][/vc_column][vc_column width="2/3"]Cut the stack into three pieces.[/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][/vc_column][vc_column width="2/3"]Cut each portion into 2cm strips.[/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][/vc_column][vc_column width="2/3"]Sprinkle or spray about 1 tsp of water of the dough strips. Gather them together into the shape of the prepared loaf tin. [/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][/vc_column][vc_column width="2/3"]Transfer to the tin, cover and leave to rise until it reaches the top of the tin. Brush with the remaining beaten egg and bake in an oven preheated to 180°C until the top is a deep golden brown, 35-40 minutes.[/vc_column][/vc_row]