February is here and that means another #TwelveLoaves challenge. We took it a little easy with our bread baking in January and had a “Keep it Simple!” theme. Even the simple breads were just amazing!
But February is the month to go a little more decadent…a little more daring. February is the month of love and also a month for loving CHOCOLATE!
#TwelveLoaves February: Chocolate. We were good all January with our Keep it Simple theme, now it’s time to get a little decadent. February #TwelveLoaves is all about Chocolate! Choose a recipe featuring chocolate. (It could be a bread accented with chocolate chips, baked with cocoa powder, chocolate spreads, whatever you love!). Whatever you bake (yeasted, quick bread, crackers, muffins, grissini, braids, flatbreads, etc) have fun and let’s have a delicious month of bread with chocolate. Let’s get baking!
#TwelveLoaves is a monthly bread baking party created by Lora from Savoring Italy.
Looking for some CHOCOLATE inspiration? Here are the fantastic Twelve Loaves bakers and their bread for February:
- Buttermilk Chocolate Quick Bread by Renee at Magnolia Days
- Chocolate Brownie Quick Bread by Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
- Chocolate Chip Challah Bread by Lora at Cake Duchess
- Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls by Dionne at Try Anything Once Culinary
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Braid by Stacy at Food Lust People Love
- Chocolate Swirl Bread by Holly at A Baker’s House
- Dark Chocolate and Prune Bread by Deepti at Bakingyummies
- Dates and Chocolate Brioche by Rossella at Ma che ti sei mangiato
- Love Me, Love Me Knots by Felice at All That’s Left Are The Crumbs
- Marbled Rye Bread by Karen at Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins by Liz at That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Notes
Yields 2 challah breads
Chocolate Chip Challah Bread
by
Prep Time: approx 2-3 hours
Cook Time: approx 35-40 minutes
Ingredients (2 challah breads)
- For the dough
- 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast (I used Red Star Yeast Platinum for this recipe)
- 1 cup warm water (no more than 110°F [43°C])
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 4 1/2 to 5 cups bread flour, or 5 1/2 to 6 cups bleached all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup peanut, corn, or canola oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips (or whatever type you prefer)
- To sprinkle on top:
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- For the egg wash:
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp sugar
- whisk it together and brush on bread prior to baking
Instructions
In a mixer, with a dough hook attachment, add the warm water and yeast. Mix until blended. Add the sugar and mix about a minute. Slowly mix in 1 cup of the flour until combined.
Mix in the eggs one at a time until they are combined. Add another 2 cups of the flour, oil, and salt. Mix together on medium-low speed stopping the machine to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Slowly add the rest of the flour (the remaining 4 cups) and mix until combined. Stop the machine as you add each cup of the flour to scrape the sides of the bowl and incorporate the flour. Mix on low speed for 12 minutes until dough is incorporated. Be sure to give your mixer a break and as you don’t want to burn it out. Add flour if needed 1 tablespoon at a time. The dough will be a little sticky but also firm.
Take dough out of mixer bowl, knead in the chocolate chips.
Form the dough into a ball and place into an oiled bowl (when I put the dough in the bowl I swish the dough around the bottom of the bowl and then flip it over so all of the dough is covered in a light film of oil). Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size (about 1-1 1/2 hours).
Punch down the dough. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball, and allow it to rest with plastic wrap on it for 5-10 minutes.
Roll each dough ball into long piece .Braid 3 strands together to form a loaf. Repeat with the other 3 strands. Cover and let rise in a draft free place for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
When ready to bake, brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.
Bake the challah for 35-40 minutes. The bread should be golden brown. Ovens may vary so check your challah at about 30 minutes and see how it’s doing. You test if it’s done by tapping the bottom of the loaf. If it sounds hollow, it needs a bit more time.* Be careful to not burn your fingers like I did when you do that test. Let it cool and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Lora,
I love this bread!!! a challah is always so pretty! I will be baking next week!
[…] Chocolate Chip Challah Bread by Lora at Cake Duchess […]
Now why have I never added chocolate chips to my challah??? I love, love your perfect, delicious loaves!!!
Gorgeous bread Lora! And what a choice for this month's challenge. Awesome.
[…] Chocolate Chip Challah Bread by Lora at Cake Duchess […]
Chocolate is the perfect ingredient for this month, Lora. Well chosen! I love your challah with chocolate chips. Your loaves turned out beautifully. Clearly I need some braiding lessons from you!
That is ridiculously pretty!
Challah is always enchanting, with chocolate it becomes irresistible.
Thanks again for this great adventure of Twelve Loaves.
uhhh I want to dive into it. Right now. yum yum.
[…] Chocolate Chip Challah Bread by Lora at Cake Duchess […]
You make be the cake "duchess" but you are the QUEEN of baking challah! Every time you bake it and share it here I think it is the most beautiful way to bake bread. Love the braiding method and your results are fantastic!
Beautiful! And I love the almonds on top Lora. What a great way to start off February. I need to make a loaf of challah happen asap!
Absolutely gorgeous, Lora. I love the chocolate chips and almond topping!
Does it get any better than this? Pinning!
Absolutely gorgeous! I always love your bread recipes and this one will be no exception. I want some of this challah bread for myself! Oh- I mean for my family and I. 🙂
Lovely!! Maybe this is just what I need to bake a loaf! Its been too long! But who can pass up chocolate and bread together?
Ok, I need to read every body's post this month – I LOVE chocolate! Your challah looks amazing, Lora. Challah is on my foodie bucket list this year. I'm determined to make it and I should use this yummy recipe.
Bread and Chocolate: two of my favorite things. Can't wait to make this! I love the challah recipe, too!
Baked good don't get much prettier than that! Oh! that braid is fantastic! 🙂 ela
Lora, these photographs are stunning and the bread sounds amazing. The almond slices are so beautifully placed. Everything about this bread is inspiring.
Such a beautiful bread, and just stunning photos. Also, thanks for the tip on the giving my mixer a rest so that I don't blow out the motor – that would be heartbreaking to do when I am just getting started with bread.
Oh wow. I am seriously in awe. Gorgeous! My mom used to make Challah when I was growing up. Haven't had it in ages. *cries* I really need to start making bread. It's on my bucket list!
You know you are preaching to the choir here with this awesome challah. I bet my grown up child would love the chocolate chip touch! 🙂
Mamma mia che voglia!
I'm licking the screen! Love this!
Isn't it just beautiful! I've been wanting to make challah bread forever and just haven't taken the time to do it! I love this though!
Oh wow. This challah is just gorgeous. I've never thought of adding chocolate chips and almonds. I feel like this might make the world's most amazing French toast!
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