When I saw this yeasted chocolate coffee cake on the Martha Stewart website, I about fell out of my chair. Yeasted bread? Yum. Chocolate? Yum. Cinnamon as well? Woo hoo! Another great plus about this recipe is that there is a video of Martha Stewart making the bread with former NFL linebacker Terry Crews. He is the kind of person who appreciates a recipe that has lots of butter, sugar and chocolate. Great guy.
Warning: I cannot stop eating this bread. I baked it yesterday and the loaf is almost finished!
Warning Number Two: Do not cut into this loaf until it is completely cool. The whole thing will collapse if you do. I may have discovered this on my own. After all, you know that I really have no self-restraint.
Dough
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup plus a pinch of granulated sugar
3/4 cup warm milk, about 110° F (43° C)
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 stick salted butter, room temperature
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup plus a pinch of granulated sugar
3/4 cup warm milk, about 110° F (43° C)
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 stick salted butter, room temperature
In a large bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast and a pinch of granulated sugar over the warm milk. Let stand for 5 minutes, or until foamy.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar, the whole egg, and the egg yolk. Stir into the yeast mixture. Add the flour and salt and mix until combined. Switch to the dough hook attachment. Add the salted butter and mix until the dough is soft and sticky, about 10 minutes.
Place the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth. Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Filling
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon heavy cream, for egg wash
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon heavy cream, for egg wash
Butter a 9- or 10-inch loaf pan and place some parchment paper inside (see photo).
In a small bowl, mix together the chocolate, brown sugar, and a cinnamon. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture is uniform. Reserve 1/2 cup for later use.
Punch down the dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until it is an 18-inch square. Brush the egg wash around the edge of the dough to make a 1-inch border. Spread the chocolate mixture (except for the 1/2 cup that you put aside) evenly throughout the dough, leaving the 1-inch border intact. Starting at one end, roll the dough tightly like a jelly roll. Pinch the edges closed. Fold the dough in half into a U-shape. Then, twist this U 2-3 times to make it look kind of like a braid (see photo). Place the dough into the loaf pan. Brush the top of the dough with egg wash and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of filling over the top of the dough. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow the dough to double in size, 20-30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake the loaf for 55 minutes, or until the top is deeply golden. Using the parchment paper to help you take out the loaf, transfer the loaf to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Do not cut until the loaf has cooled considerably!
