After a weekend away in Cambridge and embarking upon a redecorating project at home, I wanted something really simple to make this week.
I already felt like I didn’t really have any spare time to make something very intricate, so I chose an easy recipe from the Viennoiserie section of ‘the book’.
The recipe I settled on was a chocolate orange loaf. It ticked all the boxes, it was simple to make and very tasty. This is something children could make. So perhaps you could give it a go over the summer holidays.
I love making bread, it’s so relaxing and returning to it after a few hours to see how much it’s grown, is always fun.
The other thing about bread, is that because of the yeast, it’s a ‘live’ product, meaning that no two loaves are ever exactly the same.
To begin I mixed the dry ingredients for the bread, to this I added some powdered milk that had been mixed with warm water.
All of the ingredients are combined in a food mixer or by hand, until they are soft and elastic.
Chocolate chips and orange peel are then added by hand and kneaded into the dough, until fully mixed in.
The dough is then left to prove until doubled in size.
The dough is then tipped out into a floured surface and rolled and shaped until it will fit into a 9 inch loaf tin. The dough is then left to prove again until doubled in size.
The proven loaf is baked in the oven for 30 minutes until golden and then left to cool.
Here’s the recipe:
CHOCOLATE ORANGE LOAF
Ingredients
- 375 g Strong White Bread Flour
- 15 g Granulated Sugar
- 2 Tsp Salt
- 15 g Fresh Yeast or 1 1/2 Tsp Fast Action Yeast
- 20 g Powdered Milk
- 200 ml Lukewarm Water
- 60 g Mixed Peel
- 50 g Softened Unsalted Butter
- 70 g Milk Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Put the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a bowl to mix by hand) fitted with a dough hook.
- Crumble in the yeast, making sure it does not touch the salt.
- In a small bowl dissolve the powdered milk in the lukewarm water.
- Pour this into the dry ingredients.
- Knead at low speed until smooth (about 3 minutes), or by hand.
- Add the softened butter and increase the speed to medium and knead until all the butter is incorporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Or Knead by hand.
- Add the chocolate chips and the candied peel and knead by hand until evenly distributed.
- The dough should be firm and elastic.
- Place the dough back in the bowl and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume about 1 hour 3omins.
- On a lightly floured worktop flatten the dough into a rectangle and then roll it up tightly and tuck both the ends under.
- Lightly grease and flour a 9inch loaf tin.
- Place the dough in the pan with the seam at the bottom.
- Press the dough into the pan.
- Leave the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled again, around 1 hour 30 mins.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
- Bake the loaf for 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Tap the bottom it will sound hollow.
- Transfer to a rack and allow to cool.
Do you have any fallback recipes that you always bake for special occasions or bake sales at work, because they always produce the desired results?
If so, let me know.
Thanks for reading.
Angela
Jodie
I love baking bread, especially at this time of year when it’s getting cool outside and the house smells so delicious from the bread. Baking bread is so therapeutic and I do miss it. I miss my bread maker too! 😀 I’ve never had this sort of variation (surprise!) but I do love a good zucchini bread. Sorry I’m so far behind again! I will catch up, my alerts were going into my junk folder. Love the new design too, very retro. 🙂 x
patisseriemakesperfect
Jodie – thank you for the kind compliments about the site design. I figured I needed a better logo than the one I had 🙂 Can’t believe my updates were going in your junk folder. I’m offended 🙂
I’ve never had zucchini bread, but it sounds good, this fruit loaf was really tasty and the recipe is really simple. Maybe you could try it for your return to breadmaking. x
Julie's Family Kitchen
Oh yum, I love chocolate and orange together. This loaf looks and sounds simply heavenly.
patisseriemakesperfect
Thanks Julie, It’s really simple to make as well, which makes it one of my favourite recipes.
Emily @amummytoo
Oooh, that looks incredible. Thanks so much for linking up with #recipeoftheweek. Sorry I was particularly slow getting over for this one. I’ve pinned it to my food board and a tweet will go out shortly 🙂
patisseriemakesperfect
Thanks Emily. It really is a delicious bread and so easy too. Thanks for the interest. #recipeoftheweek
Stacey Guilliatt
Ooh I must try this! #recipeoftheweek
patisseriemakesperfect
Let me know how you get on Stacey! Good luck! #recipeoftheweek
Christopher
Simple to produce and well worth making. The orange and chocolate complement each other so well. Every one enjoyed this recipe. Very moreish.
Lucy @SupergoldenBakes
That looks like such a lovely bread to have for breakfast. I also fall back on recipes I have made many times before when I have no time. Breads and yeasted bakes are actually great when you are busy. My cinnamon buns are foolproof and I have adapted the recipe to be sweet or savoury with great success. Thanks for linking to #CookBlogShare
patisseriemakesperfect
Hi Lucy, Thanks for commenting. The bread was delicious and like your cinnamon buns it can be customised to include whatever you fancy, or happen to have in the cupboard. Those cinnamon buns sound amazing too.