R khooks

Mum’s the best: Chocolate & Orange bread

Today we have a *star* guest appearance (well for me, it is) on R khooks. I was absolutely delighted when my Mum sent me her entry for the competition (she was the one to make me aware of the cause). So I was only to happy to put her entry up on my blog. And what an entry it is! Yummy chocolate with a tangy orange kick, this bread will be giving the other choctastic entries a run for it’s money.

P.S. For all of you who haven’t had the time to enter I’m extending the deadline until Monday the 8th October. So go bake something chocolately this weekend!

My Mum’s Chocolate & Orange bread

This recipe required several attempts to get the chocolate and orange flavours right. I don’t think I’ve quite perfected yet. For my taste I would like the orange flavour to come through a bit stronger. But here it comes for what it’s worth.

Starter dough

200ml warm water
225g wholemeal bread flour
1tsp salt
1 ½ tsp dried yeast
1 tbsp Fairtrade cocoa powder (I used Green & Black’s Maya Gold)
1 tbsp melted orange marmalade

Mix all ingredients together. The dough will be fairly wet and sloppy. It needs some 5 mins beating away from the edges with a wooden spoon. Or if you feel like it you can give it a ‘squelching’ with your hands. Pretty sticky but works well. Rub off any dough from your hands with flour. Cover in a bowl with a wet cloth and leave overnight or about 8hrs.

In the morning mix the starter dough with the following ingredients:

225g unbleached white flour
1 egg (beaten)
140ml warm milk
50g melted butter
100g Fairtrade chocolate, melted (I used milk chocolate in this case but I think dark chocolate gives it a better colour and a bit more intensive flavour)
2 tbsp of melted orange marmalade
200g ground nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts or almonds will be find)
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon - optional

Mix all the ingredients together with the starter dough. Again the consistence should be fairly sticky, not your usual bread dough. And give it a good beating with a wooden spoon or get your hands in there. Leave for 4 to 6 hours to rise depending on the temperature in your kitchen.

After it’s doubled in size knock back and transfer into lined baking tin. Leave to prove for about 30 mins while oven is pre-heating (200C/400F/Gas6). Bake for 10mins and then turn temperature down to 180C/350C/Gas4). Bake for a further 30mins. Turn out and cool on a wire rack.

The chocolate bread should be soft, moist and really yummy, just a slight sweetness from the chocolate and the marmalade. It makes a really good alternative to cakes or tea bread.