Chocolate & Orange Twisted Loaf

This is a very moreish sweet style bread layered with a chocolate and orange filling. I made this bread one drizzly Sunday and kept coming back for one more slice! If, unlike me, you have some restraint and you have some leftovers this bread would make amazing French Toast.

The Recipe

Ingredients

Dough Recipe:

• 500g (1 additional tablespoon may be needed) strong bread flour

• 1 sachet of dried yeast

• 60g caster sugar

• Zest of 1 orange

• 200ml warmed milk

• 60g melted butter

• 1 free-range egg

• 1 free-range egg yolk

Chocolate & Orange Filling:

• 200g of good quality dark or milk chocolate (your preference)

• 40g soft dark brown sugar

• 60g softened butter

• Zest of 1 orange

Orange Drizzle:

• 100g icing sugar

• 1-2 tbsp. orange juice

Method:

1. Warm the milk (about 30-40 seconds in the microwave should do it), add the melted butter and yeast. Allow to sit for about 1 minute.

2. In a large bowl add the flour, sugar, orange zest, egg and egg yolk. Finally add the milk and mix together to form a dough.

3. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes on medium speed in a stand mixer using the dough attachment. (If you don't have a food mixer you can knead by hand on a well floured surface).

4. After kneading you should have a smooth, springy dough, remove from the mixer and cover the bowl with cling-film or a tea towel. Leave the dough somewhere warm to prove for 1- 1 ½ hours until it has doubled in size- this may be longer/quicker depending on the temperature in your house.

5. After proving, knock back your dough, remove from the bowl on to a well floured surface and roll out in to a 40 x 30 cm rectangle.

6. Next make the filling, in a bowl mix together the softened butter (not melted, just room temperature), brown sugar and orange zest. Chop the chocolate into small chunks.

7. First, spread the butter/sugar filling evenly over the dough and then sprinkle the chocolate. Press the chocolate very slightly so it sticks to the filling.

8. Start to roll the dough from the long side (closest to you), until you form a long cylinder shape. Cut off the ends at each side and then gently cut the dough lengthways so that the filling is visible and leave a small section joined at one end.

9. Start to fold one side of the dough over the other and repeat this process until joined together (essentially braiding both sides together).

10. Butter and line a loaf tin and very gently transfer the dough to your prepared tin, cover with cling film and allow to prove again for 40- 60 minutes.

11. Pre-heat oven to 180⁰C (160⁰C fan).

12. Remove the cling-film and bake for 35-40 minutes.

13. To make the orange drizzle, sieve the icing sugar into a bowl and slowly mix in the orange juice until you have a consistency that pours off the spoon.

14. Remove from the oven on to a wire tray, while still warm, cover with orange drizzle icing. Once cooled remove from tin and serve.