Cranberry Clementine Chocolate Bread

It is a blizzardy day here in VT! Kels and I decided to make some bread while waiting for Chinese delivery (yes, we're slothy). Here's our recipe for cranberry clementine bread to fight your winter blues. It's essentially a cinnamon raisin bread recipe, but with a different filling.




Cranberry Clementine Chocolate Bread (makes 2 loaves)

For the dough:

- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 2/3 cup warm water
- 1 cup milk
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup butter, melted




For the filling:

- a few handfuls of chopped up dark chocolate
- a few handfuls of dried cranberries
- about one tablespoon of orange or clementine zest
- extra melted butter for brushing




1. Put the yeast in a large bowl and add the warm water. Let the yeast sit for 5-10 minutes until it starts to bubble and foam.

2. Add the eggs, milk, honey, salt, and melted butter (make sure it's warm, not hot-- otherwise the yeast will die) to the bowl. Stir to combine.

3. Add flour one cup at a time. The when the dough has taken enough flour, it shouldn't be very sticky, but also shouldn't be very dry. Once the dough becomes too difficult to stir, use your hands.

4. Knead the crap out of your dough! Make sure your surface is clean and lightly floured. Knead until the dough is smooth and springy. Now you have a bread baby!

5. Put the bread baby in a clean bowl and coat it with oil so it doesn't dry out during the rise. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and let the bread baby rise for about an hour and a half, or until it doubles in size.

6. In the mean time, make the filling. Zest your orange-like fruit of choice, chop up your chocolate, and add cranberries to the mixture.

7. Once the dough has doubled, cut it in half. We decided to make one plain loaf and one cranberry clementine chocolate loaf, but you can put the filling in both loaves if you want. Or, you can make your own filling for the second loaf! Roll out one half of the dough until it's about half an inch thick and rectangular. Brush the surface of the rectangle with melted butter and then spread the filling on top evenly. Roll up the dough so that you make a spiral log and tuck the ends under themselves. Place the loaf seam side down on a buttered loaf pan. Repeat with the other loaf (or just stick it in a loaf pan if it's plain). Brush both loaves with melted butter.

8. Let the loaves proof for about an hour. After they've started to rise above the edge of the pan, place them into a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes. When they're done, they should be brown on the top and should have a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom. Let the bread cool, then slice and enjoy with some butter!



This makes an amazing dessert/snack/breakfast bread. It's sinfully good. Give it a try!





Peace, love, and swirly bread,

Morgan and Kelsey