Italian Chocolate Bread (Pane al Cioccolato) 

Italian Chocolate Bread, known as Pane al Cioccolato, is a slightly sweet loaf bread that’s delicious on it’s own or with a served with a soft mild cheese or butter. It’s the perfect treat for breakfast or a midday snack! 

This classic Italian recipe for chocolate bread is excellent for any occasion and is easy enough to make whenever you are craving a sweet treat. The bread is slightly sweet, and comes together quick with just a few simple ingredients. 

If you love classic Italian breads, don’t miss my Italian Brioche or this classic Italian Pandolce recipe. If you love chocolatey treats, don’t miss this Chocolate Ricotta Bundt Cake or this Torta Tenerina. 

Pane al Cioccolato

Pane al Cioccolato is the classic Italian chocolate sweet bread. It’s a soft and slightly sweet with the texture of a classic bread loaf. 

This Italian Chocolate Bread is flavored with both cocoa powder and chunks of dark chocolate chips. It’s one of the classic sweet breads recipes of Italy, that’s not to sweet and perfect with a cup of coffee or tea. 

Pane al Cioccolato is not be confused with chocolate babka, a braided bread from eastern Europe. This bread instead has chocolate chunks found throughout it and a cocoa base. 

Because this is a yeast bread, it will need time to rise. This will give the bread that irresistible texture and taste. 

You’ll Love this Bread! 

This recipe for Italian Chocolate Bread is so delicious, you’ll want to make it again and again! It’s a great way to get your chocolate fix without a lot of work. 

I love to have this bread on hand during the week when I’m craving a sweet treat. It’s excellent toasted with a smear of mascarpone cheese, cream cheese, peanut butter, or butter, and a side of fresh fruit. 

Once you make this recipe, you’ll love how quickly it’s put together. Use your stand up mixer with dough hook attachment to make it even easier. 

You’ll love that you can make this recipe ahead of time and freeze or refrigerate until ready to eat. It stays tender and moist for days and is great served as a breakfast or midday treat. 

So, if you love all things chocolate, be sure to give this recipe for Italian Chocolate Bread a try. You’re going to love it!

Ingredients

• Yeast: use active dry yeast. You will need a whole envelope of the yeast. 
• Sugar: granulated sugar is used to feed the yeast as well as sweeten the bread dough. 
• Water: warm water is needed to help to activate the yeast. 
• Flour: use all purpose flour. Bread flour can be used as well. 
• Cocoa Powder: use unsweetened cocoa powder, like Hershey’s. 
• Milk: room temperature whole milk. Make sure the milk is not too warm or it could melt the chocolate before baking. 
• Egg: only use the egg yolk of a large egg and not the egg white. 
• Salt: kosher salt works best for baking. 
• Chocolate: I like to use dark chocolate chunks for this recipe but regular chocolate chips work too. 

How to Make Italian Chocolate Bread

This classic recipe for Pane al Cioccolata is a perfect treat for chocolate lovers. You can make this the classic way on a baking sheet or bake in a loaf pan or lined dutch oven.

This recipe is so easy to make using a stand mixer but can be made in a large bowl. The dough will need time to proof and rise, so be sure to plan accordingly. 

​Step 1: proof the yeast

In a small bowl, combine the warm water (about 105-110 degrees) along with a teaspoon of sugar and packet of dry active yeast. 

Let the yeast mixture sit for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture is foamy. If your mixture doesn’t foam, it is likely your yeast is dead and you’ll need to start over with fresh yeast. 

Step 2: combine bread ingredients

In a stand up mixer fitted with hook attachment, combine the room temperature milk, sugar, egg yolk, cocoa powder, salt, and proofed yeast mixture. Use a whisk to mix together ingredients until well combined. 

Then, add in the flour and chocolate chips. Use the hook attachment to mix the ingredients on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium speed and knead the dough for 5-7 minutes until smooth and elastic. 

Step 3: first rise

Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover plastic wrap or a clean towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place, until it has doubled in size, about two hours. 

Step 4: second rise and bake

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and divide into two equal pieces. Form each dough ball into a round shape and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 

​Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a towel and let rise for another hour until doubled in size. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Bake the Italian Chocolate Bread on the center rack of your preheated oven for about 30 minutes. You’ll know the bread is done when the top is golden in color. 

Let cool on a wire rack completely before slicing and serving. 

Tips for Making Italian Chocolate Bread

• Yeast: Make sure you are using active yeast that has not expired. If the yeast mixture does not bubble and foam when proofed, it is likely the yeast is dead and you will need to start over. 
• Bowl Method: If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can make this by hand in a large mixing bowl. Once the ingredients are combined, knead on a lightly floured countertop for 5-7 minutes until soft and elastic. 
• ​Forming the Bread: You can form this into two bread rounds or do a large loaf. You could even make this bread in a loaf pan or braid for a more intricate shape. 
• Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. You can also freeze in an airtight container for up to a month. 
• Serving: Serve with mascarpone cheese or a smear of butter for a delicious treat any time of the day! Leftover stale bread would be great for making bread pudding or french toast. 

Italian Breakfast Breads