Italian Chocolate Bread (Pane al Cioccolato)

Italian Chocolate Bread Recipe, Pane al Cioccolata.

Italian Chocolate Bread (Pane al Cioccolato)

This classic recipe for Italian Chocolate Bread, known as "Pane al Cioccolato" is delicious to have on hand as a breakfast treat or midday snack. Smear the warm slice of bread with butter or a bit of mascarpone for an extra special treat.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Italian

Keyword chocolate bread

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 35

Rising Time 3

Total Time 3 55

Servings servings

Calories 220kcal

Author Angela Allison

Ingredients

2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (one package)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
⅓ cup warm water (about 110-115 degrees)
1 cup milk, room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup cocoa powder
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 cups all purpose flour (540 grams)
1 cup dark chocolate, chopped (chocolate chips work too)

Instructions

In a small bowl combine the yeast, teaspoon of sugar, and warm water. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes to get foamy.
In the bowl of a stand up mixer, whisk together the milk, ½ cup sugar, cocoa powder, egg yolk, salt, and yeast mixture. Mix until well combined.
Add in the flour and chopped chocolate. Use the dough hook attachment to mix the ingredients for 2 minutes on low speed to combine the ingredients. Then, increase speed to medium and knead for an additional 3-4 minutes until the mixture comes together and forms a soft dough, adding in more flour if needed.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise until the dough has doubled in size; about 2 hours.
Once the dough has risen, punch it down and cut into two equal pieces. Shape each piece into a round loaf and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise again until doubled; about an hour.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake the bread on the center rack of oven for about 30-35 minutes, or until the top is golden. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack completely before slicing.

Notes

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.

Nutrition