Sunday, August 1, 2021

Chocolate Strawberry Swirl Bread

This rich, twisted loaf is filled with fresh strawberries and chocolate chunks, making breakfasts just a touch more decadent these days!

I love when we get fresh Ontario fruit here - the peaches, cherries and berries always taste a million times better when it was picked just outside your door, not to mention the costs come way down! Along with simply eating them by the bowlful, I love being able to take the fresh seasonal strawberries and make beautiful and delicious things with them! As luck would have it, I came across a recipe for a fruit studded babka shortly after coming home from the farmer's market and I was instantly intrigued. Chocolate and strawberries are a natural combo (and, truth be told, the only real "fruit and anything" combination I like), so pairing them in an enriched loaf was a new but decadent twist for me. 


Because the bread was enriched with milk, eggs and butter, I knew it would have a higher "done" temperature than lean dough and I didn't want the sugar to burn by overbaking. When the timer rang, I was able to quickly read the internal temperature with my ThermaPen One, sent very graciously to me by ThermoWorks. The ThermPen ONE is touted as the world’s fastest cooking thermometer, and with one second, super-accurate readings i am inclined to agree! Developing the thermometer was the result of five years of research and development, and comes with a NIST-traceable calibration certification verifying its accuracy to national standards. This thermometer also features a patented auto-rotating 360° Display Technology, a super bright Intelligent Backlight and a motion-sensing Sleep/Wake Mode. Since the kitchen can get messy, it is also fully waterproof to IP67 standards! As you can see I also use it to temp the water for more delicate teas to avoid scorching, and I love the backlight because my kitchen has some really dark pockets!

 

For more information and to buy your own ThermaPen One, check out their website here. You can see more videos on their YouTube channel as well!

Chocolate Strawberry Swirl Bread
Adapted from Kneady Girl
Makes 1 loaf
2/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp instant yeast (I used SAF Gold)
2 scoops Naked Rice protein powder (optional)
2 eggs, divided
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp salted butter, softened
1 cup diced strawberries
45g dark chocolate, chopped
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the milk, sugar and yeast, stirring well. 
  2. Add the flour, Naked Rice and flax and mix until just combined. Cover and let sit 10 minutes.
  3. With the mixer running add the eggs, one at a time, then the salt. Finally add in the butter bit by bit, mixing till well combined.
  4. Knead for about 7 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
  5. Cover and let rest for 2 hours.
  6. Knock down and knead in the strawberries.
  7. Roll dough into a long rectangle and sprinkle with the chocolate.
  8. Roll up from the long edge, then fold in half lengthwise and twist together into a loaf.
  9. Tuck into a greased loaf pan. 
  10. Cover and let rise another 45 minutes.
  11. Heat the oven to 375F.
  12. Slash the top twists of the loaf with a sharp knife and place in the oven.
  13. Bake for 30 minutes, until it reaches 210F with an instant read thermometer (I used a ThermaPen One for a one-second reading)
  14. Turn out of the pan immediately and cool on a rack.

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