Easy Chocolate Bread

Calling all Chocolate lovers, this Easy Chocolate Bread is made with cocoa and chocolate chips. Add a chocolate glaze to make it even more chocolate indulgent. Perfect for breakfast or snack with a cup of tea or coffee. Add a scoop of ice cream and make it Dessert!

I love anything and everything chocolate, from white to dark to milk chocolate, from a Cake to Truffles to Brownies and everything in between. This chocolate bread can be made plain or sprinkle with a little powdered sugar or go all out and drizzle with a chocolate glaze!

How to make it

Toss the chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of flour, this keeps the chips from sinking to the bottom of the loaf when baked. In a medium bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, sift in the cocoa then whisk all the ingredients together. In the mixing bowl beat together the eggs, yolk and sugar until smooth and light in colour.

Continue to beat while slowly adding the oil then add the yogurt and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and beat until combined. Stir in almost all the chips (leave some to sprinkle on top).

Spoon into prepared loaf pan and sprinkle remaining chips on top. Bake.

Let the bread cool in the pan then remove to a wire rack or plate to serve. Dust with powdered sugar or chocolate glaze.

How to make pastry flour

For every cup of all purpose flour, remove two tablespoons and replace with two tablespoons of corn starch. Be sure to sift the flour and cornstarch together a couple of times, this way it is sure to be properly combined and lump free. Cake flour in cakes and some sweet loaves will give you a very tender texture and fine crumb, it will also help it to rise.

What is the best cocoa to use

The best cocoa to use is Dutch Cocoa Powder, in order to produce cocoa powder it starts with washing the cocoa beans in an alkaline solution of potassium carbonate. This wash neutralizes the acidity in the beans. Therefore making dutch processed cocoa powder neutral, alkalizing cocoa makes it darker in colour, more mellow in flavour, and helps it to dissolve easily into liquids.

Why use oil?

Cakes made with vegetable oil tend to be higher and have a more even crumb, they also tend to stay moister for a longer period of time than cakes or sweet breads made with butter.

What is a quick bread?

Quick bread is a bread that uses a chemical leavening agent such as baking powder or baking soda instead of  a biological one like yeast or sourdough starter. Many cakes or even muffin recipes can be turned into quick breads by basically using a loaf pan. Sweet Breads can include some cakes, banana bread, beer bread, muffins and soda bread to name a few.

When to serve it

Since this loaf uses pastry flour, you could serve it not only at breakfast or snack with a cup of coffee or tea but it would make the perfect dessert also. Slice it up with a sprinkle of powdered sugar or a drizzle of chocolate glaze or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

How to make a chocolate glaze

Made with just 3 ingredients, Heat butter and cream until butter is melted, mix together, add the chips and stir until smooth, add a little extra cream if too thick (make sure cream is warm or the chocolate will seize), set aside 2 minutes to cool.

How to store it

The bread should be stored in an air tight container and will last up to 3-4 days at room temperature or a week in the fridge. If stored in the fridge bring it to room temperature before serving.

How to freeze it

The loaf can be frozen in a freezer save bag or container, it will keep up to 3 months in the freezer. You can also wrap individual slices in plastic wrap before freezing. This way you can take out a slice whenever you want.

More Delicious Sweet Bread

• Streusel Topped Blueberry Bread
• Easy Cinnamon Raisin Bread
• Best Homemade Lemon Bread
• Easy Homemade Beer Bread

So you are a lover of chocolate like me, then I hope you give this Easy Chocolate Bread a try and let me know what you think. Enjoy!