chocolate chip craisin bread

Enough with the savory, let's talk sweet. This no-knead recipe delivers bread packed with chocolaty goodness. 

Yield: 16 rolls or 1 large loaf or 2 medium loaves

180 calories per roll or 2,900 calories per batch

Active time: 25 minutes

Total time: 15 hours

ingredients

the dough

3 cups high gluten flour

1/2 cup rye flour

1/2 cup wheat flour

2½ teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

1¾ cups lukewarm water

the filling

1½ cup craisins

1/2 cup chocolate chips

The day before: Making the dough

1. Mix the water, yeast, and a pinch of sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes. Given the small amount of yeast, the mixture doesn't get too bubbly or foamy.

2. Combine and mix the flours and salt in a large bowl. Slowly add the yeast mixture, stirring with a plastic spoon until a soft, loose dough forms.

3. Roll the dough out onto a hard surface and knead by hand a few turns to ensure all the ingredients are incorporated. Form a ball. 

4. Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Let rest at room temperature for at least 12 hours. 

The day of: Shaping and baking the bread

The dough will be bubbly and puffy when you roll it onto a lightly floured counter top. 

a. rolls:

5a. Cut the dough into half and roll it out into a long rectangle. Sprinkle the toppings on top of the dough and form a long jelly roll.  Cut the jelly roll into 8 pieces and form them each into small balls, making sure to seal and tuck in the ends.  No add-ins should poke out or through the dough. Repeat with the other half of the dough.

  

 

6a. Place the rolls on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and a towel. Let rise about 2 hours.  

7a. During the last 30 minutes of the proof, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

8a. Brush with egg wash, desired topping, and bake for 30 minutes, or until the rolls are deep brown in color.

b. loaf:

5b. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a rectangle.  Sprinkle on the toppings and form a jelly roll, rolling from the short side.  Form into a ball, making sure you seal and tuck in the ends. No add-ins should poke out or through the dough. Let rest 15 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise for about 2 hours.

 

6b. During the last 30 minutes of proof, preheat the oven to 450°F and place a bread crock or an oven-safe pot in the oven while it heats up. I used an enameled cast iron dutch oven. 

7b. After the dough is risen, remove the crock from the oven, and turn the dough out of the bowl and into the parchment lined crock. Brush with egg wash, cover with the lid, and return to the oven. I used the plastic wrap cover to turn the dough into my hand and then dropped it into dutch oven to ensure the jelly roll seams would be on the bottom of the loaf during the bake.

8b. Bake for 30 minutes covered, then remove the lid and continue to bake another 30 minutes, until the bread is deep brown in color. (To prevent darker spots, make sure that in step 5 your dough is taut. Loose rolling + air bubble = unsightly, dark bubbles.)

Other modifications:

• Don’t include the chocolate chips or craisins: You’ll have a savory rye/wheat bread!
• Don't close up the ends and proof with cut side up so your rolls look more like pinwheels/cinnamon rolls.
• Use different add-ins like sweetened coconut flakes or dried lavender.

Original recipe found here.