Sweet bread may not be for everyone as option for breakfast, but maybe I can change your mind with this Chocolate Chip Bread Loaf. This bread is soft and fluffy with just the right sweetness, and the best thing about it .. Choclate lovers listen to this 🙂 This bread is loaded with chocolate chips, inside and out! Yes, call it a dessert bread if you like, but whatever you want to call this, add delicious to it becuase it is.

I am a savory breakfast person myself, but there are days when I want a sweet breakfast. Sometimes, I even have savory first then a little something sweet to follow-up. I like balance in my food, plus if I can choose both why not?

I’ve made this read quite a few times, maybe more than few times as I cannot recall anymore how many. Compared to normaly loaf bread that is about 9-inches, this bread is on the smaller side. I used a 7-inch loaf pan to make ti a small batch recipe. I love bread 100%, but I also like making it in a decent portion because I have very little self control around bread. I love bread, I love crabs 🙂 what is not to like.

This is a yeast bread which means it takes more time to make it, but trust me on this when I say it is worth the wait. This requires 30 minutes kneading, 2 rest period of 1 hour each and then baking time about 30 minutes. All in all, about 3 hrs. You might think, 3 hrs for just a loaf of bread? If you notice, most of teh time in teh process was spent in the rest period which was 2 hour. That means while the dough is resting, you can do something else productive. Just leave it there and let it do its thing and come back when ready to shape. It does takes time and patience to make homemade bread, but it is worth it. Trust me on this ..

How To Make Chocolate Chip Loaf?

• Activate the Yeast – Hot Cross Bun is a yeast bread, this means the process will start by activating the yeast. Do not run away, making a yeast bread is not as scary as it sounds. Once you’ve made one, you will see how easy it is to work with yeast. The important thing to remember when working with yeast bread is to 1.) make sure that the yeast is not expired. Expired yeast will not activate, meaning even if you mix it with warm liquid and sugar, it will not foam up. The forming of the foam after 5 – 10 minutes is a sign that the yeast is active. Another thing to remember 2.) the liquid should be luke warm for the yeast to activate (110 – 115F). If the liquid is too hot, it will instantly kill the yeast, on the other hand if it it cold, it will not activate the yeast. I use bread thermometer whenever I need to activate the yeast, this assures that I have the right temperature. If you do not have one, feel the liquid. If it feels hot to your touch, then it is not good. Do NOT continue if your yeast failed to activate, this guarantees failure.
• Add Wet and Dry Ingredients:  Once the yeast is ready, all you need to do is add the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients, then let the mixer do the job of kneading the dough. This step is crucial, you have to aim for a soft, smooth and elastic dough that is slightly wet but not too wet that it sticks to your hands. I always say this, a clean bowl is a good sign of a correct bread dough texture. If the dough is too wet, add 1-2 tablespoon of flour. Wait for the flour to fully mix before you decide to add  more. If the dough is too dry, add a bit of water, 1 tsp at a time. This small addition is sometimes cannot be avoided because the texture of the dough depends on the moisture of the flour you are using. Old or dry flour will likely need more liquid, and new flour would need just normal amount of liquid mentioned in the recipe. The dough should look something like this. You see how the side of the bowl is clean, and the  dough starts to clump together, it is not dry, and still slightly sticky. You can see how dough still sticks to the bottom of the bowl, which means it is not totally dry. Dry dough produces dense bread.

•   First Rest Period: Th first rest period will have to be minimum of 1 hour to maximum of 2 hours if you have time to wait that long. Transfer the dough in a bowl greased with oil, then cover and leave in a warm place. I like to keep mine inside the oven which I pre-heated to 110F. The oven should be turned OFF once it reaches 110F. Do NOT forget to turn it off. You just want to warm the oven so that the dough will rise faster. If your oven have a proofing setting (lucky you!), use that instead.

• Roll and Shape: Once the first rest period is done, take the dough out of the bowl and divide into 3 portions. Roll the dough flat and fill the top with chocolate chips then roll into a small log about 2 x4-inch for aloaf pan of size 9-inches. I like to use kitchen scale for even size, but if you do not have one just estimate the size. Arrange the dough in a parchment paper lined 9-inch loaf pan (or something close to this measurement).
• 2nd Rest Period: Cover and leave in a warm place for another 60 minutes.  The bread dough will puff up and will close the gap in between the bread.

• Brush top with Egg Wash or Butter: This step is optional, but it will give a nice glossy shinny top which looks very appealing. Leftover egg wash can be cooked as scrambled egg, do not throw it.
  • Alternatively, If You do not want to use egg wash to save 1 egg, use milk to bursh the top.
• Pre-heat the Oven: Pre-heat the oven to 350F and leave the bread on the counter while the oven is pre-heating. This will give about 15 – 20 minutes additional time for the bread to rise.
• Bake: Finally, the finish line! Bake for 25 – 30 minutes. If the top starts to brown fast, cover it with aluminun foil.

What I love About This Bread?

• It is soft and fluffy
• This uses a simple bread dough recipe
• Fantastic subtle flavor and sweetness
• Loaded with chocolate chips inside and out

Tips for a Successful Soft Homemade Bread

• Measure the Ingredients Correctly – Baking requires precision. This is why it is always recommended to weigh the ingredients so that you get almost the same result every time you make it. So if you have a kitchen weighing scale, use it. Now, I know a lot of people do not use weighing scale and are more into cups measurement. This is also fine, just measure it properly so you are not far off from what is required. I have a separate post ‘How to Properly Measure Common Baking Ingredients‘, check it out.
• Liquid Temperature – Yeast grows in temperature between 110 – 115F, so its important to have the water that you are using to “proof” it in this range. If you go lower or higher, the yeast might not proof properly. That means the bread will not rise as much, resulting to a flat and tough bread. 
• Check Yeast Expiry a Date – You might be wondering how come the bread did not rise when you followed exactly the recipe. Well, first thing first, make sure the yeast is not yet expired. Expired yeast is the common reason for flat and dense bread. If your bread did not expand or rise during the rest period, it is most likely that the yeast is not fresh or the water temperature is too hot or cold. Monitor the activation of the yeast. You should see a foam forms after 10 minutes of activating the yeast. If no foaming appear, do NOT proceed.
• Amount of Yeast – Just because you want a tall bread doesn’t mean you have to put as much yeast in the mixture. Sometimes adding too much yeast can cause the bread to collapse during the rest period. Just imagine putting more air than what is needed in a balloon, the balloon will explode. The same case with bread. 
• Right Type of Yeast – Make sure to use the right one for your recipe, and make necessary adjustments if you want to swap one from another. This recipe uses active dry yeast and needs to be activated before using. Instant yeast do not require activating and can be mix directly with the flour and other dry ingredients. Just make sure it is not close to the salt. Yeast and salt are not best friends. The amount of active dry yeast is usually 1/4 teaspoon more then instant yeast, just in case you want to swap it for instant yeast.
• Rest Period – Yeast bread needs time to rise. There are bread that uses less yeast but requires more rest time, the likes of No Knead Bread or Artisan Bread which usually require 8- 16 hours rest period to get the volume and to develop the flavor. The point is, give it time to rest, don’t touch it just leave it in a warm place. The first rest period will normally tell you if your dough is good or not. If it rise and almost double in size, then your on the right track. This goes the same for 2nd rest period. You want the rolls to puff-up and be fluffy. Fluffy is a sign of soft bread because there is more air trapped inside to give it volume and soft texture.
• Expiration and Quality of the Flour – The quality of the flour greatly affect the texture of the bread. Bread flour could differ from country to country although they are all called as bread flour. Sometimes it depends on the brand too. The closer the flour to expiration date or if it is already expired, the flour could tend to be drier, which means it would require more liquid than mentioned in the recipe. This is a common issue of way sometimes the dough tend to be tough and dry. This is why sometimes you have to add few more tablespoon from the suggested flour measurement to get the right texture. The dough should be soft, smooth and elastic. If it is too wet, add a bit more flour until it is no longer to sticky to handle. If it is too dry, a small amount of liquid helps provide moisture to the dough. A clean side of the bowl, with the dough slightly sticking at the bottom, a soft, smooth and elastic dough is what You are aiming for.

How Do I Know if I Made the Bread Dough Correctly?

This is not written on the stone, but so far this is how I check if I am on the right track when it comes to the dough.

• Activating the Yeast –  This is the first thing that you should get right, otherwise do NOT proceed. After 5 – 10 minutes you should see a foam forms on top of the water, this is an indication that the yeast is alive. If you do not get this, either the yeast is old or the liquid temperature is too hot or cold. The temperature should be about 110F, lukewarm but not hot.
• Clean Bowl After Kneading – The sides of the bowl should be clean, while the bottom is slightly sticking to the dough. This means that amount of liquid to the flour is correct. Enough to make a clean bowl and still make a slightly wet dough.
• Soft Dough – Soft dough means the amount of flour to liquid is enough. Too much flour could make the bread dense and heavy, and too much liquid could make it too wet. Both will affect how the bread rise in the rest period. Try to push your fingers in the dough, it should leave a “dimple” on the dough and should gradually disappear.
• Smooth Dough Surface – Again, this is a sign of correct flour to liquid ratio. A “bumpy” surface could mean that the dough is dry and tough.
• Elastic Dough – A soft dough is usually elastic. If your dough is dry and tough, it wouldn’t be as elastic when you pull it apart.
• First Rest Period – The dough should almost double in size. This is a sign that the activation of the yeast work which is crucial to making a soft and fluffy bread. This also means the yeast is alive (not yet expired) and the liquid temperature is correct. I always use baking thermometer to check the temperature of the liquid.
• Second Rest Period – The bread dough should be really puff up and should fill in the gaps between each bread. This is crucial and the final state of the bread before baking. If you are able to make it puff-up, that is a good sign that there are air trapped inside which will make the bread fluffy.

Why is My Bread Too Wet or Too Dry?

Don’t get frustrated if your dough did not turn out immediately as what you see in the photo or video. Most likely It is not because you did not follow the recipe. When it comes to bread making, the amount of flour and liquid is not always 100% precise. This is way often times you will encounter recipes that says, if your dough is dry, add a bit more liquid. If your dough is too wet, add a little bit more flour. This instructions are not meant to confuse you, they are meant to guide you on how to adjust as you work through your dough. The reason for this is that although the measurement of water and flour are specified in the recipe, it still could slightly vary depending on many factors. For instance, all-purpose flour or bread flour could very from country to country, or even from brand to brand. Don’t be surprise if you find that some brand tends to require a bit more liquid as the others. On top of this, the amount of liquid is also affected by the state of your flour. How old is the flour that you are using? Older flour nearing expiry tends to be drier and this requires more liquid. Bread making requires patience, and practice. Once you learn how to feel the right texture of the dough, everything will be quick and easy. You can instantly tell if you need to add more water or flour o get the dough in right state.

Bread Dough Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup warm Full Fat Milk (110F) – microwave 15 seconds
• 3 tablespoon granulated Sugar (Divided: 1/2 teaspoon for the yeast, remaining for the flour)
• 1 1/4 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast or 1 teaspoon Instant Yeast
• 1 large Egg – room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups Bread Flour or All-Purpose Flour (plus 2 tablespoon ONLY as needed)
• 2/3 teaspoon Salt
• 2 tablespoon softened unsalted Butter
• 1/2 cup Chocolate Chips

Instructions:

• Activate the Yeast (Milk Mixture):  Pour the milk into a mug and microwave it for about 25 seconds until it is lukewarm, NOT HOT (about 110 degrees F.). Pour in a mxing bowl. Add sugar and active yeast. Allow to sit for 10 minutes or until the top of the mixture looks foamy.
  • Make sure that your yeast is not expired, otherwise it will not activate. If this happens, discard and do not continue. Get a new yeast before proceeding. If you continue using it, the bread will not rise and it will be dense and heavy.

• Make the Bread Dough: To the yeast mixture, add the egg, sugar, bread flour and salt. Knead for at least 15 minutes until thick, sticky dough forms and all the flour is incorporated. Add softened butter and conitnue kenading for another 15 minutes. The dough will break apart, that is expected. Keep kneading until it comes back together to form a ball of dough. If the dough is too sticky, add 1 tbsp of flour but do not add too much as it could make the bread dense and heavy. What you are aiming for is a smooth, soft and elastic bread dough that do not stick too much your palm. The side of the bowl is clean, while the dough still slightly stick to the bottom of the bowl. On the other hand if the dough is too dry add 1/2 teaspoon of milk or water at a time until the dough reach the smooth consistency. Allow at least 1-2 minutes before adding more liquid to allow the dough to absorb the liquid. If you add too soon and too much one time, you could end up with a quite runny wet dough.

• First Rise: Place dough into a greased bowl, cover with a towel, and allow to rise in a warm place for an hour, or until doubled in size.
  • I always put the dough inside the oven. I would pre-heat the oven to 110F then I turn it OFF before putting the dough inside. The warm oven will help the dough rise faster. do NOT forget to turn OFF the oven.

• Shape and Fill: Generously sprinkle flour on the counter where you are going to work on your dough. Sprinkle some flour on your hands too for easy handling of dough. Take the dough out from the bowl and lightly push the dough down with the heel of the palm of your hands. 1.) Divide the bread dough into 3 portions. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes. The short rest period will help rolling easier. You can use a kitchen scale for even size, but if you do not have one, you can just estimate the size. 2.) Add chocolate chips and lightly knead to distribute the chocolate chips. 3.) Roll each piece into about 7-8 inches. 4.) fill with chocolate chips and roll. You can also use a chocolate spread (like Nutella) if you have one. Do this for the rest of the dough and arrange side by side in a rectangular pan lined with parchment paper.

• Second Rest Period:  Cover and let the dough rest for another 60 minutes in a warm place or until puff up almost close or past the rim of the pan and the gaps in between each piece is gone. It is important that the dough is puff up, otherwise you will get a flat dense bread. If needed, extend the rest period another 30 minutes. rest period is affected by the temperature where you keep the dough. The warmer the place, the faster the dough will rise. You are aiming for a roll that is puff-up and almost double in size.
• Brush Top with Egg wash (optional): This step is totally optional, but if you want a nice browning and glossy top, then give this a go. The eggwash will not affect the taste, so no big deal if you skip it. This is more for physical look.
• Pre-heat the oven while the bread rest for another 15 minutes or until the oven is pre-heated. If you are using to oven to let the bread rest, do NOT forget to take it out before pre-heating the oven.
• Bake:  Bake for 25 – 30 minutes. At 10 minutes mark, cover the top with alumimun foil to avoid too much browning of the top.

• Let Cool – Let the bread cool slightly to allow the texture to build up. This is very important, if you serve it immediately the bread will still be wet and the texture will be not as good. Patience , you are almost there 🙂

Makes 1 7-inch Bread Loaf

Looking for a simple Easter cake to celebrate the Easter Sunday? Check out this Chocolate Sprinkles video.

Enjoy! If you make this, share and tag me in Instagram #SweetNSpicyLiving. I would like to see your creations too.

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