Description
Adapted from The Sugar Hit
Ingredients
Scale
- 250ml Semi-Skimmed Milk
- 50g Unsalted Butter
- 1 Vanilla Pod (or 2 tsp Vanilla Extract or Paste)
- 500g Plain Flour
- 1 tsp Dried Yeast
- 50g Caster Sugar
- 2 Egg Yolks (reserve the whites to glaze the loaf)
- 75g Cocoa Nibs
- Sprinkle of sugar nibs or crushed sugar cubes if using
Instructions
- Place the milk and butter into a medium saucepan and bring up to just under a boil.
- Split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds, and add them to the pan along with the pod. Set aside to infuse for 10 minutes. (If using extract, added it to the milk mixture when cooled slightly)
- Meanwhile, place the flour, yeast and sugar into the bowl of a KitchenAid mixer fitted with the dough hook.
- Fish out the vanilla bean from the milk, and add it to the mixer (it should be only just warm by now – if it’s still too hot, leave it for longer), along with the egg yolks and begin mixing on low speed until the dough comes together and looks smooth.
- Cover the dough with cling flim, and set aside for an hour or until doubled in size. This dough proved happily just on the counter, didn’t have to put it anywhere particularly warm.
- Split the dough into three, and roll them into three ropes about as long as you want the loaf to be. Plait into a braid.
- Place it on a lined baking sheet. Set aside for 45 minutes to prove. Again mine doubled just on the countertop.
- Preheat the oven to 220C. Brush the loaf with the reserved egg whites, scatter over the cocoa nibs and sugar nibs (if using) and place into the hot oven for 10 minutes, before turning the temperature to 200C and baking for another 35 minutes, or until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped on the base.
- Just get your face into it and scoff down on the nutty fragrant bread.
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Buns, Chocolate
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British