Bread/chocolate butter bread

Makes: 1 bundt

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: at least 4 hour

From: The Power of Poppy Pendle by Natasha Lowe

Ingredients

2 tsp. yeast

3 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

2/3 lukewarm milk

1/2 tsp salt

1 stick of butter

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

6 oz. good dark chocolate (or baking chips)

Directions

Step 1

In a small bowl mix together yeast, 1/2 cup of the flour, sugar and milk. Let stand for about 10 minutes, until it gets all foamy.

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix 2 1/2 cups flour and 1/4 tsp. salt. Chop in butter.

Step 3

Add 2 eggs, the vanilla, and the yeast mixture. Stir together aiming for a soft, not sticky dough. If your dough is very sticky add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour.

Step 4

Knead the dough for about 3 minutes.

Step 5

Put the dough in a clean bowl, cover with a dish cloth and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (1.5 - 4 hours).

Step 6

Chop up the chocolate. Once the dough has puffed up double, punch it down and stir in the chocolate by hand.

Step 7

Butter the inside of a 7 or 8 cup bundt pan. Pat the dough into a circle of the pan, and poke a hole. Put into the pan. Cover with dish cloth and let rise until double in size, about 1.5 hours, which should make it almost fill the pan.

Step 8

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake in the middle of the oven for 35-40 minutes. Check after 20 minutes. If it looks like it's getting too brown, cover top loosely with foil. The bread is done when golden on top and sounds hollow when tapped. Stir in an airtight contain at room temperature.