Fluffy bread with a dark chocolate spread

So good, it even rhymes

I recently tried to make Nutella from scratch. I roasted the hazelnuts, peeled off their skins, put them in a blender with coco, oil, maple syrup, salt and blended it for what felt like 2hours. The result was a grainy, runny mixture. After my third attempt I decided to cut my loses, take the vat of grainy dark liquid back home and use it as a topping for yogurt and ice cream. It was salvageable but not spreadable.

I think my blender was probably the problem, not fast or sharp enough (or it was my fault and I’m just blaming an inanimate object).

Still fixated on making my own chocolate spread, I suddenly remembered a recipe I used a while back for some vegan chocolate buns. It was so simple, just two ingredients, coconut milk and dark chocolate in an equal ratio.

As opposed to my grainy ‘Nutella’ that took me 2 hours to make, this just took me 2 minutes and created the perfect creamy consistency .

Paired with a slightly sweet fluffy bread this rich fudgy spread is my new favourite snack.

Ingredients

(vegan conversion in brackets)

Makes 8

For the enriched bread

200ml warm milk (250ml soy milk)

120g melted butter (120g plant based butter)

1 egg   (no egg)

500g strong white bread flour

7g instant dried yeast

10g salt

50g caster sugar

For the chocolate spread

150g dark chocolate

150g coconut milk

Pinch of salt and/or drizzle honey (optional)

Method

1) Starting with the wet, pour all your dough ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Either knead by hand for 8 minutes or in a stand mixer fitted in a dough hook for 5. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes (this relaxes the gluten and helps it form bonds) then knead for another 3-4 mins.

2) Scoop the dough into an oiled bowl, pop a cloth over the top and prove for 2hrs. Scoop the dough out onto a floured surface and divide in half. Roll each half up like a sleeping bag, then place each roll side by side in a 2lb (or whatever you have) loaf tin. Pop a cloth back over the top and proof for a further few hours until doubled in size and nicely ‘puffy’.

Preheat the oven to 200c/180 fan

3) Brush your loaf with a little milk or cream then bake for 30-40 minutes until golden. If the top becomes too dark, pop a sheet of tin foil over the top. Transfer to a rack and cool for a few hours.

4) For your chocolate spread, melt the chocolate, either in a microwave or over a pan of boiling water. Once melted, mix in your coconut milk until smooth and creamy. If it’s too stiff, add some more milk.

Spread and enjoy!

Chocolate spread can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week and several months in the freezer. May need to be softened before use.