Description

Paul Hollywood’s Chocolate Cherry Bread is a rich, flavorful loaf that incorporates dark and white chocolate chips along with sweet morello cherries into a soft, slightly sticky bread dough. The combination of tart cherries and sweet chocolate creates a unique and indulgent treat perfect for breakfast, snack, or dessert. This bread is made using bread flour and careful kneading, followed by a plaited shape and a two-step baking process for perfect texture and crumb.

Ingredients

Scale

Dough Ingredients

450–500g strong plain flour (bread flour), plus extra for dusting
10g salt
10g fast-action yeast
30ml olive oil
320ml cold water (may need a bit more)

Fillings

390g jar dark sweet cherries, drained (such as morello cherries)
100g dark chocolate chips
100g white chocolate chips

Instructions

Combine Dry Ingredients: Place 450 grams of the flour, salt, olive oil, and yeast into the bowl of a mixer or a large mixing bowl if kneading by hand. Make sure to place the yeast and salt on opposite sides of the bowl to keep them separated initially.
Add Water and Mix Dough: Slowly add the cold water while mixing. Start the mixer on low, then increase to medium as the dough begins to form. Add water in increments to make sure the dough becomes pliable but sticky. If needed, incorporate the extra 50 grams of flour to get the right consistency.
Knead the Dough: Continue kneading gently with the mixer for 2-4 minutes or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 4-7 minutes until the dough is smooth but wet and sticky.
Add Cherries and Chocolate: Fold in the drained cherries and both dark and white chocolate chips slowly. If the dough becomes too wet and sloppy, add a little more flour, but maintain a wet, sticky dough consistency.
Final Knead and First Rise: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, knead briefly to evenly distribute the additions, then transfer it to a lightly oiled or floured bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise for 60 to 90 minutes until doubled in size.
Shape the Dough: After rising, turn the dough onto a floured work surface, gently punch down to release air, knead briefly with a little more flour to adjust texture, then divide into two or three equal pieces. Shape each piece into strands and plait (braid) them together.
Second Rise: Prepare a baking tray by dusting with flour or lining with parchment paper. Place the plaited dough onto the tray, cover loosely by placing it inside a large plastic bag, and allow it to rise again for 1 hour.
Preheat Oven and Bake: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Bake the bread for 20 minutes at this temperature. Then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue baking for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 200°F (93°C) to ensure it is fully baked.
Cool the Bread: Remove the bread from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack to cool. Allow it to cool completely to about 85°F (29°C) before slicing to avoid a doughy texture. Cooling time should be at least 30 minutes, preferably longer.

Notes

Ensure the yeast and salt are kept apart initially to prevent salt from inhibiting yeast activity.
The dough should be moist and sticky, but manageable. Adjust flour and water amounts as needed based on humidity and flour type.
Use a thermometer to accurately check the bread’s internal temperature for perfect doneness.
Cool the bread thoroughly before cutting to help set the crumb and avoid a doughy center.
Using jars of drained morello cherries from stores like Trader Joe’s works well for this recipe.
If the dough feels too wet after adding cherries and chocolate, add small amounts of flour cautiously to maintain the right consistency without drying out the dough.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45-50 minutes
Category: Bread
Method: Baking
Cuisine: British

Keywords: Chocolate cherry bread, Paul Hollywood bread recipe, sweet bread, homemade bread, chocolate chip bread, cherry loaf