Chocolate Cranberry Bread
Breakfast meets dessert with chocolate cranberry bread. This is the be all, end all, of deliciously easy chocolate bread. Chocolate cranberry bread can be eaten for breakfast or dessert…it’s just that good!
Super quick to put together, simple ingredients, and amazing results every. single. time. If you have a stand mixer, even better. If not, no problem. My girls and I make it in no time!
I’ll be the first to admit I don’t love playing pretend with my kids. I love my girls and the time we spend together is precious to me. So instead of feeling bad about being a mother who isn’t playing pretend with her kids all day, I cherish our time together in the kitchen. I hope by baking delicious food together my girls will hold these memories dear to their hearts. I know they’re precious to me
If you’re looking for ways to spend quality time with your kids, don’t feel bad about what you aren’t doing. You have to eat, so get the kids in the kitchen with you. It’s messier for sure, but they will be so full of joy baking in the kitchen with their mama.
Wait until you all sit down with your first piece of homemade chocolate cranberry bread. You, and your kids, will be amazed at what you created together.
How to Make Chocolate Cranberry Bread
If you’re new to bread baking, this is your introduction into the world of artisan bread made simple. This chocolate cranberry bread boule looks like a fancy artisanal bread, but really couldn’t be simpler.
Easy Bread For Beginners
Add your dry ingredients: flour, cocoa, salt and whisk.
Add in the yeast and warm water and mix.
When you can’t mix with the spoon anymore, it’s time to add the fun bits.
Add the chocolate chips (we use Enjoy Life vegan dark chocolate) and dried cranberries.
Mix this up with your hands and form the dough into a ball. You can’t knead the dough at this point because it’s too wet and sticky. Once it’s incorporated, cover the ball with plastic wrap until the dough doubles in size – – about 1 hour.
Lightly flour your work surface and gently stretch out the dough, and fold it onto itself. This is simpler than trying to knead the chocolate cranberry bread dough.
My 7 year old did this part, so don’t overthink it. Pull out a side, and then place it back down on the opposite side. You should start seeing the dough coming together and looking more like bread dough.
After about 2 minutes, place the chocolate cranberry bread dough in a bowl that’s been lightly oiled. Place the dough in smooth side down and cover with plastic wrap to rise again.
After an hour it should have doubled in size again. Very lightly dust your work surface with flour and gently empty the bowl onto the counter. The smooth part of the dough that had been face down should now be face up.
Cup the dough in your hands and pull it towards you to tighten the outer skin. Turn the dough in your cupped hands and pull it towards you a few times. You should see a tight “skin” on top.
Then cut a “x” across the top.
Place the dough on parchment paper and carefully place into a preheated dutch oven (it’s going to be HOT) and put the lid back on.
Cook for 30 minutes with the lid on, and 15 minutes with the lid off. Carefully take the bread out of the dutch oven to cool.
I love to eat this chocolate cranberry bread toasted, with a little butter and a cup of coffee. It makes me happy! And my girls love it, too. We have it for dessert and special treats. However, I draw the line at my girls having it for breakfast, but I certainly do!
If you’re new to baking bread, I suggest trying Easy Beginner Bread. It’s simple and delicious. It pairs well with any dinner, and as always, hot coffee.
Best Chocolate Cranberry Bread
Let me know what you think if you make this bread. If you love chocolate, you’ll love it! Even my non-chocolate loving (crazy, right?!) husband loves this bread. Although in truth, he says there is too much chocolate, but I strongly disagree. If you want a bit less, cut the chocolate chips in half (it hurts to think that).
Let me know if you have any questions! I’m happy to help you begin baking.
Chocolate Cranberry Bread
Ingredients
- 360 grams Bread Flour can use All-Purpose Flour
- 260 grams warm water
- 40 grams cocoa
- 8 grams salt
- 1.5 tsp yeast
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips Enjoy Life are vegan and amazing
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries I use Craisins
Instructions
- Combine the flour, cocoa, and salt in a bowl and whisk.
- Add in warm water and yeast and mix until no more visible water remains.
- Add in cranberries and chocolate chips and thoroughly mix with hands. Form into a ball.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Lightly dust your counter with flour and turn the bowl over onto the floured work surface.Stretch the ends of the dough and place across the dough. Repeat for about 1 to 2 minutes. This takes the place of kneading as the dough is too sticky to knead.
- Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic, and let rest until doubled again.
- Heat your oven to 425 degrees and place a dutch oven with lid inside to pre-heat.
- Very lightly flour your surface and turn the bowl over to empty the dough. Cup the dough in your hands and pull towards yourself. Reposition the dough, cup and pull.You are adding surface tension to the dough by pulling the dough towards you.
- Place the dough on parchment paper and cut an X across the top.
- Open your oven, VERY CAREFULLY remove the lid off the hot dutch oven (it's HOT), and place the parchment paper with the dough inside the dutch oven. Place the HOT lid back on the dutch oven and close the oven door. Bake for 20 minutes with the lid on and then 10 minutes with the lid off.
- Once fully cooked, carefully remove the dutch oven and place the Chocolate Cranberry Bread on a wire rack to cool.
- Enjoy when cooled!
