Braided Chocolate Tree Bread

I was really excited to see the baking contest. Baking something special for the holiday is a real adventure. It is quite easy to make and a wonderful surprise for Christmas. You can get really creative with breads. The golden color you get after baking is an amazing sight.

This is a chocolate filled bread with sesame seeds. The twisted branches gives a marble effect.

Homemade Bread:

All purpose flour - 1 & 1/2 cup

Milk/Water - 1/2 cup

olive oil - 1/8 cup

Salt - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1 & 1/2 tsp

Active dry yeast - 1 tblsp

Chocolate filling: (1.5 Cups)

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

3 Tbsp milk

1/6 cup Cocoa powder

2 Tbsp cornflour syrup

1 Tsp vanilla extract

1 Tsp Butter

Place warm water in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and sprinkle yeast over the water. Add sugar too. Let sit 5 minutes.

Whisk several times to help the frothing processes.

Add the flour, oil, and salt and turn the mixer to low. Knead the dough for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. After a couple of minutes the dough should start shaping into a ball. If sticky sprinkle little more flour,if too dry sprinkle some water. The dough should be smooth and pliable.

Lightly grease the bowl in which the dough will be kept. Cover with a wet towel. Let rise for about 45 minutes to an hour in a slightly warm place. Dough should be doubled in size. Punch it down and knead to make it smooth.

Heat milk, butter and cornflour together.

Add cocoa powder, vanilla essence, sugar and chocolate. Heat at medium flame. Keep stirring till it starts getting thick. Stir till there are no lumps. Let it cool to room temperature.

From the dough make two equal shaped balls and a small ball. Lightly flour the work surface.

Take one of the big ball and with a rolling pin roll out a rectangle.

Now symmetrically cut out the outline of a tree on both the sides.

Spread the chocolate filling over the first layer.

In the similar way roll out the second big ball and place it over the chocolate layer.

Make a small rectangle with the smaller ball.

To depict the branches. cut as shown in the photo. Cut both sides symmetrically.

Now for the highlight.

Twist each branch slightly so that the chocolate filling gives a wonderful effect.

It gives a marble effect. Beat egg yolk and water; brush over loaves.

Sprinkle some sesame seeds.

Preheat the oven at 180 degree for 10 minutes. Bake for 25 minutes at 180 degree Celsius.