This recipe for Delicious 4Cs Chocolate Cherry Challah is packed with dark chocolate chips, tart Michigan Montmorency dried cherries, pistachios and a hint of cardamom – the 4th C. Whether you’re a seasoned home baker or just starting to dabble in bread making, this warm-spice, slightly sweet take on traditional Challah is sure to become a new favorite.
The dough can be divided into two equal parts and baked in two prepared standard 8 1/2-inch x 4 1/2-inch bread pans. Or, you can braid them in the traditional style. Either way, the end product is delicious. Enjoy one immediately and freeze the other for later. Alternatively, you can share the other with a friend or neighbor.
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Delicious 4Cs Chocolate Cherry Challah makes a perfect Saturday morning breakfast
This Chocolate Cherry Challah bread makes a wonderful french toast as well. Often on a lazy Saturday morning, I’ll whisk a 1/2 cup of milk with 1 egg and 1 tsp. of vanilla for every 4-5 slices of bread. Allow the liquid to really soak into the bread before cooking. Cook over medium-high heat on the stove top until it is perfectly golden on each side. For a real treat, serve with the tart cherry syrup featured in my Smitten Mitten Cocktail recipe. For a perfect Saturday morning breakfast, serve with a side of fresh cherries and your favorite sage sausage. You’re welcome!
A note about prep time
Please don’t let the 2 1/2 hours of prep time dissuade you from trying this bread recipe. The dough mixes up in less than 20 minutes and takes about the same to roll it out and braid it. The process will go even quicker if you skip the braiding and use a loaf pan instead. Nearly 2 hours is spent proofing the bread. So, while the bread is rising, you’ll have plenty of time to make a batch of tart cherry syrup for either french toast or cocktails.
I enjoy seeing your triumphs in the kitchen. Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest. And don’t forget to share a picture of your finished Chocolate Cherry Challah bread.
Other delicious chocolate and cherry recipes
If you like this Challah bread recipe and all things chocolate and cherry, you may also enjoy this recipe for Chocolate Cherry Cannoli.
This recipe features a delicious custard, studded with jewel-toned cherries and dark chocolate chips. This is a quick and easy custard that can be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator. You may want to hide it in the back of the refrigerator though. If your house is anything like mine, once found, it will be sampled over and over again until there’s hardly any left.
Nothing beats the taste and crunchy texture of a homemade cannoli shell. If you have a family recipe for homemade cannoli shells, definitely use it, but I know not everyone has the time to make homemade shells. The easy part of any cannoli is the filling and you can use prepared, store-bought cannoli shells and still get a show-stopper effect.
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Delicious 4Cs Chocolate Cherry Challah
Course: All Recipes, DessertsDifficulty: Intermediate2
loaves2
hours30
minutes35
minutesIngredients
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. rapid rise yeast
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. cardamom
4 cups bread flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup ground pistachios
2/3 cup dark chocolate chips
2/3 cup dried tart cherries, roughly chopped
1 additional egg, beaten for use as egg wash
Directions
- Set aside the chocolate, cherries and pistachios for use during the second rise.
- Prepare a container by spraying it with a nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. The dough will double in size during the first rise. Be sure to choose a container that is large enough to accommodate.
- In a stand mixer, combine the lukewarm water, eggs, yeast, oil, sugar and cardamom. Using a fork or small whisk, mix until fully incorporated and the yeast has dissolved.
- Add the flour and salt to the liquid mixture. Using the bread hook attachment, mix on medium-low speed for 5 minutes. Turn the mixer off and allow the dough to rest in the bowl for 5 minutes. Mix the dough a second time on medium-low speed for another 5 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. The dough will be slightly sticky. Lightly spray the top of the bread with cooking spray and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to prove until it has doubled in size, approximately 1 hour. If you’re using a proving drawer, the dough could be ready in as little as 45 minutes. The dough will be very soft and easy to handle at this stage.
- After the first prove, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. With your hands, gently flatten it out into a 20″ x 10″ rectangle.
- Evenly distribute the chocolate, cherries and pistachios and begin to incorporate into the dough by rolling it up into a log. Gently add back in any pieces that fall out.
- Divide the dough into two equal halves. If braiding the loaves, divide each half into three equal pieces. You should have a total of six pieces.
- To roll the dough into the strands for braiding, place the palms of your hands in the center of the dough piece and gently roll it back and forth on your work surface. Move your hands from the center of the dough to the ends to coach it into a log shape that measures 12 inches long. Repeat this step for the remaining five pieces.
- Take three of the rolled logs of dough and lay them out vertically in front of you. Pinch the top ends together. Take the right piece and go over the middle piece, and under the left piece. Your original left piece is now in the center and the original center piece is now on the right. Repeat the braiding process, again starting on the right until you reach the end of the loaf. Pinch and tuck the ends under to form a neat braid. Repeat the process with the remaining three logs of dough to make the second loaf. Depending on how tight your braid is, you should have between 4-5 plaits in your loaf.
- Prepare a baking sheet with either parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat and transfer the braided loaves to the pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you may be able to get both loaves on one pan. If uncertain, use two pans. Spray the top of each loaf with cooking spray again. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and allow to prove until doubled in size – approximately 1 hour. Rotate the pan halfway through to encourage even browning.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Whisk the extra egg to create an egg wash. Gently brush over the top of the loaf. Sprinkle the top with finishing sugar if desired, but it’s also not necessary. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes until the crust is a rich, golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when you tap it.
- Using a spatula to lift the loaves off the pan, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- NOTE: If at any stage of the rolling and shaping process the dough becomes tight and difficult to work with, allow it to rest for a few minutes and it will loosen up again. Bread dough is lot like people: when we’re asking it to do a lot, it sometimes needs a little break.. When it’s feeling a bit more relaxed and comfortable with the situation it becomes more flexible. The process is so much easier when you don’t try to force things.
- What do I do with that leftover egg wash? Add it to your custard when you make french toast.
