Lighthouse Dessert Recipes
Chocolate Easter Loaf
Ingredients
For the bun loaf:
3 ⅓ cups (500 g) Lighthouse Bread & Pizza Bakers Plain Flour
1 sachet (7 g) Lighthouse Yeast +
⅔ cups (150 mL) full cream milk, lukewarm
⅓ cup (100 g) unsalted butter, melted
2 Large eggs, at room temperature
3 Tablespoons (60 g) sugar
1teaspoons (5 g) salt
½ cup (100 g) dark chocolate chips
For the glaze:
¼ cup (60mL) of sugar
¼ cup (60mL) of water
For the icing:
2 cups (230 g) icing sugar
2 Tablespoons (40 mL) milk
¼ teaspoon vanilla essence
2 teaspoon (10 g) unsalted butter, melted
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C fan-forced or 200°C conventional.
Combine yeast and 2 tbsp of sugar from the measured amount. Add lukewarm milk and mix well. Set aside for 10 minutes until foamy.
Place melted butter and eggs into a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine. In a separate large mixing bowl, combine flour, remaining sugar and salt. Add butter and yeast mixtures to flour and blend with a fork until a dough starts to form. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding extra flour as required. Alternatively, use the dough hook attachment of an electric mixer.
Place dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover with a clean damp cloth and place in a warm place until doubled in size (30 – 90 minutes).
Line a baking tray with baking paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal. Punch down dough to deflate.
Add chocolate chips. On a floured surface, knead lightly incorporating the chocolate chips into the dough and shape into a log. Divide the dough into desired number of pieces. Divide dough into 6 pieces of approximately 150g each. Roll each portion of the dough into round balls.
Arrange balls in a lightly greased and lined loaf tin and cover with a damp cloth. Allow to proof for approximately 20 – 30 minutes or until double in size.
Bake for 25 – 30 minutes* or until golden brown. Leave to cool for 5 minutes on the tray before transferring to a wire rack.
To prepare the glaze, place sugar and water into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 – 2 minutes until sugar has fully dissolved. Brush the glaze over the buns while they are still warm and allow to cool.
For the icing, simply place the ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix with a spoon until thick and creamy. Spoon the icing into a piping bag and pipe crosses over the top of the cooled loaf.
*Time may vary depending on oven.
Notes: Proofing time will vary depending on where the dough is placed, this step is critical in bread making to ensure the yeast produces sufficient aeration so that the baked bread develops a light even texture.