Chocolate Swirl Loaf

By dfallon

Ingredients

• DOUGH
• 3/4 cup lukewarm water
• 2 large eggs
• 2 3/4 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 3/4 cup (3 oz.) Hi-maize Natural Fiber
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• FILLING
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons Love ‘N Bake™ Schmear™ Chocolate Filling (King Arthur website)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup chopped toasted almonds or walnuts, optional
• GLAZE
• 1 cup glazing sugar or confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or scant 1/4 teaspoon almond flavoring
• 2 tablespoons cream or half and half

Details

Servings 1

Preparation

Step 1

Combine all of the dough ingredients in a large bowl, a bread machine, or in the bowl of your stand mixer.

Mix and knead everything together till you've made a soft, smooth dough.

Cover the bowl, or place the dough in lightly greased container, and allow it to rise for about 1 hour; it'll become puffy, but won't double in bulk.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and roll it into a 12" x 20" rectangle.

Warm the 1/2 cup Chocolate Schmear briefly in the microwave, to make it spreadable.

Spread the Schmear over the dough, leaving an uncovered strip about 1" wide along one long end.

Sprinkle the sugar and chopped nuts over the filling.

Starting with the long covered edge, roll the dough into a 20" log, and pinch the seam closed.

Slice the log into 1" pieces and "shingle" them (seam-side down) into a lightly greased ring pan, or form the dough into a circle on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.

Cover the dough and let it rise until puffy, about 45 minutes. While the dough is rising, preheat your oven to 350°F.

Bake the wreath for about 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch; the inside will register 190°F on an instant-read thermometer.

Remove the bread from the oven and cool it in the pan for about 30 minutes before drizzling with the glaze.

Mix the glaze ingredients together, and drizzle over the slightly warm loaf.