Last year my sister bought some chocolate cherry bread
at Panera. This was at the end of September. It was
delicious. It was made like cinnamon bread - i.e.
with a dried cherry and chopped chocolate filling and
rolled up. The bread dough itself was chocolate.

Several weeks later I went to Panera and, not seeing it
on the shelf, asked about it. They told me that they
just had it in August and September, that it was a special
bread that they only had once a year. (At least that's
what I thought they were saying). So this year I realize
it's August and I start thinking about getting some more
of this bread. I go to Panera and they tell me they don't
make it anymore, that is was a one-time thing, and it
didn't sell very well so they're never going to have it
again. So, I called the corporate headquarters and talk
to a customer service rep. I tell her the above story
and she says, oh no, that's all wrong. They might have
it again sometime in the future but can't say when. It
was supposedly a special "chocolate" celebration sort of
event. I then asked for the recipe since I didn't know
if they would ever have it again. They refused to give
me the recipe. I would think it wouldn't be a big deal
to get the recipe since it's not like a regular item
and my making it myself was not going to impact their
sales. (Too bad I no longer subscribe to Bon Appetit
or I could write to them and get them to get the recipe
for me. That was one of the best features of that
magazine.)

So, now I'm on a quest to get this recipe or a similar
recipe or if it comes down to it, just fake it and make
up my own recipe.

I have a chocolate yeast bread recipe already that could
be used and I could fake the filling. However, I thought
it would be a good idea to see if anyone else has something
similar to give my some ideas to work with.

Thanks,
Kate
--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

Kate Connally wrote:

> Last year my sister bought some chocolate cherry bread
> at Panera. This was at the end of September. It was
> delicious. It was made like cinnamon bread - i.e.
> with a dried cherry and chopped chocolate filling and
> rolled up. The bread dough itself was chocolate.

Chocolate Cherry Bread

This is a relatively slow rising bread with a slightly dense crumb.

2 C bread flour
1 1/2 C water
1/4 t active dry yeast

Mix the above sponge. Let it rise for 6 - 8 hours. If you're
in a hurry you can speed it up by using 1/2 t yeast, which will
shorten the rise time. You want to use the sponge when it's
bubbled up but not before it starts to fall back down on
itself.

2 C flour
2 1/2 t active dry yeast
5 T sugar
6 T dark unsweetened cocoa (darkest makes for best loaf color)
8 T butter, softened
2 t salt
4 oz sour dried cherries (approx 1 C)
6 - 8 oz chopped chocolate

Mix in the sponge and all the above ingredients except the cherriess
and chopped chocolate. Mix thoughly, about 5 minutes at medium speed.
Add the chopped chocolate and cherries and mix on low for 1 minute.
If you want you can do this by hand.

Let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
Form the loaves and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 45
minutes. Bake at 375 F to 190 F internal temperature, about 40-45
minutes depending on loaf size.

I like to spread it with some mascarpone cheese.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

Kate Connally wrote:

> Last year my sister bought some chocolate cherry bread
> at Panera. This was at the end of September. It was
> delicious. It was made like cinnamon bread - i.e.
> with a dried cherry and chopped chocolate filling and
> rolled up. The bread dough itself was chocolate.

Chocolate Cherry Bread

This is a relatively slow rising bread with a slightly dense crumb.

2 C bread flour
1 1/2 C water
1/4 t active dry yeast

Mix the above sponge. Let it rise for 6 - 8 hours. If you're
in a hurry you can speed it up by using 1/2 t yeast, which will
shorten the rise time. You want to use the sponge when it's
bubbled up but not before it starts to fall back down on
itself.

2 C flour
2 1/2 t active dry yeast
5 T sugar
6 T dark unsweetened cocoa (darkest makes for best loaf color)
8 T butter, softened
2 t salt
4 oz sour dried cherries (approx 1 C)
6 - 8 oz chopped chocolate

Mix in the sponge and all the above ingredients except the cherriess
and chopped chocolate. Mix thoughly, about 5 minutes at medium speed.
Add the chopped chocolate and cherries and mix on low for 1 minute.
If you want you can do this by hand.

Let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
Form the loaves and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 45
minutes. Bake at 375 F to 190 F internal temperature, about 40-45
minutes depending on loaf size.

I like to spread it with some mascarpone cheese.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

> Kate Connally writes:
>
>Last year my sister bought some chocolate cherry bread
>at Panera. This was at the end of September. It was
>delicious. It was made like cinnamon bread - i.e.
>with a dried cherry and chopped chocolate filling and
>rolled up. The bread dough itself was chocolate.
>
>Several weeks later I went to Panera and, not seeing it
>on the shelf, asked about it. They told me that they
>just had it in August and September, that it was a special
>bread that they only had once a year. (At least that's
>what I thought they were saying). So this year I realize
>it's August and I start thinking about getting some more
>of this bread. I go to Panera and they tell me they don't
>make it anymore, that is was a one-time thing, and it
>didn't sell very well so they're never going to have it
>again. So, I called the corporate headquarters and talk
>to a customer service rep. I tell her the above story
>and she says, oh no, that's all wrong. They might have
>it again sometime in the future but can't say when. It
>was supposedly a special "chocolate" celebration sort of
>event. I then asked for the recipe since I didn't know
>if they would ever have it again. They refused to give
>me the recipe. I would think it wouldn't be a big deal
>to get the recipe since it's not like a regular item
>and my making it myself was not going to impact their
>sales. (Too bad I no longer subscribe to Bon Appetit
>or I could write to them and get them to get the recipe
>for me. That was one of the best features of that
>magazine.)
>
>So, now I'm on a quest to get this recipe or a similar
>recipe or if it comes down to it, just fake it and make
>up my own recipe.
>
>I have a chocolate yeast bread recipe already that could
>be used and I could fake the filling. However, I thought
>it would be a good idea to see if anyone else has something
>similar to give my some ideas to work with.


Sounds like a recipe for "chocolate babka".

Add some cocoa powder to the babka dough.

Then proceed as per recipe plus add dried cherries to chocolate filling... I
would partially reconstitute the cherries. I don't think I'd much like
chocolate babka with chocolate dough, and neither do I suspect many others
would like it either... probably why it was discontinued.


---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
*********
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
Sheldon
````````````

> Kate Connally writes:
>
>Last year my sister bought some chocolate cherry bread
>at Panera. This was at the end of September. It was
>delicious. It was made like cinnamon bread - i.e.
>with a dried cherry and chopped chocolate filling and
>rolled up. The bread dough itself was chocolate.
>
>Several weeks later I went to Panera and, not seeing it
>on the shelf, asked about it. They told me that they
>just had it in August and September, that it was a special
>bread that they only had once a year. (At least that's
>what I thought they were saying). So this year I realize
>it's August and I start thinking about getting some more
>of this bread. I go to Panera and they tell me they don't
>make it anymore, that is was a one-time thing, and it
>didn't sell very well so they're never going to have it
>again. So, I called the corporate headquarters and talk
>to a customer service rep. I tell her the above story
>and she says, oh no, that's all wrong. They might have
>it again sometime in the future but can't say when. It
>was supposedly a special "chocolate" celebration sort of
>event. I then asked for the recipe since I didn't know
>if they would ever have it again. They refused to give
>me the recipe. I would think it wouldn't be a big deal
>to get the recipe since it's not like a regular item
>and my making it myself was not going to impact their
>sales. (Too bad I no longer subscribe to Bon Appetit
>or I could write to them and get them to get the recipe
>for me. That was one of the best features of that
>magazine.)
>
>So, now I'm on a quest to get this recipe or a similar
>recipe or if it comes down to it, just fake it and make
>up my own recipe.
>
>I have a chocolate yeast bread recipe already that could
>be used and I could fake the filling. However, I thought
>it would be a good idea to see if anyone else has something
>similar to give my some ideas to work with.


Sounds like a recipe for "chocolate babka".

Add some cocoa powder to the babka dough.

Then proceed as per recipe plus add dried cherries to chocolate filling... I
would partially reconstitute the cherries. I don't think I'd much like
chocolate babka with chocolate dough, and neither do I suspect many others
would like it either... probably why it was discontinued.


---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
*********
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
Sheldon
````````````

Reg wrote:
>
> Kate Connally wrote:
>
> > Last year my sister bought some chocolate cherry bread
> > at Panera. This was at the end of September. It was
> > delicious. It was made like cinnamon bread - i.e.
> > with a dried cherry and chopped chocolate filling and
> > rolled up. The bread dough itself was chocolate.
>
> Chocolate Cherry Bread
>
> This is a relatively slow rising bread with a slightly dense crumb.
>
> 2 C bread flour
> 1 1/2 C water
> 1/4 t active dry yeast
>
> Mix the above sponge. Let it rise for 6 - 8 hours. If you're
> in a hurry you can speed it up by using 1/2 t yeast, which will
> shorten the rise time. You want to use the sponge when it's
> bubbled up but not before it starts to fall back down on
> itself.
>
> 2 C flour
> 2 1/2 t active dry yeast
> 5 T sugar
> 6 T dark unsweetened cocoa (darkest makes for best loaf color)
> 8 T butter, softened
> 2 t salt
> 4 oz sour dried cherries (approx 1 C)
> 6 - 8 oz chopped chocolate
>
> Mix in the sponge and all the above ingredients except the cherriess
> and chopped chocolate. Mix thoughly, about 5 minutes at medium speed.
> Add the chopped chocolate and cherries and mix on low for 1 minute.
> If you want you can do this by hand.
>
> Let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
> Form the loaves and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 45
> minutes. Bake at 375 F to 190 F internal temperature, about 40-45
> minutes depending on loaf size.
>
> I like to spread it with some mascarpone cheese.
>
> --
> Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

Thanks, Reg. This sounds like a good recipe. It's not
exactly what I was looking for but can be adapted.
Kate
--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

Reg wrote:
>
> Kate Connally wrote:
>
> > Last year my sister bought some chocolate cherry bread
> > at Panera. This was at the end of September. It was
> > delicious. It was made like cinnamon bread - i.e.
> > with a dried cherry and chopped chocolate filling and
> > rolled up. The bread dough itself was chocolate.
>
> Chocolate Cherry Bread
>
> This is a relatively slow rising bread with a slightly dense crumb.
>
> 2 C bread flour
> 1 1/2 C water
> 1/4 t active dry yeast
>
> Mix the above sponge. Let it rise for 6 - 8 hours. If you're
> in a hurry you can speed it up by using 1/2 t yeast, which will
> shorten the rise time. You want to use the sponge when it's
> bubbled up but not before it starts to fall back down on
> itself.
>
> 2 C flour
> 2 1/2 t active dry yeast
> 5 T sugar
> 6 T dark unsweetened cocoa (darkest makes for best loaf color)
> 8 T butter, softened
> 2 t salt
> 4 oz sour dried cherries (approx 1 C)
> 6 - 8 oz chopped chocolate
>
> Mix in the sponge and all the above ingredients except the cherriess
> and chopped chocolate. Mix thoughly, about 5 minutes at medium speed.
> Add the chopped chocolate and cherries and mix on low for 1 minute.
> If you want you can do this by hand.
>
> Let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
> Form the loaves and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 45
> minutes. Bake at 375 F to 190 F internal temperature, about 40-45
> minutes depending on loaf size.
>
> I like to spread it with some mascarpone cheese.
>
> --
> Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

Thanks, Reg. This sounds like a good recipe. It's not
exactly what I was looking for but can be adapted.
Kate
--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

Kate Connally wrote:

> Thanks, Reg. This sounds like a good recipe. It's not
> exactly what I was looking for but can be adapted.

Feel free to play around with it, it's pretty forgiving. I
usually never make it exactly the same way myself.

One thing I like to do with the chocolate cherry dough is
combine it with a standard brioche dough for a two tone
effect. When shaping the final loaf, first flatten out the
light dough, then put the flattened dark dough right on top
of it. Roll it up into a spiral, shape the ends, and pan it
seam side down.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

Kate Connally wrote:

> Thanks, Reg. This sounds like a good recipe. It's not
> exactly what I was looking for but can be adapted.

Feel free to play around with it, it's pretty forgiving. I
usually never make it exactly the same way myself.

One thing I like to do with the chocolate cherry dough is
combine it with a standard brioche dough for a two tone
effect. When shaping the final loaf, first flatten out the
light dough, then put the flattened dark dough right on top
of it. Roll it up into a spiral, shape the ends, and pan it
seam side down.

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com