Cherry-Pecan Cocoa Bread

Name: Cherry-Pecan Cocoa Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 10 min
Yield: 1 loaf (1-1/2 pounds, 16 slices).
Ingredients: 2/3 cup warm whole milk (70° to 80°); 1/3 cup water (70° to 80°); 5 tablespoons butter, softened; 1/3 cup packed brown sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; 3 cups bread flour; 5 tablespoons baking cocoa; 2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast; 1/2 cup chopped pecans; 1/2 cup dried cherries

Full of sweet cherries and nuts, this loaf has a mild cocoa flavor. It would be perfect to serve for breakfast, brunch or a mid-morning snack. Have a tall glass of milk at the ready. —Margaret Beyersdorf, Kissimmee, Florida

Ingredients

2/3 cup warm whole milk (70° to 80°)
1/3 cup water (70° to 80°)
5 tablespoons butter, softened
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups bread flour
5 tablespoons baking cocoa
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup dried cherries

Directions

In bread machine pan, place the first eight ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select basic bread setting. Choose crust color and loaf size if available.
Check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed. Just before the final kneading (your bread machine may audibly signal this), add the pecans and cherries. Bake according to bread machine directions.

Nutrition Facts

1 slice: 175 calories, 7g fat (3g saturated fat), 10mg cholesterol, 179mg sodium, 26g carbohydrate (8g sugars, 1g fiber), 4g protein.

Originally published as Walnut Cocoa Bread in Country Woman August/September 2012

Reviews

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Average Rating:

shudy1

Mar 30, 2014

The bread was bland. It "needs something". Not sure if I'll try this again.
demccoy

Mar 23, 2014

Since I do not have a bread machine, I made this like I usually prepare homemade bread. I baked it in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. The bread is good but I was somewhat disappointed. I thought the bread was going to have more flavor but it was bland; sure glad it had the cherries and pecans! I will definitely make again but will add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips or 1 teaspoon of vanilla for more flavor.
dflack628

Mar 23, 2014

For Lenny1309, this comes from the King Arthur flour website about how to convert bread machine recipes to making them the old fashioned way."Q. Can I make a bread machine recipe by hand?A. You can easily convert bread machine recipes to ?manual? recipes by reading the ingredients, then combining them the way you usually do. Dissolve the yeast in the liquid, add other ?wet? ingredients (e.g., eggs, honey, butter), add the flour and other dry ingredients, knead, then knead in any ?extras? (raisins, nuts, chocolate chips, etc.). Let the bread rise once in the bowl, then transfer it to a pan and let it rise again. Bake for about 30 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven. A bread machine recipe for a ?large? machine, calling for 3 cups of all-purpose or bread flour or 4 cups of a whole-grain/all-purpose flour mix, will make a 1-lb. (8 1/2? x 4 1/2?) loaf. A bread machine recipe for a ?small? loaf, calling for 2 cups of all-purpose or bread flour or 3 cups of a whole-grain/all-purpose flour mix, will make a 10- to 11-ounce loaf (a 7 3/8? x 3 5/8? pan). "
lenny1309

Mar 23, 2014

I appreciate the note that Lucy does not have a bread machine. Neither do I. What do I do to create this loaf? Help- it sounds so good!
Lucy E.

Aug 24, 2012

Because I don't have a bread machine, I had to adjust the recipe for use with my stand mixer. We all enjoyed it very much. One of the famous bakeries in Atlanta bakes a very similar loaf but this is better.