Chocolate & Almond Tea Braid (St. Augustine Bread)

From the blog For Love of the Table

2 1/4 t. active dry yeast (1 envelope)

2 T. warm water

1/2 c. milk

3 T. unsalted butter

1/4 c. sugar

3/4 t. salt

1 egg

1/8 t. ground cinnamon

2 1/2 to 3 c. all-purpose flour

3 T. melted butter

3 1/2 oz. (half of a tube) almond paste

1 1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 T. sugar

Cinnamon to taste

Proof the yeast in the warm water. While the yeast is proofing, scald the milk. Remove the milk from the heat and add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the sugar and salt. Add the warm milk/sugar mixture to the proofed yeast and whisk to combine. Whisk in the egg. Add 1 c. of the flour along with the cinnamon and beat until smooth. Gradually add enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (5 to 10 minutes). Place the dough in a buttered bowl. Turn the dough to coat with butter and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled in bulk (about 1 ½ to 2 hours). Deflate the dough, cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, deflate the dough again. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a large thin rectangle (about 12-inches by 18-inches), making sure that the long side runs parallel to the edge of the work surface in front of you. Brush the dough with 3 T. of melted butter, leaving a ½-inch strip of dough across the top bare. Grate the almond paste evenly over the buttered dough. Next, scatter the chocolate over the almond paste, followed by the sugar. Sprinkle some cinnamon (sparingly) over all. Starting with the edge nearest you, roll the dough up jellyroll-style, tightly. Pinch the final seam into the dough to seal. Turn the roll so that the seam is on the bottom. Place the roll on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a large sharp knife, cut the roll in half lengthwise. With the cut surfaces up, carefully twist the dough strands together (as if making a braid of two strands). Pinch the ends to seal. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 45 minutes to an hour).

Bake the loaf in a 350° oven until puffed and golden brown—about 25 minutes (the internal temperature will be somewhere between 180° and 190°). Remove from the oven and slide onto a wire rack. Let cool for a few minutes. Drizzle with the powdered sugar icing. Serves 8 to 10.

Powdered Sugar Icing: Mix 2/3 c. powdered sugar with 1 T. milk. Adjust the consistency as necessary with more powdered sugar or milk to form a thick glaze that drizzles slowly from a spoon.

http://www.forloveofthetable.com/2015/03/vacation-breakfast-st-augustine-bread.html

As published on forloveofthetable.com