Chocolate & Apricot Challah
When I was a child I spent my afternoons playing in my grandmother’s garden. It was a magical wonderland covered in green grass and surrounded by vibrant flowers – and right in the middle, at the center of everything, was an apricot tree. I can still smell the heady scent of fresh, delicious fruit just waiting to be picked. On sunny days I would spread a blanket beneath its branches and cuddle up with a good book, then pick an apricot or two for snacking between chapters. The afternoons I spent under this tree are some of my fondest childhood memories. What are yours?
Given my love of apricots it’s no surprise that I like to bake them into things. Pastries. Cookies. Breads. It’s all good! They add a subtle sweetness to food that I think is simply delightful. So when I was working on a batch of ‘chocolate chunk challah’ this weekend and happened to glance at the jar of dried apricots sitting on the counter I figured: why not?
When I told my husband what I was doing he, being a challah purist, was a little taken aback. He really didn’t see the point of adding extra things to a bread that is delicious on it’s own. Still, even he had to admit that the combination of diced apricots and chocolate produced marvelous results. It goes exceptionally well with a hot cup of coffee or tea, especially in the early morning.
The recipe below is based on the ‘chocolate chunk challah’ recipe in The Essence of Chocolate. Modifications include the addition of dried fruit and a change in the required baking time. During the second rising the braided dough is washed a few times with a beaten egg, then generously dusted with sugar just before baking. I’ll be posting one more recipe from this book, along with a review, next week. You can pick which one it is by voting in the poll on the sidebar. 
Chocolate & Apricot Challah
Adapted from The Essence of Chocolate by John Scharffenberger.
Ingredients: Makes 2 Loaves
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling loaves
- 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for the bowl and baking sheets
- 2 tablespoons of honey (When measuring the honey use the same spoon you used for the oil. The oil will coat the spoon, allowing the honey to slide right off.)
- 3 large eggs (one of these is for the wash)
- 4 ounces 62% semisweet chocolate, chopped into chip-size chunks
- 1/2 cup to 1 cup diced dry apricots, depending on tastes (optional)
Note 1: I’ve included instructions for making this bread by hand since the book’s directions require a stand mixer. Items marked with an * have been modified.
In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of warm water, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and the yeast and stir until the yeast has dissolved. Make sure your water isn’t too hot or you’ll kill the yeast. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the yeast begins to foam. (If it does not foam, discard and start again.)
For those with a mixer:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, the oil, honey, 2 eggs, and the remaining 1 1/4 cups water. Mix on low to medium-low until all of the ingredients are incorporated, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides as necessary.
Switch to the dough hook. Add the yeast mixture and 3 cups of the flour and knead on the lowest speed, scraping the sides and the bottom of the bowl as necessary, until a smooth, elastic dough forms. (If the dough is too sticky, add up to 1 additional cup of flour. The amount of flour needed will vary depending on the eggs and the moisture in the room, but use as little as possible; too much flour will cause the dough to be tough.) Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
(cont. below)
For the rest of us:
In a large bowl use a whisk to gently combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, the oil, honey, 2 eggs, and the remaining 1 1/4 cups water. Mix until all of the ingredients are incorporated, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides as necessary.
Switch to a wooden spoon. Add the yeast mixture and 3 cups of the flour in 1/2 cup increments, mixing after each addition and scraping the sides and the bottom of the bowl as necessary. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. The dough will be very sticky, so dust your hands and the dough with flour before you begin kneading. Knead for 4-5 minutes, lightly dusting with flour to prevent sticking as needed, until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and springs back when you press your thumb into it. (You can add up to 1 cup of additional flour. The amount of flour needed will vary depending on the eggs and the moisture in the room, but use as little as possible; too much flour will cause the dough to be tough.) Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
Cont.
Place the dough on a lightly floured board, and shape into a rectangle approximately 7 by 10 inches. * Sprinkle the chocolate and apricot pieces across the surface, then gently press into the dough with your hands. Fold the dough in half over the chips. Seal the edges and tuck them slightly under the dough. Let rest for 10 minutes.
Lightly oil a large bowl with about 1 tsp of oil. Folding the edges inward and under, form the dough into a ball and place in the bowl. Turn the dough, coating lightly with oil on both sides, and then turn the smooth side up. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Lightly oil two baking sheets or line with Silpats.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and punch down to deflate. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 14 inches long. * Line 3 ropes up parallel, then begin braiding from the middle down, pinching the ends together. Move to the other side of your board and braid the other side of the dough, pinching the ends together. Tuck both ends under slightly, and transfer to one of the baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining 3 ropes to make a second loaf, and place on the other baking sheet.
Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg. Brush the top of each loaf with the egg glaze, being careful not to let the egg run under the loaves, where it would burn during baking. Let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour – brush with the egg every 15 minutes during the rising time. Just before baking, brush the tops a final time and dust with sugar.
Place the loaves in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until well browned, rotating the pans halfway through baking. If the challah browns too quickly, cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil. Cool the loaves on a cooling rack.
Note 2: When I made this recipe I halved it and made only one loaf. Perhaps as a result, my bread was finished in 30 minutes – so keep an eye on yours and begin checking at the half hour mark.
52 Responses to “Chocolate & Apricot Challah”
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Outstanding! I think that is a great combination.
Got to admit that I’m a purist like your husband! My first reaction? Oy vey! But I’m intrigued!
What a soft fluffy looking challah, not to mention delicious looking!
My taste buds are tingling. Apricots and chocolate – two of my favorites. Marrying them within the challah dough is pure inspiration. This baby will be a baking priority!
This recipe sounds so awesome. I have to tell you it reminded me of an apricot tree from my childhood. I use to have a friend that lived one street over from us. Her house was the last house on her street. On the right side and back of her house there were these huge parking lots. Her back yard was a very small fenced in area, hardly any grass but in the back corner was this apricot tree. We couldn’t wait for the apricots to ripen so we could go out and pick them. We’d sit under that tree sometimes for hours, reflecting on our lives and eating the apricots. It always amazed me that this fruit tree managed to survive with all the asphault around it. It’s unfortunate her mother never did any baking with these luscious fruits right under her nose.
In honor of that tree, I will bake your recipe. I can’t wait. Thanks for the memory.
Toodles, Maryanne
You know, you really do the most delightful things with chocolate! I can only handle small amounts of the stuff, but I don’t think I’d have any problems devouring this loaf myself!
I love your ‘secret garden’ memory! When I was really, really little, my mom used to have a big garden with an especially large strawberry patch. In the summer she would plunk me down in the middle of the strawberries while she went about her gardening and I would sit there and happily stuff strawberries in my mouth… I always ended up covered with them.
This looks like absolute heaven!
Goodness…I bet that makes some killer french toast!
Sacrilege! Challah can have raisins, but that’s the only permissible addition. Just kidding. Looks great.
This bread looks so yummy!
I’ve been wanting to make challah and am so glad you included a nonmixer version!
Ok, I am so going to buy this book today. All these chocolate tempations are just too much! I have to see what else is in there.
The doughy cakiness looks lovely. i want some!
Growing up in Provence we had an apricot tree also, and my fondest moments were spent perched high up on that tree.
I love challah and apricots are a great additon, I bet it tasted with the chocolate added. Beautiful!
How unique – sounds like it would be delicious.
Like a meal of it’s own!
i love that kind of baking. just throw together your favorite ingrediants to make it yours. and i’m with you on the apricots…mmm!
wow that looks good. I made some monkey bread other day. Alas I never got to try as Buddy jumped on the counter and got to it before I did.
Ari, I almost wish you had your own restaurant because your food always looks so delicious. I can’t wait to actually have a good kitchen of my own, fully stocked, so that I can learn to cook like you.
Anyway, I have a beloved childhood memory similar to yours. My grandparents had a gorgeous backyard when I was little. There was a plum tree that I would sit in to read books and daydream. There was the Weeping Willow tree that would sweep the ground when it got long, I love those trees. My grandma had this beautiful pentagon section in the middle of the yard filled with rose bushes of every color imaginable. I also had a swing under another of the many trees in that yard. I would spend hours back there. My dream is to one day have a backyard like that for my own. I miss it so much. Alas, I am no good with plants.
Beautiful memories and delicious-looking bread. The combination sounds wonderful.
Paz
Maryanne, Brilynn, Helen, Jami – Thank you for leaving such amazing comments and sharing your memories with us. :love:
And Sarah – Oh no! Naughty puppy.
Also, Jami – what a sweet comment! You don’t have to wait until you have a fully stocked kitchen though, just choose projects that fit what you have available. Does it make you feel better to know that I live in a not-so-big apartment?
It’s so beautiful, Ari! And good for you for trying something different. Long live the apricot!
What a beautiful loaf! I’ve just started to adapt the bread baking techniques I learned in class to my home kitchen. I made a challah (with no apricots, since I didn’t think of it!) and I don’t think the bread rose in quite the way it should have. Your recipe gives some good guidance on each step, so I’m going to try again, and just may throw in a few apricots along the way! Thanks for the lovely Thanksgiving greeting, too!
Thank you for this! I happen to have some dried apricots sitting around and was wondering what to do with them other than granola bars. I bet the combination is delicious! Thank you also for posting non-mixer versions of your bread recipes. I’m sure I’m not the only starving college kid wishing they could afford a nice stand mixer and crying about all the mixer-only recipes out there.
Finally, one of my favorite childhood “garden” memories was my great-step-grandmother’s neighbor’s back yard which had a sunflower garden. My brother and I would “go exploring” in the sunflower jungle. We actually got lost once!
when y ou mentioned that apricot tree (oooh-aaaah…), somehow I kept looking up the illustration on your heading, everything you wrote is so beautiful!
I haven’t made challah, but I truely like your combo of this fruit and chocolate.
T.W. – I really like this recipe but my old ‘stand by’ recipe for honeyed challah is still #1. Although this one from The Essence of Chocolate rose nicely, the honeyed challah dough rises even more and has an even more cakey texture. Would it be helpful if I posted that one sometime soon? (I also like to make cinnamon sugar challeh – I’m all about experimenting with culinary tradition, lol.)
Valerie – No problem, as a graduate student who doesn’t have a mixer (but really, really wants one!) I feel your pain. I think books should always include instructions for making bread without a mixer.
Gattinamia – You know, I hadn’t even thought of the connection with the header image! Maybe there were some subconscious apricot tree memories going on when I asked the artist who made the header to draw it. hmmm…..
ps. Valerie – That sunflower jungle sounds so magical!
Ari, this looks yummy!! I can tell it’s really soft, I wish I could take a bite!
I have good memories about a mulberry tree that my uncle had in his back yard. My cousin would get the mulberries for me, since I was too tiny. So good.
But my mother didn’t like it much, ’cause my clothes would always get stained!
Yum! This looks so delicious, I’d love to have a slice with my coffee right now.
i am definitley making this this week..looks so good!
I’ve been in such a baking mood lately, but, alas no time! The one ingredient you can’t buy in a store. The bread looks lovely and sounds delish. I can’t wait to get to my cookie baking.
I never would have combined apricots and chocolate before but you know… now that I think about it, I bet they taste AMAZING together.
I do love challah, Ari. I suspect I’m with your husband though in not wanting to add anything extra to it. While I don’t normally think of myself as a purist, still there’s some things that just don’t need augmentation. Challah might be one of those things!
Of course that’s just me.
I hear ya Utenzi and while I wouldn’t bake this for every single sabbath (tradition being what it is!) I do have to tell you: this apricot-chocolate version is goooooood. It won the hubby over, after all. :yum:
Ari – would love it if you posted both the traditional and the cinnamon sugar versions!
Hi Ari, thanks for your greeting card! I did have a great Thanksgiving dinner, although it was my third this year (I had two consecutive dinners in Canada also!), it was my first since leaving the US in early October 1988. You can see some photos on my blog. Your apricot and chocolate challah sounds very nice, I have never tried challah before. My grandmother had a fantastic plum tree outside her home in San Jose, California (okay it was a trailer!). The tree actually belonged to her neighbour but it hung over the fence so it was fair game. The flesh inside was dark purple and the fruit would burst the skin of the plums and there would be swarms of bees around them. Absolutely beautiful and soft and juicy. I have to go and find this tree!
Your challah looks wonderful…sounds wonderful too! I am all for adding things you love into recipes, and changing things to suit your tastes. Isn’t that the beauty of cooking and baking things yourself? That you can always nix what you don’t like and add what you do!
I do like challah very much and am working up the courage to make it…soon soon! Your scrumptious looking loaf is an inspiration!
Wow, looks good. Sooooo good…
Will you come live with me? You have some of the most awesome recipes. The bread looks like a slice of heaven and I can almost smell and taste it.
Ooo! A poll! How fun.
I can’t wait for your next post.
hey ari, what a great combo. i hate raisins, to be honest and only mildly like the golden ones. apricots sound like a good substitute, especially with chocolate! wonder if craisins would be good instead, too.
What a perfect addition, I’m sure it complimented the chocolate perfectly. Great idea! Love your blog.
I have nothing to add other than, “mmmmm, that sounds good.”
Bread looks wonderful! Very delicious looking,a must try:)
My memories are climbing up the mango trees and guava trees in my grandfather’s coffee estate and pluck those off and eat with with salt and chilli pd! Sometimes Oranges too when in season.Great memories.
My kids grow up here in US with many video games and an occasional ‘pick your own Strawberries’
Wow, looks great !
Thanks for all the comments everyone – wow – 45!
I’ll have a couple new recipes up tonight, need to finish a paper first though. I’m trying to be a good food blogger slash grad student.
hi ari,
i just placed hold in my library for this book, but i can see that it has lots of good recipes! i’ve always loved challah for breakfast.
what i remembered when i was small was playing in my grandparents’ big yard, chasing baby chicks!
Wow, 47 comments!!! Holla for the challah!
It looks heavenly! I will try it out today
I know Garrett! Who knew challah would be so popular?
Wonderful ! thanks for this great post
It sounds pretty similar to what we call “Stollen” in Germany, but I love your chocolate twist to it. As I don’t like raisins, I always substitute them with dried apricots, works like a charm. And one morte thing, I use curd for my favorite version, which results in a juicy version, which I can highly recommend
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