Coconut Lime Loaf with Chocolate
Adapted from Crumb
To be honest, I’m not a huge dessert person and I don’t enjoy really sweet things typically. But this loaf was the perfect balance of sweetness for me, and it made a great afternoon/post-lunch treat. I also made some lime curd to have with it, but it almost took away from how good the loaf was on its own. If you love chocolate and hazelnut, it would probably pair well with Nutella, but I really think it’s best plain. You will need a 5 by 9 loaf pan.
Loaf Time
400 grams (3 cups & 3 tablespoons) white bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoon (1 packet) instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons superfine or baking sugar
1 1/4 cups coconut milk plus a little extra for brushing on top (I have not tried low fat coconut milk, so cannot vouch for it)
Zest of 2 limes
50ish grams/a scant 1/4 cup of roughly chopped chocolate or mini chocolate chips (small pieces are best, and you can adjust this quantity as you see fit)
In a large bowl, combine the flour and yeast, then stir in the salt and sugar.
Warm the coconut milk over low heat until tepid. Coconut milk tends to separate in the can, so you just want to warm until everything is smooth and lump-free.
Add most of the coconut milk and the zest to the dough. Stir and determine whether you need all of the coconut milk. It’s better for the dough to be a little sticky than too dry.
Knead for 10-15 minutes, depending on how good at kneading you are (I am bad). When the dough seems nearly done (nearly stretchy and smooth), fold in the chocolate chips for the final minute or two of kneading.
Set the dough in a covered bowl to rise at room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours, until doubled.
Line the bottom of a loaf pan with a piece of parchment paper (I just roughly cut mine, I don’t think it needs to be perfect).
Once the dough has completed its first proof, shape it into a sort of log-shape the size of your loaf pan. Make sure to create a tight skin on top by collecting any loose dough underneath.
Place the dough in the pan and let proof for another hour. Once it’s in the pan, preheat the oven to 350F. Yes I know it seems very early to preheat but this is how you do bread, just trust me.
After the second proof, brush the top of the loaf with a little bit of coconut milk. Score the bread deeply across the top, going along the length. I scored my loaf very deep and you could hardly tell after it was baked, so don’t be afraid.
Bake for 40 minutes, using the tap test (determine if it sounds hollow when tapped underneath) to verify that it’s done.
Let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing, serving, and enjoying!
Leave a comment and let me know how it went when you made it!