Bread Experience

Our passion is great bread!

  • Home
  • Store
  • Blog
  • Newsletter
  • Recipes
    • Ancient Grains
      • About Einkorn
        • Einkorn Bread Recipes
      • About KAMUT®
        • KAMUT Bread Recipes
      • About Spelt
        • Spelt Bread Recipes
    • Bread Machine
      • Bread Machine Recipes
    • Sourdough
    • Quick Breads
      • Biscuits
      • Corn Bread
      • French Toast
      • Irish Breads
      • Pancakes
      • Scones
      • Sweet Breads
        • Banana Breads
        • Muffins
      • Waffles
    • Rolls
    • Sprouted Bread
    • Steamed Bread
    • Yeast Breads
    • Whole Wheat
      • Whole Grain Bread Recipes
    • Jams
      • Jam Recipes
      • How to Make Jam

January 29, 2014 by: Cathy

No Knead Chocolate Spelt Prune Bread

No Knead Chocolate Spelt and Prune Bread!  I know what you’re thinking… prune bread?  Umm, no thanks!

That was my initial thought when I learned the Bread Baking Babes (BBBs) were making Chocolate Prune Bread this month.

chocolate spelt prune bread

No Knead Chocolate Spelt & Prune Bread

It seems the childhood memory of eating prunes in the school cafeteria still haunts me.

When I was growing up, the cafeteria sometimes served prunes for dessert.  These weren’t the dried prunes you get out of the box, they were stewed prunes served with warm syrup and scooped from a large pot. At least that’s what I imagined they were cooked in. We always skipped dessert on the days they served prunes.

Years later, I tried prunes (out of the box) and enjoyed them. Prunes are just dried plums after all, and when you pair them with chocolate and bread, what’s not to like!  It’s a delicious combination, but if you prefer, you can substitute a different dried fruit in this bread.

Chocolate Spelt Bread with Prunes

This is a rich and chocolaty no knead bread. My adapted version is based on the recipe from the original Artisan Bread in Five Minutes by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D. and Zoë François.

They just released an updated version of the book The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day (revised & updated edition) and in it, they provide an updated version of this Chocolate Bread Recipe.

Jamie (Life’s a Feast), the host of this month’s bread bake, has the updated version posted on her blog. The updated version includes measurements in grams and ounces.

My version is made with all-purpose Spelt flour so I made a few adjustments to the formula to accommodate the Spelt.  Spelt is rather picky you see.  It doesn’t absorb water as well as regular bread flour and it doesn’t like being over mixed.

No Knead Chocolate Spelt Prune Bread

Note: If you want to make this bread with all-purpose flour or bread flour instead of spelt flour, be sure to increase the amount of water used; otherwise the bread will be dry and crumbly.

Double Chocolate Spelt & Prune Bread

Adapted from: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D. and Zoë François.

Makes one 1 ½ pound loaf

Ganache:

  • 2 oz. premium chocolate*
  • 1/4 cup salted butter

Final Dough:

  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose Spelt flour
  • 1/2 Tbsp. Instant yeast
  • 3/4 Tbsp. Kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup premium cocoa powder
  • 2.5 oz. premium chocolate, finely chopped*
  • 1 cup lukewarm water (100°F or below)**
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/3 cup honey*
  • Softened unsalted butter for greasing the pan
  • Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp. water)
  • 1/4 cup sugar for sprinkling over the top of the bread and preparing the pan

Filling:

  • 2 ounces premium chocolate*
  • 3/4 cup chopped dried prunes

* The original recipe recommended using premium bittersweet chocolate.  I wanted a more chocolaty flavor so I used a combination of 60% dark chocolate and intense dark chocolate infused with natural blackberry and grape flavor.  Since the chocolate I used had sugar in it, I used a little less than 1/3 cup of honey in the final dough.

** If you use all-purpose flour or bread flour instead of spelt flour, increase the amount of water used by ~1/4 cup.

 

Make the Ganache

Melt 2 ounces of chocolate and the butter in the microwave until the chocolate is melted.  Blend the mixture together and set it aside.

Mixing and storing the dough

Whisk together the flour, yeast, salt, cocoa powder, and chopped chocolate in a large mixing bowl or other container.

Mix the the water, eggs, and honey together.  Pour the mixture over the flour and mix using a wooden spoon or Danish dough whisk. Add the ganache and stir until it is thoroughly incorporated.  You may need to use your hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.

Cover the bowl or container and allow it to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses, approximately 2 hours.

The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, but it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate the container of dough and use over the next 5 days. Beyond the 5 days, freeze the dough in 1-pound (about 450 g) portions in airtight containers for up to 4 weeks. When using frozen dough, thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours before using, then allow the usual rest and rise time.



 

On baking day

Generously grease an 8 ½ x 4 ½ – inch (22 x 11 ½ cm approx.) nonstick loaf pan with butter, sprinkle some sugar evenly over the butter and shake the pan to distribute.  I used my Emile Henry Ceramic Baker.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator. Shape the dough into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all sides, rotating the ball a quarter turn as you go. Let the boule rest for 90 minutes to warm up to room temperature.

Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a ½ – inch-thick (scant 1 ½ cm) rectangle. As you roll out the dough, use enough flour to prevent it from sticking to the work surface but not so much as to make the dough dry.

Sprinkle the chocolate and chopped prunes over the dough and roll up the dough jelly-roll style to enclose them. Fold the dough over itself several times, turning and pressing it down with the heel of your hand after each turn. This will work the chocolate and prunes into the dough; some may poke through.



 

Instead of shaping a regular loaf, I decided to make a braided loaf. I divided the dough into three equal portions. Then I rolled each piece out into a log and braided a 3-strand braid. I tucked the ends underneath and placed the braid in the prepared ceramic baker to rise. Then I let it rise for 90 minutes, loosely covered with plastic wrap.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Using a pastry brush, paint the top of the loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.




 

Bake the loaf in the center of the oven for 50 to 60 minutes until firm. Smaller or larger loaves with require adjustments to baking time.

Remove the bread from the pan and allow to cool on a rack before slicing and eating.

This No Knead Chocolate Spelt & Prune Bread tastes good, especially warm with butter, and makes great toast. It would make a decadent gift for Valentines Day or you can turn it into bread pudding for a different kind of treat.

No Knead Chocolate Spelt and Prune Bread sliced

Looking for More Chocolate Breads?

You might enjoy some of these other breads made with chocolate.

Pane alla Cioccolata sourdough chocolate bread

Pumpkin n Spice Chocolate Babka

Italian Chocolate Chip Bread

No Knead Coconut Chocolate Bread

 

BBB_Jan2014

Thanks to Jamie (Life’s a Feast) for choosing this delicious bread. I enjoyed baking as a Bread Baking Buddy this month.

 

Happy Baking!

Cathy

 

The dough takes center stage in this Sourdough KAMUT Focaccia
KAMUT Pain Au Levain 75% Hydrated

Comments

  1. Karen Kerr says

    January 30, 2014 at 12:45 am

    I was debating on whether or not to use the recipe from the original book or the one from the second one. I actually contacted the authors to ask why they changed the formula, and they said it was feedback from readers asking them to make it more chocolatey. I love the idea that you used spelt! You are a brave one.

    Reply
    • Cathy W. says

      January 30, 2014 at 9:01 am

      I love working with Spelt. This bread is more chocolaty because I used semi-sweet chocolate instead of bittersweet. It’s sooo good!

      Reply
  2. Jamie says

    January 30, 2014 at 4:28 am

    Oooh my dad made stewed prunes in a syrupy sauce and I loved them! I couldn’t get enough! But I am not so sure I would have eaten them if they had been served in the school cafeteria! I do think chocolate and prunes go beautifully together. I am so happy you baked my challenge this month and am thrilled you enjoyed it! Your bread (of course) is beautiful!

    Reply
    • Cathy W. says

      January 30, 2014 at 9:02 am

      Stewed prunes! That’s what they were. I had a memory block. Lol… I did enjoy this bread. Thanks for hosting!

      Reply
  3. Melynda Brown says

    January 30, 2014 at 12:30 pm

    I can’t wait to make this! Thank you.

    Reply
    • Cathy W. says

      January 30, 2014 at 12:50 pm

      Let me know how you like it.

      Reply
  4. Elizabeth says

    February 3, 2014 at 7:18 pm

    I cannot get over the loft that you got, Cathy!

    Dried prunes are so much better than stewed prunes though. Stewed prunes aren’t beautifully chewy the way that dried prunes are.

    Reply
    • Cathy W. says

      February 4, 2014 at 3:43 pm

      Yes dried prunes are nice and chewy.

      Reply
  5. LHsiao says

    November 21, 2016 at 12:15 pm

    Can I use sprouted felt flour for this recipe?

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      November 21, 2016 at 1:15 pm

      I think you could use sprouted wheat flour in this bread, but it will most likely be a denser loaf since you would be using whole grain flour as opposed to all-purpose.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

logo
Food Advertisements by

Sponsored Content

logo
Food Advertisements by


Subscribe to our Newsletter





Recent Posts

  • Bake It, Don’t Waste It- Make Upcycled Sourdough Sandwich Bread at Home May 31, 2025
  • Pane Incamiciato- A Flower-Shaped Sicilian Bread for Spring Baking May 17, 2025
  • Dollywood Cinnamon Bread with a Sourdough Twist April 16, 2025
  • Sourdough Lemon Thyme Baguettes – Fresh Spring Flavors from the Garden March 29, 2025
  • Sourdough Cheddar Herb Soda Bread – A Delicious Way to Use Discard March 15, 2025
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Cookie Policy
  • Return Policy
  • Shipping Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Statement
  • Disclaimer

© 2025 · All content by Cathy W. BreadExperience unless otherwise stated · Designed by GaliDesigns

Manage Cookie Consent
We use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. We do this to improve browsing experience and to show (non-) personalized ads. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional cookies Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}
Manage Cookie Consent
We use cookies to optimize our website and our service.
Functional cookies Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}