Ingredients
- 80 ml (2½ fl oz/ 1/3 cup) warm water
- 55 g (2 oz/¼ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
- 7 g ( 1/8 oz/2 teaspoons) dried yeast
- 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) milk
- 25 g (1 oz) unsalted butter, chopped and softened
- 1 egg, lightly whisked
- 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
- 2½ tablespoons Dutch unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 300 g (10½ oz/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 75 g (2¾ oz) dark chocolate, chopped
- 200 g (7 oz/1 cup) pitted prunes, halved
- Icing (confectioners') sugar, to dust
Method
1. Combine the warm water and a pinch of the caster sugar in a large bowl, then sprinkle over the yeast and set aside for 7-8 minutes or until foamy.
2. Meanwhile, put the milk, remaining caster sugar and butter in a small saucepan and stir over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes to dissolve the sugar. Set aside to cool until lukewarm, then add to the yeast mixture with the egg and vanilla and stir to combine.
3. Sift the cocoa, salt and flour together, then add to the yeast mixture. Use a wooden spoon to stir until the mixture starts to come together and forms a soft, coarse dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 6-7 minutes or until smooth and elastic, adding a little extra flour if the dough feels too sticky. Take care not to add too much extra flour as it will make the loaf heavy.
4. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat in the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1½ hours or until doubled in size.
5. Knock back the dough with just one punch to expel the air, then transfer to a lightly floured work surface and divide into 2 equal portions. Working with one portion at a time, use a rolling pin to roll out to a rough rectangle, about 18 x 28 cm (7 x 11¼ inches) (pic 1). Turn the dough so a short side is facing you, then scatter over half each of the chocolate (pic 2) and prunes, leaving a 2 cm (¾ inch) border. Roll the dough up, like a Swiss roll (jelly roll), then gently roll the log a little more to elongate it to about 22 cm (8½ inches) (pic 3) and make it roughly even in thickness. Transfer to a lightly greased baking tray, cover with a tea towel (dish towel) and set aside for 1 hour or until risen (the logs will not double in size).
6. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Use a large sharp knife or razor blade to cut 4-5 diagonal slashes in the top of each log, taking care not to deflate the dough. Bake for 40 minutes or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the base. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Dust the loaves with icing sugar to serve.
