Italian Chocolate Colomba

This Italian chocolate dove is a variation of the traditional Italian pastry bread but with an even richer flavor of the melted chocolate in the dough and then seasoned with a decadent chocolate glaze!

This recipe for the Italian chocolate dove is a delicious turning point on the traditional Easter dove (Easter bread). While the classic version is full of candied orange peel, this is all a rich chocolate flavor for a truly decadent treatment.

The soft and yeast dough is made with cocoa powder and chocolate chips for double the chocolate goodness. In Italian, this indulgent dessert bread would be called Chocolate dove !

Because I love this recipe

Vacation bread: This sweet Easter Colomba cake is a beautiful addition to an Easter dessert table together with other favorites such as Easter cookies and chocolate eggs.
Indulge: This chocolate dove begins with a rich mixture, similar to a brioche, similar to the traditional Italian Easter bread, but is sweeter and more decadent, like a panettone.

Note ingredients

Milk: For best brioche bread rich, use whole milk or 2%.
Active dry yeast: I prefer the dry yeast active for this recipe and I have not tested it with fresh yeast.
Flour: The flour for all uses is necessary to give the structure of the dough.
Granulate sugar: It crosses the bread and gives it a sweet taste to balance the rich chocolate.
Egg: It adds a rich humidity to the improved dough.
Dark chocolate: Good quality melting dark chocolate adds an intense chocolate flavor.
Butter: The softened butter helps to create the rich consistency of the bread similar to the brioche.
Vanilla: Improves the general flavor.
Salt: Just a pinch. If you use non -salted butter, add ¼ teaspoon of salt.
Chips Chivic Semi-Swey: It adds more chocolate flavor and bread consistency.
Chocolate glaze: dark chocolate for wealth, whole or heavy cream for smoothness and butter for a rich flavor and a shine.

How to prepare the Italian chocolate dove

In a small bowl add the milk and sprinkle the yeast above. Leave to sit, mix to unite. In the mixer of the stand, beat the flour and sugar, make a well in the middle add the yeast mixture, the egg and the vanilla begin to knead.

The dry ingredients and the wet in the bowl.

Add the butter in three additions doughs well before each addition, add the salt and dough again.

Add the melted chocolate and knead down to combine, do not knead, a marble effect is fine. Move the dough on a slightly floured flat surface and gently knead the chocolate chips, formed in a ball.

Add the melted chocolate and the dough chips.

Place the dough in a lightly buttered bowl, cover with a plastic wrapping and let it rise in a hot area without a shot until it was tripled in bulk.

The dough in the bowl before and after the rise.

Move the dough to a slightly floured flat surface. Knead a few times to form a smooth ball. Depending on whether you have a dove or not, you could also use a pan or a tall pan. If you create a dove, shape the dough in two equal trunks, cut a two -piece register, positioned in the pan. Otherwise, model the dough for a long time for a loaf or a round for a cake pan.

Put in the pan and let yourself be built in a hot area without a shot until it is doubled.

Brush the dove with milk and cook on the central step of the oven until it is cooked. Remove the bread from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Once fresh, if you wish, once fresh with the glaze and add the sugar granules or cooked chocolate.

Tips for the best chocolate dove recipe

Adjustment of the dough with milk or water: If the dough feels too dry during mixing, add a little water or milk a little at a time until it starts to gather. You may not need everything.
Prevent chocolate chips from sink: Freeze the chocolate chips for about 1 hour before adding them to the dough. This helps them to remain uniformly distributed in this chocolate Easter bread and be sure to knead the dough by hand.
Check Doneness: The chocolate dough can be complicated to be judged by color. Use a thermometer to check and the dove is ready when the internal temperature reaches 190 ° F.
Let the flavor develop: Like many enriched loaves, the chocolate dove has a flavor even better the next day. The flavor of the chocolate deepens making it an excellent dessert from makeaead for Easter!
Melted chocolate: Make sure to use good quality dark chocolate (mine had 52% cocoa). I do not recommend replacing cocoa as cocoa can make the result of the bread. (I tested this 3x using cocoa twice and it has not worked almost like this.

Chocolate Easter bread with a slice cut.

Recipe variations

Nutty Chocolate Colomba: Add up to 1/2 chopped hazelnuts or almonds to the dough together with the chocolate chips for a flavor inspired by Nutella.
Orange chocolate dove: Fold a little finely chopped candied orange peel or orange zest for a nod to the traditional Italian dessert.
No dove pan? If you don’t have a dove -shaped dove mold, use a high round pan or cake tin. Just model the dough to adapt to the pan you are using. Or you can create one of yours, take a look This videoIt is in Italian but it is easy to understand.

Warehouse

To keep: Keep the covered chocolate dove at room temperature in an airtight container for a maximum of 3 days.
To freeze: Wrap the chocolate with completely cooled chocolate with a plastic casing, then place it in a bag or safety container for freezer. Freeze for a maximum of 1 month. To serve, defrost at room temperature, then add the glaze and serve.

Other Easter recipes

Nothing like a delicious Italian chocolate dove to help celebrate with family and / or friends! Happy Easter to all.

For the dough

¾ cup milk (2% or whole milk) lukewarm
1½ spoons Active dry yeast
3rd cups Flour for all purposes
⅓ cup granulate sugar
1 big Egg (ambient temperature)
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
⅓ cup butter (softened)
1 pinch salt (if you are there not salty butter, add ¼ teaspoon of salt)
2 ounce dark chocolate (good quality) melted and cooled
⅓ cup Semi -sweet chocolate chips

For chocolate glaze

3rd ounce dark chocolate
3 spoons Cream (whole/heavy)
2 spoons butter

In a small bowl add the milk and sprinkle the yeast above. Leave to sit 5-10 minutes, mix to unite.
In the mixer of the stand, beat the flour and sugar, make a well in the middle add the yeast mixture, the egg and the vanilla start kneading for 2-3 minutes, add the butter in three additions, knead well before each addition, add the salt and knead for 5-6 minutes. If the dough is too wet, add a little more flour. Add the melted chocolate and knead down to combine, do not knead, a marble effect is fine. Move the dough on a slightly floured flat surface and gently knead the chocolate chips, form in a ball and place the dough in a lightly buttered bowl, cover with a plastic wrapping and let it increase 2-3 hours in a hot area without shooting until it was tripled in bulk.
Move the dough to a slightly floured flat surface. Knead a few times to form a smooth ball. Depending on whether you have a dove or not, you could use a 750 gram / ¾ pounds or place in a pan or a very high greeting pan. If you create a dove, shape the dough in two equal trunks, cut a two -piece register, positioned in the pan (see the photos) if not, model the long dough for a loaf or round for a cake pan. Put in the pan and let yourself be built in a hot area without shooting for about 1-2 hours or until it is doubled.
340F/170c pre-heating oven.
Brush the dove with milk and cook on the central step of the oven for 20-30 minutes or cooked. The internal temperature will be 190f / 88c. Remove the bread from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Once fresh, if you wish, once fresh with the glaze and add the sugar granules or cooked chocolate. Enjoy!

Depending on the oven, more time may need to cook especially if you use a cake or pan.
If you want to prepare your Colomba pan, here is a link, it is in Italian but it is quite easy to understand. Pan dove
To keep: Keep the covered chocolate dove at room temperature in an airtight container for a maximum of 3 days.
To freeze: Wrap the chocolate with completely cooled chocolate with a plastic casing, then place it in a bag or safety container for freezer. Freeze for a maximum of 1 month. To serve, defrost at room temperature, then add the glaze and serve.

Please leave a comment Below or note it on your Pinterest account!

It is pasta

Incredible pasta recipes to make your mouth water!

Everything on the oven pasta on a wooden table

Authentic Italian desserts

75 traditional desserts made easily