This Chocolate Swirl Bread Loaf is a real showstopper and is bread with the x-factor!. Make a slightly sweet milk bread dough and split it in half. Keep one plain and flavour the other with a cocoa mixture. Roll the doughs together, allow them to rise and once baked the most beautiful pattern is revealed. How cool is that? 🎉
Parāoa Miraka (milk bread) is such a lovely, soft bread loaf with a few little twists on the way. As far as I understand parāoa miraka (milk bread) originates in Japan and can only hope that I do it justice. 🥰 Spread this with my whipped vanilla butter or chocolate almond butter and you have yourself a party. If you want the same loaf without the chocolate swirl, check out my milk bread loaf.
More parāoa (bread) recipes:
Feel like another sweet bread recipe? Then you must try my Sticky Maple and Pecan Scrolls or Sticky Gingerbread Scrolls for some sticky bread goodness. For a slightly different flavour, bake these Samoan Coconut Buns (Pani Popo).
Videography and photography by Sarah Henderson.
Ingredient Tips for this Chocolate Swirl Bread Loaf:
- Milk: Full fat milk is best here because it helps creates a rich dough.
- High grade flour: Always use puehu parāoa kounga (high grade flour) in bread recipes for the fluffiest result.
- Brown sugar: Use huka hāura (brown sugar) in the dough or swap it for any huka (sugar) you have.
- Yeast: Use īhi horo (instant yeast) in this recipe for efficient rising. If you are using Surebake or breadmakers yeast, double the amount.
- Milk powder: Paura miraka (milk powder) gives a lovely richness to the dough but you can swap it for a ¼ C of puehu parāoa (flour) if you want to.
- Salt: I use Himalayan salt in my baking because it gives a subtle flavour. If you are using iodised table salt, half the quantity.
- Cocoa: Use whatever kōkō (cocoa) you like to create the chocolate layer.
EXPERT TIPS:
Always give the yeast enough time to activate before adding the dry ingredients. The yeast will float to the top and it will be slightly foamy when it is ready.
Do not add more flour to the dough when you are kneading it. If you add too much extra flour it can make the parāoa (bread) tough when it is baked.
Follow the kneading times as they are written because the gluten needs time to develop properly. If you need some more tips, check out this How to Knead Dough post.
When hand kneading use the palm of your hands, not your fingers. The dough and hands seem to get much stickier when it is worked like that, so work those palms in to the dough. 🙌
Roll out the chocolate dough to be slightly smaller than the plain dough. This helps both of them roll up with no over flow of dough.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR THIS CHOCOLATE SWIRL BREAD LOAF:
Note: The full recipe card with the full list of ingredients, instructions and step by step video are found at the bottom of this page.
1. PREPARE THE LOAF TIN:
Using a pastry brush, grease a loaf tin with oil. The tin size should be approximately 20 cm long, 10 cm wide and 6 - 10 cm high.
2. MAKE THE TANGZHONG:
Add the miraka (milk), wai (water) and puehu parāoa kounga (high grade flour) in to a pot.
Heat the mixture over medium heat as you whisk until thickens. Once it is thick, keep it on the heat and swap to a wooden spoon. Continue stirring for another 10 seconds or until a thin film starts forming on the bottom of the pot.
Remove from the heat and leave it aside to cool down as you activate the īhi (yeast).
3. ACTIVATE THE YEAST:
Add the miraka mahana (warm milk) and huka hāura (brown sugar) in to a large bowl.
Stir until the huka (sugar) is dissolved in to the miraka (milk).
Sprinkle over the īhi tere (instant yeast) and stir again.
Leave the īhi (yeast) to activate for five minutes. The yeast is activated when it has floated to the top.
4. ADD THE REMAINING INGREDIENTS:
Add the puehu parāoa kounga (high grade flour), tote (salt) and the tangzhong paste in to the yeast mixture.
Mix it with a knife until a shaggy dough forms.
5. KNEAD THE DOUGH:
Note: Try not to add any extra flour when you are kneading.
If you are using a mixer, place the dough in the mixing bowl. Using a dough hook, knead for 8 – 10 minutes on low speed.
If you are kneading by hand, add the dough to a lightly floured bench or table. Knead the dough with the palms of your hands (not with your fingers), for 10 – 12 minutes.
6. Divide the Knead Dough:
Divide the dough in to two pieces. Form one of the pieces in to a ball, place it in to a medium bowl and cover with a tea towel or bowl cover. Turn the other piece of pokenga (dough) in to the chocolate flavour.
7. Make the Chocolate Paste:
Add the kōkō (cocoa), huka hāura (brown sugar) and miraka (milk) in to a small bowl. Kauroria kia māene (stir until smooth).
8. Combine the Dough and Chocolate Paste:
Stretch out the second piece of dough in to a rectangle. Spread the pē kōkō (cocoa paste) on to it. Knead it gently for a few minutes until it is all mixed through, it should not need more puehu parāoa (flour).
9. First Rise:
Once it is combined, add the pokenga tiakarete (chocolate dough) in to a bowl and cover with a tea towel or a bowl cover.
Rise both of the pieces of dough for 1 ¼ - 1 ½ hours or until doubled in size.
10. Roll out Both of the Doughs:
Once the pokenga (dough) has risen, add them to a bench or table. Sprinkle the tēpu (table) with a little bit of puehu parāoa (flour). Roll out each dough to a 45 cm long rectangle.
Get the loaf tin you are using and make the pokenga (dough) 3 cm less wide than the length of the tin. My tin is 22 cm long so I made my rectangle 19 cm wide and 45 cm long. Make the cocoa dough slightly smaller than the plain one.
11. Roll up the Dough:
Once both of the dough are rolled out, place the cocoa flavoured dough on top of the plain one.
Now gently roll it up in to a scroll type log.
12. Cut the Chocolate Swirl Bread Dough:
Using a sharp knife, cut the log in to 12 pieces, cutting all the way through the dough. Keep the pieces roughly together as you do this. Cutting them like this enables you to pull the parāoa (bread) apart in to perfect slices once it is baked.
Gently hold the pieces as one log and lower them in to your prepared tin.
13. Second Rise:
Cover with a tea towel and rise for another 40 - 45 minutes.
14. Preheat the Oven:
15 minutes before the rising time is over, preheat the oven to 175 °C bake setting or 165 °C fan bake setting.
15. Bake the Chocolate Swirl Bread Loaf:
Bake for 43 - 45 minutes until golden.
Remove it from the oven and rub a little butter on to the freshly baked bread because that's what my Māmā (Mum) did and so should you! 😎
While it is still warm, pull apart those delicious slices you have created!
Kei runga noa atu koe - you are so clever.
To make it even better, serve it warm or toasted with my whipped vanilla butter or chocolate almond butter!
Store the Chocolate Swirl Bread Loaf:
This loaf will be at its best on the day but will also make great toast the next day.
In general, I keep homemade bread in a plastic bag for a day on the bench.
Beyond that I slice it and store it in the freezer and remove a piece at a time for toasting.
Kaua e wareware (don't forget) to try the Parāoa Miraka (milk bread), it is the simple version of the tohutao (recipe).
Why stop here? There are so many more super delicious
Bread Recipes
Whether it is no-knead or kneading, we have you covered.
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Chocolate Swirl Bread Loaf - Parāoa Kōripo Tiakarete
Equipment
- 1 x Loaf Tin, approximately 20 cm long, 10 cm wide and 6 - 10 cm high.
Ingredients
The Tangzhong
- ⅓ C (80 g) miraka (milk)
- ⅓ C (80 g) wai (water)
- ⅓ C (50 g) puehu parāoa kounga (high grade flour)
- 2 teaspoon (10 ml) wanira (vanilla)
The Sweet Dough - Te Pokenga Reka
- ¾ C + 3 tablespoon (230 ml) miraka mahana (warm milk, you should be able to hold your finger in the milk. If not, it is too hot)
- ⅓ C (65 g) huka hāura (brown sugar or white sugar will work)
- 2 ½ teaspoon (8 g) īhi tere (instant yeast)
- 2 ¾ C (410 g) puehu parāoa kounga (high grade flour)
- ¼ C (35 g) paura miraka (milk powder OR swap it for ¼ C of puehu parāoa (flour)
- 2 teaspoon tote (salt, fine)
The Cocoa Paste - Te Pē Kōkō
- 2 ½ tablespoon kōkō (cocoa)
- 2 tablespoon huka hāura (brown sugar)
- 2 tablespoon (30 ml) miraka (milk)
Instructions
Prepare the Loaf Tin:
- Using a pastry brush, grease a loaf tin with oil. The tin size should be approximately 20 cm long, 10 cm wide and 6 - 10 cm high.
Make the Tangzhong:
- Add the miraka (milk), wai (water) and puehu parāoa kounga (high grade flour) in to a pot.
- Heat the mixture over medium heat as you whisk until thickens.
- Once it is thick, keep it on the heat and swap to a wooden spoon. Continue stirring for another 10 seconds or until a thin film starts forming on the bottom of the pot.
- Remove it from the heat, add to a small bowl and stir through wanira (vanilla). Leave it to cool as you activate the yeast.
Activate the Yeast:
- Add the miraka mahana (warm milk) and huka hāura (brown sugar) in to a large bowl. Stir until the huka (sugar) is dissolved in to the miraka (milk).
- Sprinkle over the īhi tere (instant yeast) and stir again. Leave the īhi (yeast) to activate for five minutes. The yeast is activated when it has floated to the top.
Add the Remaining Ingredients:
- Add the puehu parāoa kounga (high grade flour), tote (salt) and the tangzhong paste in to the yeast mixture.
- Mix it with a knife until a shaggy dough forms. Once the dough is roughly incorporated, it is time to knead the dough.
Knead the Dough:
- Note: Try not to add any extra flour when you are kneading. If it is super sticky, only add a tablespoons of flour at a time (up to 3 tbsp) and continue kneading.Remember, a slightly sticky dough is better than a stiff dough.
- If you are using a mixer, place the dough in the mixing bowl. Using a dough hook, knead for 8 – 10 minutes on low speed.
- If you are kneading by hand, add the dough to a lightly floured bench or table. Knead the dough with the palms of your hands (not with your fingers), for 10 – 12 minutes.
Divide the Knead Dough:
- Divide the dough in to two pieces. Form one of the pieces in to a ball, place it in to a medium bowl and cover with a tea towel or bowl cover.
- Turn the other piece of pokenga (dough) in to the chocolate flavour.
Make the Chocolate Paste:
- Add the kōkō (cocoa), huka hāura (brown sugar) and miraka (milk) in to a small bowl.Kauroria kia māene (stir until smooth).
Combine the Dough and Chocolate Paste:
- Stretch out the second piece of dough in to a rectangle.
- Spread the pē kōkō (cocoa paste) on to it. Knead it gently for a few minutes until it is all mixed through, it should not need more puehu parāoa (flour).
First Rise:
- Once it is combined, add the pokenga tiakarete (chocolate dough) in to a bowl and cover with a tea towel or a bowl cover.
- Rise both of the pieces of dough for 1 ¼ - 1 ½ hours or until doubled in size.
Roll out Both of the Doughs:
- Once the pokenga (dough) has risen, remove them both from the bowl and add them to a bench or table. Sprinkle the tēpu (table) with a little bit of puehu parāoa (flour).
- Using a rākau pokepoke (rolling pin), roll out each dough to a 45 cm long rectangle.
- Get the loaf tin you are using and make the pokenga (dough) 3 cm less wide than the length of the tin. My tin is 22 cm long so I made my rectangle 19 cm wide and 45 cm long. Make the cocoa dough slightly smaller than the plain one.
Roll up the Dough:
- Once both of the dough are rolled out, place the cocoa flavoured dough on top of the plain one.
- Now gently roll it up in to a scroll type log.
Cut the Chocolate Swirl Bread Dough:
- Using a sharp knife, cut the log in to 12 pieces, cutting all the way through the dough. Keep the pieces roughly together as you do this. Cutting them like this enables you to pull the parāoa (bread) apart in to perfect slices once it is baked.
- Gently hold the pieces as one log and lower them in to your prepared tin.
Second Rise:
- Cover with a tea towel and rise for another 40 - 45 minutes.
Preheat the Oven:
- 15 minutes before the rising time is over, preheat the oven to 175 °C bake setting or 165 °C fan bake setting.
Bake the Chocolate Swirl Bread Loaf:
- Bake for 43 - 45 minutes until golden.
- Remove it from the oven and rub a little butter on to the freshly baked bread because that's what my Māmā (Mum) did and so should you! 😎
- While it is still warm, pull apart those delicious slices you have created! Kei runga noa atu koe - you are so clever.
- To make it even better, serve it warm or toasted with my whipped vanilla butter or chocolate almond butter!
Store the Chocolate Swirl Bread Loaf:
- This loaf will be at its best on the day but will also make great toast the next day.
- In general, I keep homemade bread in a plastic bag for a day on the bench. Beyond that I slice it and store it in the freezer and remove a piece at a time for toasting.
- Don't forget to try the Parāoa Miraka (milk bread) version off this recipe, it is
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