Coffee ring

This sweet loaf combines my two favourite flavours: chocolate and coffee. It might not be a quick recipe, but the end result is worth the effort. Serve hot straight from the oven with a cup of coffee (naturally!). Makes 2 loaves Preparation time: several hours Cooking time: 30 minutes Oven temperature: 180°C • 2 packets (20g) instant yeast • 180ml filter coffee, lukewarm • 125ml hot milk • 100g (125ml) light brown sugar • 125g butter, melted (plus extra for brushing) • 1 large egg • 560g (4 x 250ml) cake flour, plus extra for rolling the dough • pinch of salt • pinch of cinnamon FILLING • 30ml butter, melted • 300ml bitter dark chocolate chips • 125ml brown sugar • 5ml cinnamon • 30ml hot milk GLAZE • 60–125ml filter coffee with milk • about 250ml icing sugar, sifted

1 Stir the yeast into the coffee and set aside until foamy. Mix the hot milk, sugar and butter. Whisk the egg into the liquid once it has cooled sufficiently so as not to result in scrambled eggs. Place the flour, salt and cinnamon in a mixing bowl and make a well in the middle. Stir in the milk mixture and the yeast mixture to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead well for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Use your dough mixer if preferred and add additional flour if necessary, but remember you need a soft dough.

2 Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with cling film. Leave in a warm spot to rise until it doubles in volume; this will take about 2 hours.

3 Knock down the dough and divide into two. Using your fingertips, flatten each piece of dough into a rectangle slightly less than 1cm thick. Brush generously with butter then sprinkle with chocolate chips, brown sugar and cinnamon as a filling. Roll each rectangle into two long ‘sausages’.

4 Shape each sausage into a ring on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Using sharp scissors or a knife, cut the dough ring into 2cm-thick segments, making sure not to cut right through to the inner edge of the ring. Twist each segment carefully so that the cut side faces upwards and the inner edge remains whole. Cover again loosely with cling film and allow to rise again until it doubles in volume; this will take about 40 minutes.

5 Preheat the oven and bake the loaves for 30 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Allow to cool slightly before you glaze them.

6 Gradually whisk the coffee into the icing sugar to form a thick but runny consistency, then drizzle over the hot loaves.