Dark Chocolate and Orange Twists

An indulgent yet mature Christmas sweet treat. Rich, dark chocolate and the sweet tang of orange, a truly classic pairing perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a companion to your festive coffee. The sweetest can of course be altered to taste, by changing the sweetness in the chocolate sauce or orange syrup.

For the dough:

300ml milk

15g yeast

500g white bread flour

60g dark brown sugar

75g butter, room temperature

1 orange, zested

1 large egg

5g salt

For the dark chocolate:

100g good quality dark chocolate, chopped

40g caster sugar

Pinch of salt

For the syrup:

1 orange, juiced

50g caster sugar

Pinch of salt

1. Warm the milk over low heat. Once up to blood temperature, add the yeast, stir, then set aside until it begins to bubble and froth slightly.

2. Combine the flour and sugar in the mixer with a dough hook fixture, then add the yeast mixture and remaining dough ingredients. Knead for 5 minutes, then scrape down the sides and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

3. Knead for a further ten minutes, before covering and placing somewhere warm until it has doubled in size, which roughly takes an hour.

4. Meanwhile, heat some water in a small pan on high heat. Once boiling, place a bowl on top of the pan and add the dark chocolate, sugar and salt. Stir occasionally until the mixture is smooth and you don’t feel any sugar or salt grains under your spoon.

5. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.

6. Once doubled, remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into roughly 20 pieces around 50g each. Divide each piece into three equal sizes, then roll out so they’re like a thick string. You want all three pieces to be roughly 15cm long.

7. Brush each strand of dough with the warm, melted dark chocolate, then plait the three pieces of dough. Lay on a lined baking tray, and then repeat for the remaining dough. Leave an inch or two between each plait.

8. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Meanwhile, combine the orange juice, sugar and salt in a pan over medium heat until the sugar is fully dissolved. After 15 minutes, remove the twists from the oven and brush generously with the orange syrup. Return to the oven for a further 5 minutes, until the syrup is reduced and sticky on top.

9. Allow to cool and rest for 15 minutes before serving. Dust with icing sugar and enjoy!