CHOCOLATE CHALLAH

Steps:

• Heat the water to 110°F.
• Mix about one cup of the flour, the yeast, and the heated water until smooth.
• Add brown sugar, cocoa, butter, salt, egg and mix.
• Add enough of the remaining bread flour to make a soft dough.
• Knead about four minutes with a mixer at medium speed or by hand (may take a little longer) until dough is elastic and smooth.
• Set the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let it stand in a warm place until doubled, about one hour.
• Filling:.
• Beat the cream cheese until soft and smooth Add the melted chocolate while it is still hot and mix until smooth.
• Add the sugar, flour, egg yolk and vanilla.
• Mix until smooth.
• Once the dough has risen, punch out the air and knead it for a couple of minutes until smooth.
• Use a knife to divide the dough into three equal pieces.
• Roll the dough pieces with a rolling pin to rectangles 15 inches by 5 inches.
• Spread 1/3 of the filling down the center of each, leaving a one-inch border with no filling.
• Roll the rectangle into fifteen-inch long ropes with the filling inside.
• Pinch any seams together and roll the ropes with your hands until smooth.
• Braid the three ropes.
• When you get to the ends, wet them, pinch them together, and tuck them under.
• Prepare a large baking sheet by greasing and sprinkling with cornmeal.
• Place the loaf on the pan, cover the loaf, and let it rise until doubled, about one hour
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Bake the bread for 20 minutes then cover the bread with a large sheet of aluminum foil and bake for another ten to fifteen minutes or until done.
• While the bread is cooling, make the glaze.
• With a mixer, beat cream cheese with vanilla.
• Add powdered sugar and cocoa with enough warm water to make a glaze of drizzling consistency.
• Drizzle the chocolate glaze generously over the bread.