Cool! I don't generally care for chocolate bread, but yours sounds and looks appealing.

Re spices, there are the traditional Mexican chocolate spices, cinnamon, chili pepper powder (cayenne or ancho or your favorite). Cumin, even. Any of the ”Fall” spices work—ginger, nutmeg (or better yet, mace), cloves, allspice, cardamom. Star anise. Pepper. This is sounding like chai! But I have to say, I don't think my favorate fenugreek goes—in my imagination at least.

The thought of wood fired rye is making my mouth water!

Mine too… Ready for a slice of rye with sharp cheese or smoked fish. There is a mennonite baker who delivers to a local healthfood store once a week. His breads are the closest to NYC jewish breads available.

Saltverk makes licorice salt that would be interesting on your chocolate focaccia

In general, I do not like to combine sweet and savory, but there are some rare exceptions. However, I pretty much never like salt and sweet together, and one of the reasons that I make candy is so that I can omit all salt from the recipe - I do the same with ice cream. I think my taste buds are overly sensitive to salt, and this is not the case for most people.

I agree that chili is very good with chocolate, and if you use it in minimal amounts, it will enhance the chocolate flavor without tasting hot or spicy.

I also like the "Fall" spices that Plllog mentioned, but not anise or licorice. I think that instead I would want to add nuts, such as walnuts or almonds, but that would be more like a traditional dessert instead of a bread, although breads often have nuts. I would also substitute Kahlua, Amaretto, or Frangelico for the vanilla (and double the amount) if I were going to add nuts. Kahlua would be good if you add chili to the dough.

What do you eat it with?

Islay - I had a slice with a cup of tea. On the King Arthur video the cook eats a slice with mascarpone which looked delicious if very rich.

Nuts would be a good add in. I am still thinking spices. Maybe cinnamon and chili. I often add cocoa powder and expresso powder to breads.

Interesting - never knew this was a thing, but I have enjoyed pain au chocolat croissants before.

My 3 fave flavors to add to chocolate are vanilla, orange and cinnamon.

I like raspberry and strawberry with chocolate as well.

Neither did I. Actually I am not sure it is. The King Arthur recipe wandered across my Facebook page. I have been on a baking kick and happened to have dark chocolate on hand so gave it a try.

Interesting. I’m not a big fan of chocolate, but I like that you tried it.

I've been thinking about IC's question. I've been given chocolate bread as breakfast bread with butter and jam, i,e, alternatoast. I saw a suggestion for orange marmalade, and I'm thinking I could really like Agmss's, which seems moister, with a really good, charred and peaty Scottish marmalade, like my father loved. Also, there other toast favorites that could be great, like peanut butter. Mashed banana. Not so sure about avocado... But maybe chocolate bread sandwich, with smoked turkey, crunchy lettuce, sour pickles and avocado for the spread. RATS!! That sounds good... and me with no chocolate bread. I should go eat breakfast. :)

@plllog I think I want to make a very lightly sweetened version of this recipe and I could definitely see it going both ways ie lunch AND dessert. If choosing between rich and sweet I lean towards rich.

Lunch & dessert = PBJ?

Rich = ice cream sandwich?

Rich & lunch = egg salad sandwich?

Rich & dessert = apple butter, honey roasted pecans, drizzle of chocolate sauce and whipped cream?

Lol - Here is the best bread for THE ultimate PB sandwich.

With marshmallow fluff!

😀

The idea of it is growing on me !!!

PB and Fluff would make it so very Maine.