MANILA, Philippines — Whenever you want to partake of a really good artisanal bread or laminated bread, the first person who really comes to mind is Chef Kris Edison Tan.
A master of bread-making, Chef Kris whips up the most beautiful and best-tasting breads (and pastries!) — the reason why his Masa Madre Bakehouse, though quite young when you count its years in the industry, is such a hit with serious bread lovers.
So, when the Raisin Administrative Committee (RAC) needed some chefs to do baking demonstrations of dishes using California Raisins during the recent Bakery Fair 2025 held at the World Trade Center, Chef Kris was one of those called upon for the task, and he did not disappoint. One of the recipes he whipped up for RAC was California Raisin Dark Chocolate Bread, whose recipe he is sharing with Philstar.com right here right now.
California Raisin Dark Chocolate Bread
Ingredients:
For the dough:
50 grams California Raisins
1 kg. bread flour
700 grams water
15 grams yeast
70 grams sugar
18 grams salt
30 grams butter
150 grams chocolate chips
80 grams cocoa powder
120 grams rum
For the California Raisin filling:
120 grams California Raisins
250 grams cream cheese
80 grams powdered sugar
Procedure:
1. Soak raisins in rum overnight to boost the flavor.
2. Keep all ingredients cold, except the yeast.
3. Combine all the ingredients for the dough, except California Raisins. Final temperature of the dough should be 26°C.
4. Mix at low speed for 2 minutes, then high speed for 6 minutes.
5. Add California Raisins and mix at low speed for 30 seconds.
6. Let dough rest for 30 minutes. Cut into 100-gram portions, pre-shape and rest for 15 minutes, Pipe filling into dough for final shaping. Lightly make the dough round. Press the middle gently to expand a little, then spoon filling into the middle and close up dough like a bun.
7. Proof bread for 1 hour at 27°C.
8. Preheat oven to 205°C (top) and 215°C (bottom). Bake for 18 minutes.
9. Let bread cool down for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Yield: 22 pieces