Chai Nut bread!

This is a variation of my cinnamon squirrel bread.For this recipe I used 1 cup of Pacific Chai™ latte mix and 1 cup of hot milk instead of just hot water. If you don’t have this liquid Chai mix (chances are you don’t) then you can use any powdered chai mix mixed with about 2 cups of warm whatever.
Start with the sponge,

• 2 c. warm chai drink
• 2 c. flour
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbs. oil
• 1-2 Tbs. sugar
• 2 Tbs. yeast

let that rise for about 10-15 minutes. It will be bubbling and will be much larger than you started out with.

If you have a stand-up mixer, then mix on speed 2 for 4-5 minutes adding about 3 cups of flour as you do so. If you don’t have one then you’re going to have to knead it by hand.
to knead it:

Start by mixing in 1-2 cups of flour; then, when it gets too hard to stir, move the dough to a clean surface with flour on it (so it doesn’t stick). You knead it by pulling one side of the lump of dough over the top and pushing down with the heel of your hand, turning it 90 degrees and doing that again and again. Add about 2 more cups of flour while you do this, until it’s smooth and elastic, usually about 6 or 7 minutes.

Then let the dough rise for about 45 minutes to an hour, until it’s doubled in size. Divid the dough into two equal pieces. Roll each piece out with a rolling pin into a square, then put a layer of cinnamon sugar, or cinnamon and sugar, and however many ground nuts you want. Roll it up and fold the ends underneath it. Let loaves rise until doubled in size again.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. If you have a quick-read thermometer, they should be about 180-190 degrees in the center. Cool on a rack.

This is probably the best bread I have ever made. Half of it was gone by dinner and the rest disappeared shortly after!

Original recipe by Nate Kelley.

C. 2006