Y’all. I am in full throttle Christmas mode over here. The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of wrapping paper and Mariah Carey Christmas songs, and I’m so excited about it, I could squeal.
Last week we enjoyed our first (and maybe only) snow of the season. Aimee was unsure about the snow at first, but eventually came around. She made a snowman and ate the snow, and all in all, I’d say she enjoyed her first winter wonderland. George didn’t have a clue what was going on but was less than enthusiastic about snowballs. Is anyone surprised? It seems like the harder I try to get my kids excited about Christmas, the more annoyed they get with me. Case and point:
After a weekend of Santa visits, snow flurries, and mugs of cocoa, we’ve pretty much hit all of the Christmas highlights. Even if the kids aren’t in the holiday spirit, I’m going to be the merriest little elf this side of the North Pole, okay? Basically, hide ya kids and hide ya wife, because we’re making everything Christmassy up in here.
Peppermint Bark Bread
You’ve already heard me go on about how much I love peppermint bark. Chocolate plus anything is a win, but the sweet addition of peppermint bits just makes it absolutely irresistible. In my opinion, everything is better with a little bit of peppermint bark, even if it is as simple as a loaf of bread. Thus I give to you my new favorite holiday breakfast treat, peppermint bark bread.
The recipe for this bread is adapted from my favorite cinnamon swirl bread. The dough is buttery and fluffy and goes splendidly with anything sweet. Here, a chocolate filling and chopped bits of peppermint bark bring the razzle dazzle to my favorite dough to create a holiday bread that is as delicious as it is beautiful. This peppermint bark bread is perfect for snacking, gifting, or grinching all to yourself. You decide.
Check Out the New Toy!
I prepared this peppermint bark bread in my new kitchen BFF, the Wolf Gourmet Oven. Remember the Wolf Gourmet Blender that I used to make the most delicious peanut butter and chocolate cheesecake? Well, in similar fashion, this countertop oven knocked my socks off and I am tickled to jabber on about it today. In the past, we used our counter ovens to make toast or heat small plates of leftovers, but we never utilized it for any substantial work. This Wolf Gourmet oven is not your average bird, though. It is made for heavy duty, legitimate baking, and I was thrilled with the results I had in preparing this bread.
Making the Bread
The dough for this peppermint bark bread starts off like any other with yeast, flour, and sugar. We add an egg and some butter to the loose dough and beat away at it in a stand mixer until the dough becomes stretchy and soft. While I normally proof my doughs on the counter next to a warm oven, I was thrilled to find that my new counter oven had a proof setting! I let the dough rise quickly in the oven and then began to prepare the filling.
Chocolate, butter, and cocoa powder are melted together and then stirred with a sprinkling of confectioner’s sugar. The whole lot of it gets smeared on the rolled dough and dotted with bits of peppermint bark. Roll the dough into a log, cut it lengthwise into two pieces and twist them over one another, pinching the two ends together to form a wreath. Allow the loaf the rise just slightly while you preheat the oven.
Again, I used the Wolf Gourmet oven to bake this loaf and the results were fab. I found that my peppermint bark bread baked in the counter oven was consistent with loaves I baked in my traditional oven, and I am grateful for a second baking option in my home. This appliance is a terrific addition to my kitchen and I hope you will consider one for your own!
A Giveaway!
Because Christmas is the time for giving, my friends at Wolf Gourmet want to share one of these beauties with you! For an entry to win, click over to my Facebook page here and give it a like! Afterwards, leave a comment on this page below telling me your favorite holiday baked good. One U.S. winner will be randomly selected on December 19th! Happy baking and love to you all!
If you like this peppermint bark bread, you should check out:
Mint Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
PrintPeppermint Bark Bread
This is a braided holiday bread filled with chocolate and bits of peppermint bark!
- Prep Time: 120
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup (160 mL) whole milk, lukewarm
- ¼ cup (50 gm) sugar
- 2–1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 cups (260 gm) all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, divided
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons (55 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
For the filling:
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup (40 gm) powdered sugar
- 4 ounces Williams-Sonoma Peppermint Bark
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the warm milk and half of the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over top of the milk and allow the yeast to activate, about 5 minutes. The mixture should froth and foam slightly. You can stir it gently to make sure all the yeast has been moistened, but if the yeast does not foam, dump it out and start over. Once the yeast has been activated, stir 1/2 cup of the flour in to the milk mixture. Once combined, add the remaining sugar, 1 egg, and salt, and stir to combine. On low speed, add the remainder of the flour and beat to combine, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Once evenly combined, increase the speed to medium (I use speed number 4 on my Kitchen Aid stand mixer) and add the softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl and then continue to beat on medium speed for an additional 4 minutes. The dough will be quite moist and sticky.
- Lightly grease a large bowl and place the dough inside, covering it tightly with a piece of plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest in a warm spot in the kitchen until it has approximately doubled in size, about 1-1/2-2 hours.
- Once the bread has nearly risen, melt the chocolate, butter, and cocoa in a saucepan over low heat. Once smooth, stir in the powdered sugar until well combined. Set aside until the dough is ready. If it firms up beyond a spreadable consistency, gently melt it again.
- Once the dough has risen, roll it out into a 12”x18” rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Spread the chocolate filling evenly over the rectangle, leaving a 1” border around the perimeter of the dough. Sprinkle evenly with the peppermint bark bits.
- Starting with one of the long ends, roll the dough somewhat tightly into one long tube and pinch the ends of the dough to seal in the filling. Use a sharp knife to slice down the middle of the length of the dough, leaving one inch at the top uncut. You should end with two strands of rolled dough connected by a 1” chunk of dough at the top. This will serve as the starting point for your braid, so you want the dough to remain connected here. Turn the exposed innards of the dough roll to face upwards and then twist the dough, right over left, right over left, until the entire length of dough has been twisted into one long piece. Join the ends of the dough to make a ring, pinching the ends together slightly. Carefully transfer the ring of dough into a lightly greased 10” cast-iron skillet. Cover the skillet with a piece of plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Once the oven is preheated, stir the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush a thin layer of the mixture over the surface of the dough. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the dough is puffed and golden brown throughout. Allow to cool slightly prior to cutting and serving. Feel free to dust with powdered sugar once cooled.
Notes
In a pinch, you can substitute ¾ cup chocolate spread for the filling.
148 thoughts on “Peppermint Bark Bread and a GIVEAWAY!”
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This is so unique that I am going to try it! Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful Christmas and Holiday season.
Hooray! I hope you will! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too, Lori!
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I use my counter oven all of the time to bake small batches. This oven sounds amazing though. Especially the proofing function! I would certainly be baking more breads if I had this!!
My favorite holiday baking gingerbread houses with my grandchildren and marathon cookie baking weekends so I can make cookie trays for friends and family. The most requested cookie I make for the holidays is Grandma Mary’s Italian Anise cookies.
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I love to make toffee shortbread cookies! Happy Holidays!
I love my mothers chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, they are fantastic. I really enjoy baking any cookie especially during the holidays and sharing them with family and friends.
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My moms chocolate chip cookies 🍪
Mint brownies!
I love making all th cookies, especially ginger molasses or chocolate chip!!
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Love this, its so fluufy and good!
I love making all th cookies, especially ginger molasses or chocolate chip!!
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My favorite are all kinds of cookies! Especially warm chocolate ones!
Gingerbread 🙂
Garlic bread and biscuits!
I love me some pecan pie!
Cinnamon rolls!
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I like be the smell of warm bread baking in the oven. My families favorite though would definitely be regular chocolate chip cookies!
I love to make cinnamon rolls!
Grandma’s Polish angel wing cookies! So many memories <3
My grandmother’s pecan pie!!
Hmm I’m a sucker for anything with chocolate and peppermint! So peppermint bark is probably my favorite!
Not sure if this counts but… We make these sausage balls every year that are soooo good. Also cookies that have butterscotch morsels and pecans!
My sister used to make this cranberry-apple pie like tart with a sugar cookie crust! Ahhh it was so good, I can taste it in my dreams. We haven’t had it in awhile though ☹️ I might need to demand one.
Chocolate stout cake, makes the season dance.
Chocolate stout cake, makes the season dance.
Cinnamon rolls!!
My favorite thing to make every holiday is Buckeyes!
I love gingerbread.
I would love to make this! My fav holiday baking this year was a mocha chocolate chip cookie with flaky sea salt!
We like baking and decorating sugar cookies
My new favorite Christmas cookie is a Hazelnut Shortbread. I can’t stop making, and eating them. This oven is amazing!
molasses cookies
We have an old family recipe for honey cakes, it has walnuts candied cherries and lots of honey in it and it’s so good.
My new holiday baked good: gingerbread cookies!! Recently made my first batch ever from scratch 😛
My favorite holiday treat is making all sorts of cut out cookies with my boys! We make sugar, gingerbread, shortbread, peppermint, fruit filled and wedding cookies 😍
I love my mom’s homemade apple pie for Christmas!
Baking two of these now…one to take to work and one for home! Cut out cookies are my favorite thing to bake!
P.s. I also like your page 🙂
Cheers!
xoxo
My favorite holiday baked good is my Grandmother’s Date Nut Pinwheel cookies!
Both the oven and your bread look gorgeous! My favorite holiday treat is rugelach 😉 I “like” Wood & Spoon on FB!
Chocolate crinkles or homemade salted caramels are my favorite!
Peppermint bark is one of my favorites! This turned out lovely!!! : )
★★★★★
Cookies! Any kind of cookies because who doesn’t love cookies during the holidays.
My favorite is pecan pie!
My favorite holiday baked good is •Fleur de Sel Caramels Love em.
I follow you on Facebook! 🙂 And my favorite holiday baked good is cinnamon rolls! I can’t wait to have them for Christmas morning breakfast – that’s our tradition!
Holiday baked goods are the best!!! My favorite are snickerdoodles – an old family recipe passed down for years and years! Perfectly soft, deliciously cinnamony, and reminiscient of Christmas morning!
I love making sugar cookies- thin and crisp are my favorite. And I have a great collection of cutters! I take extra time to decorate with sprinkles while my little niece pours them on. I also have a few Polish sweets that I only make during Christmas including the delicious, traditional poppy seed roll!
Can’t wait to try this recipe! I have been playing with yeast more and more!
I love baking chocolate chip cookies! My favorite thing to do is to try a new chocolate chip cookie recipe until I find the best one. Happy baking!
My favorite baked good for the Holidays is Shortbread Cookies. And a close second is cinnamon rolls.
A classic sugar cookie is up there on my favorites – as are cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning! Thanks so much for the giveaway.
My favorite holiday baked good is Gingerbread either in cookie or cake form, although I lean towards cookie.
I loved all of the cousins getting together with our mothers and Grandmother to make fudge, divinity and other Christmas goodies.
My favorite has to be peppermint bark! Such a treat!
Favorite old fashion peanut butter blossoms. I only make them at Christmas.
This looks delicious! And I love that there is a proof option on the oven, how helpful! My favorite holiday baked good is butter streusel. My mom used to always make it on Christmas morning and the smell of it still reminds me of Christmas and opening gifts and being with family. It’s a tradition I hope to continue for my children.
I love making my grandma’s recipe for poppy seed kolaches. My husband helps by grinding the seeds in the grinder I inherited from her. I also make apricot, cream cheese, raspberry, nut and whatever others the relatives want. My Uncle once told me they were the closest to my grandma’s he had ever had. Best compliment ever!
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My favorite is pumpkin cinnamon rolls!
Gosh it must be a good moist but fluffy cinnamon roll, especially baked in a cast iron pan. Topped with some cream cheese flavored frosting. The warm gooey cinnamon sugar insides is the best during cold winter days!!!
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Christmas cookies!! I loved your christmas spin on funfetti cookies. And then I also love spending like 10 minutes frosting a cookie to look like Frosty, only to have my kids eat it in 2 bites. What an amazing giveaway this is! Happy holidays!
Love baking and decorating sugar cookies with my sister, and then snacking on them while watching cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies!
I love making a “figgy” pudding with rum figs in a bread pudding.
Cookies and pies and pretty much anything sweet!
My late grandfather’s coconut cake recipe is always a favorite! Of course, no one could make it like he did, but we try our best! It’s delicious and takes a week to prepare!!
Love baking all sorts of cookies, and not feel bad about!!
Chocolate chip cookies!
My favorite baked good this time of year is oatmeal scotchies. It isn’t so much the cookie as it is the mouthful of butterscotch chips I eat while we make them
★★★★★
This looks delicious!! My favorite holiday baked goods are Pecan Sandies. I have so many memories making them every year with my mom growing up – watching the clock, waiting for the dough to chill, being able to dig my hands in and roll the cookies and then rolling them in powdered sugar. Yum! Even though we’re all grown now she still always makes a batch and sends them to me and my brother and sisters in the mail every year!!
I don’t have Facebook! But looked at your page. Love peppermint bark as well. So so good. Baked good? Gingerbread. 🙂
My faovite Christmas desserts are cranberry cake with caramel frosting and gingerbread cake with lemon curd. Love them!
Christmas sugar cookies!
Pecan wheels! Since our daughter was born, I’ve been a touch psychotic about establishing Christmas traditions. I think pecan wheels with our Christmas breakfast is a good start, and one thing my husband definitely doesn’t roll his eyes at.
I love baking carrot cake!
★★★★★
All the Christmas cookies!!!
My favorite holiday sweets are the my Grandma Lena’s Horn Cookies. They were her version of Mexican Wedding Cakes,but made in the shape of a crescent. My grandmother taught me to make them when I was a young woman. She was the most loving person. These cookies have always been a tradition filled family favorite; actually whenever I serve them they are raved about—it must be that love and the memory of my grandmother that appeals to everyone.
I love any type of Christmas cookies, but my favorite one has to be candy bar cookies. My mother used to make them when I was young and they were absolutely delicious!
Pumpkin pie, hands down!…or Bouche Noel!
My favorite holiday baking tradition is monkey bread on Christmas morning with my sisters 💗
My favorite holiday baked good is the Polish poppy seed rolls I make for my coworkers each Christmas!
Cookies!!
Buttermilk cinnamon buns!! I love cinnamon buns anytime of the year if we’re being honest but I make it a huge deal on Christmas to do it up big and have them bake as we’re opening up our stockings. Then we all have fresh squeezed orange juice and warm cinnamon buns with a vanilla bean sugar glaze before we open the rest of our presents. My three year old has told me every morning for a month that he’s been dreaming of making cinnamon buns and that just makes me so happy that he’s as excited as I am!
I love doing a cookie bake day – always have to have an almond shortbread jam sandwich cookie and then a random assortment of at least 4 other varietals 🙂
My favorite holiday treats are cookies!! I’ve been meaning to make your cookies and cream cookies!
My favorite baked good are those little spritz cookies!! Always a crowd pleaser and fun to decorate. I look forward to baking with you more!
gooey caramel cinnamon rolls
My favorite holiday treat is a jam cake my MIL makes. It’s amazing.
white chocolate coated chex mix if my favorite
My great Grandmothers fruit cake
The holidays are here and it is cold outside! I appreciate the time and dedication to sharing recipes that we can follow that an average person can make and let me no forget to mention, they all look so delicious.. I’m not a gourmet chef and if truth be told not even a good cook. However, I really try and need to make things where ingredients can be found at any local grocery store. It is amazing how a simple picture can take you back to a favorite memory. Thank you for sharing and posting recipes that are not only easy to make, they taste amazing. Happy Holidays to you and your family.
Gingerbread! I always look forward to gingerbread during the holidays.
I love that picture. It will live forever. I have one similar with the easter bunny. It did not go over well.
I love monkey bread or sticky buns. Something that I don’t usually make. Also, I would love to “like” your facebook page but I am one of the 3 people left who refuse to join. I have my reasons.
My favorite holiday baked goods are jam print cookies.
I can’t wait to try this recipe this weekend, thanks for sharing it! My favorite holiday baked good is probably have to be Pecan Puffs, with a very hot cup of coffee. . .but like everyone else, I really do love all the baked goods this season has to offer!! Have a blessed holiday!
My absolute favorite holiday baked good is Panettone! Have not yet ventured to make one from scratch on my own, yet, but will someday! Thank you for your delicious recipes!
My favorite is “humbug hash” a lovely rich chocolatey treat my sister in law originated!
During the holidays, what isn’t there to like when it comes to baked goods! I’m fortunate that I get to try many varieties this time of year. I love making & eating different types of shortbread cookies. Gluten free, pistachio, lavender, you name it! I’m also a fan of fruit & nut loaf. Merengues!!! Can’t forget those now. The list is endless
Gingerbread — always!!! This looks so yummy Kate!!! xox
It’s hard to decide on my favorite holiday treat – I love so many of them! Gingerbread is always a hit, though. Love it!
I am a huge fan of Santa Bread…and this loaf would be a perfect companion! Love this oven. (Fingers crossed!)
My favorite holiday baked good is sugar cookies
Rita-You were randomly selected as the winner! Congratulations. I’ll contact you today.
My favorite holiday baked good are my sister’s sugar cookies! She makes them so beautifully and last year, she gave me a whole box of them as a present! ❤️❄️🎄
My favorite holiday baked good…hmmmm…that’s a tough one! I think I’m going to have to say, Black Sticky Gingerbread with Cream cheese frosting. It is dark and deep, moist, spicy, intense but addictive. With a creamy frosting that I make with the least amount of sugar as possible because I like it to taste like cream cheese, not sugar. My next favorite, CoOKieS!
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I love anything gingerbread! This oven looks fabulous—would make baking all the gingerbread men so much faster!
I love gingerbread anything and stroopwafels!
I love Santa Lucia saffron buns because they remind me of cozy winter nights at home surrounded by candles. But also my mom makes gingerbread that we would eat with homemade whipped cream! It’s hard to choose.
(Liked on Facebook!)
Choosing a favorite Christmas anything is hard because I love it all but I have to say my moms pecan divinity was always something I looked forward to at Christmas time!
I love making cinnamon rolls or monkey bread during the holidays 🙂
Oo nothing look warm bread on a chilly December morning! One of my favorite holiday treats is sticky pecan rolls!
I love gingerbread during the holidays.
Favorite baked good is peanut butter blossoms!
Cinnamon rolls are my favorite!
Chocolate anything. Any time.
I love babka during the holidays! I love giving it as a Christmas present to my friends as well.
My great grandmother, Nannie Cook, blessed my family with the perfect sugar cookie. It’s sweet with notes of vanilla, no flour-y aftertaste, and no frosting needed. I never met her, but I like to think that since her cookies were my first baking project, I carry on her legacy, batch by batch, each year.
My favorite holiday bakes good is rugelach! So classic no matter what the filling.
Happy Holidays! What beautiful bread and a gorgeous oven! Boy would I love this 🤞
Oh I forgot my favorite baked good! So hard to say, but I would say banana bread. (And cookies) 😬
I love holiday sugar cookies!
I love Jewish coffee cake we used to make every year at Christmas… and only at Christmas!
Pick me!! I can’t wait to try this recipe too
Cinnamon rolls top the charts for my favorite bread, especially this time of year. Cinnamon roll day has become quite the tradition in the Powell household as we whip up pan after pan to fatten up the neighborhood.
Favorite holiday baked good right now is souped up shortbread with big chocolate pieces, toffee, and dried cherries!
Oh I have so many favorites! Ginger molasses cookies, chocolate cheesecake, apple spice cake, etc. etc. etc.!
I’d have to say carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. I can’t get enough of it, during any season! With lotsa nuts and no raisins of course. 😉
I do love some classic fudge. Peanut butter variety. With pecans.
I’m a total sucker for carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. With lotsa nuts and no raisins. 😉
This bread looks so good!
favorite holiday baked good? i love cinnamon rolls!
We order a Buche Noel from the sweetest little family bakery, Bon Appetit. We pick it up on Christmas Eve morning and indulge in that sweet treat for 2 days!
When I go home to Kentucky for Christmas, my mom and I allllways whip up a derby pie, but sans bourbon, because my hometown is in a dry county. 😂 We’re definitely going to have to add this peppermint bark bread into our repertoire!
Such a pretty bread! So hard to pick a favorite…still an is pretty high on the list though! Great giveaway!
Ugh spell check you are my nemesis…high on my list should read as Stollen 💕
It’s a tough one, but I love making lemon ricotta cookies. They’re my husband’s favorite and I only make them for Christmas.
Picking my favorite Christmas dessert is even harder than the corporate tax exam I’m studying for right now…honest to goodness. But, if I had to pick the ONE baked good that embodies Christmas and all the warmth and love that goes alongside it…I would have to say a gingerbread cookie with a white chocolate drizzle (with risk of being basic). The warm spices from the cookie and the sweetness from the white chocolate are just the perfect treat to cozy up with by the fire and tree.
I’m sure this guy would treat a batch of rugelach real well.
Amazing you baked this on your counter! My double oven request to my husband did not get fulfilled so I would love this little Wolf powerhouse. As for favorite baked good for the holiday I would have to say a good crumb cake for Christmas morning!
Sausage bread! It has been our Christmas morning tradition as long as I remember.
My favourite is my mom’s rocky road cheesecake bars!
This looks incredible! I love the change up with peppermint. My favorite holiday dessert is batlawa!
I love baking cookies! Chocolate chip are my favorite.
i am a sucker for bread especially ones twisted so beautifully and filled with chocolate, it looks incredible kate! my kids were pretty thrilled with the snow too except for the little guy he screamed just from touching it haha xx
Gingerbread cookies are my favorite. Thank you!
I like gingerbread the most.This recipe you made looks good.
Favorite baked good is some kind of buttery crumby coffee cake! Yum!
Choosing a favorite baked good is like choosing a favorite child but…I’ll have to give it to cookies. Chocolate chip, sugar, gingerbread, allll of them. Is that cheating 😉
WOW I would love this souped up toaster oven. My favorite thing to bake over the holidays is a french lime cake – it’s so simple and tart and pairs smashingly with locally made eggnog ice cream.
Yum! I love to make some type of bread or roll for Christmas morning breakfast. Definitely going to give this recipe a try — if not for breakfast, then for an afternoon snack 🙂 Thanks for sharing!