Chocolate Date-Nut Bread

Bread machine baking doesn’t get much more hands-off than this. Load it up, press start, walk away.

Whole wheat flour and bread flour provide the structure, while cocoa and a hit of instant coffee deepen the chocolate flavor without making it taste like dessert. Chopped dates add natural sweetness and moisture, chocolate chips melt into gooey pockets, and walnut or pecan halves give every slice a satisfying crunch.

Apple juice in the dough adds a subtle fruity sweetness that pairs beautifully with the dates and chocolate. Honey and vanilla round out the flavor.

This is the kind of bread that makes the whole house smell incredible and tastes even better toasted with a smear of cream cheese.

Kitchen Tips

• Add ingredients in the order your bread machine manual recommends. Most call for wet ingredients first, then dry, with yeast on top, but check yours to be sure.
• Use warm (not hot) apple juice. The recipe calls for heated apple juice with water to activate the yeast properly.
• Gluten flour helps the whole wheat rise. Don’t skip it, or you’ll end up with a dense, heavy loaf instead of a light one.
• Let the loaf cool completely before slicing. Fresh from the machine, the crumb is still setting. Cutting too early tears the bread apart.