Club Med's Famous White Chocolate Bread

Last night my friend, GA, shared the recipe for Club Med's famous ~ White Chocolate Bread ~ on Facebook. It's always been a favorite of mine and I've eaten a lot of it during my time working/vacationing at the various villages of Club Med. My friend, Sarah, challenged me to try making the recipe to see how it would turn out. Well, since I had the one cup of white chocolate chips called for in the recipe, and nothing planned for the evening, I took it as a sign that I should give the recipe a try.  So, last night I was a baking fool... and here are the pictures, recipe and  baking comments to prove it. Enjoy!

Club Med's Famous White Chocolate Bread  

I shared my attempt in real-time with my other Club Med EXGO friends on Facebook. Here are my comments on the bread making, just in case anyone is inspired to try their hand at making a loaf, too. The bread is best eaten while still warm, just out of the oven, but toasted the next day is also good.  My friend, Sarah, suggested making French Toast with the leftovers... oh, what a wonderful breakfast that would make!

Well, the experiment was a success! We have already devoured 1/2 of the loaf.  Here are my thoughts on/tweaks to the recipe.... ~~ only add 3/4 cup of the water (115 degrees) to begin with, then add more water if needed to get the 'play doh' consistency the recipe calls for. The whole 1 1/4 cup water is just too much. My loaf came out a bit 'heavy', not surprised about that. With the extra 1 cup+ of flour I had to add to get the dough texture right, it skewed the yeast/flour ratio. ~~ I put a cast iron skillet in the oven when preheating. I put it on the lower rack & added 1 cup hot water to the skillet after I placed the loaf in the oven to bake. Be careful because the 'steam' kicks up quick. Close the oven door quick to keep the steam inside. It really helps with giving the bread a crusty, 'French bread' exterior. ~~ I baked the loaf about 35 minutes (not the 20 in the recipe) to get it 'golden' enough & so it had a 'hollow' sound when thumped. It tastes best when eaten warm from the oven, or toasted, if eating the next day.