Chocolate Bread

½ cup dried cherries
1 envelope active dry yeast (1 tablespoon)
1 2/3 cup warm water
½ cup sugar, rounded
1 egg
1 tablespoon butter
5 to 6 cups flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup broken or chopped chocolate pieces or chips
½ cup chopped nuts

In a bowl, combine the yeast, a dash of sugar, and 1/3 cup warm water. Let set for five minutes. Add 1 1/3 cup warm water, the egg, and the butter to the yeast mixture. Stir.

Place 5 cups flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt in large bowl and stir. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour mixture and beat into dough. Add the cherries, chocolate pieces, and nuts. Stir. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour by the ¼ cup to make a soft dough. Turn out on a floured board and kneed for five minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl and turn to coat the dough. Cover with a towel and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size.

Punch the dough down. Shape it into a round loaf about 7-8 inches in diameter. Place on a greased baking sheet. Cover it with a towel and set it aside in a warm place to rise until it's doubled in size.

Bake the loaf at 325º for one hour. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Cut slices one inch thick. Any remaining bread can be frozen bread. Makes one large loaf.