Mocha Walnut Bread with Sweet Cream

Inspired by Korean bakeries, this mocha walnut bread is studded with buttery walnuts, topped with a crunchy coffee topping and sandwiched with sweet cream. It's a perfect breakfast or midday treat!

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• Milk: Provides moisture to the bread to create a soft, tender crumb structure. Also used in the coffee topping to add moisture as well. You can use whole milk, 2%, or non-fat.
• Bread flour: Ideal for this bread recipe because it contains higher protein content (11-13%) than all-purpose flour, resulting in a chewier texture with more defined air pockets.
• Instant coffee granules: Delivers the essential mocha flavor that defines this bread. Using coffee granules is ideal because they dissolve easily into the dough without adding extra liquid.
• Walnuts: Add a contrasting crunchy texture to the soft bread and provide a nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with coffee.

Substitutions and variations

• Nuts: Substitute walnuts with pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts for a fun twist.
• Add-ins: You can add additional flavors such as chocolate chips or dried cranberries.

Recipe

Print Recipe

Mocha Walnut Bread

4 loaves

Total Time3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: Korean

Keyword: bread

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Dough

• ¾ cup warm milk (105-110 degrees F) (187 ml)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon active dry yeast (6 grams)
• 3 cups bread flour (390 grams)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules (8 grams)
• 1 large egg
• ⅓ cup butter, softened at room temperature (75 grams)
• 1 ½ cups roughly chopped walnuts, toasted (150 grams)

Coffee topping

• ½ cup butter, softened at room temperature (113 grams)
• ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespons milk (30 grams)
• 2 tablespons instant coffee granules (8 grams)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (130 grams)

Whipped cream

• 1 cup heavy cream (250 ml)
• ½ cup powdered sugar (65 grams)

Instructions

• Make the dough. Combine the warm milk with 1 teaspoon sugar and yeast. Stir to combine and let sit for 5 minutes or until the yeast is activated and foamy. Add instant coffee, stirring until dissolved.
• Combine the yeast mixture with the bread flour, sugar, salt, egg, and butter in a large bowl and mix until the dough starts to come together. Add the walnuts and continue to knead the dough until smooth. Place in a bowl, cover, and let proof in a warm area for 1 hour. The dough may not double in size, but should still rise.
• While the dough is proofing, make the coffee topping. Beat the softened butter with sugar until lightened in color and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and combine. Combine the milk with the instant coffee, stirring to dissolve the coffee. Add the coffee milk mixture to the creamed butter, mixing until combined.
• Add the baking powder and flour and mix just until combined. Wrap the topping in plastic wrap, shaping it into a rectangle. Chill in the fridge for at least one hour or until firm.
• Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into a 6-inch log, slightly flattening the dough to create the shape of the loaf. Place the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and repeat with the remaining dough. Loosely cover the bread and let rise for 1 hour in a warm area or until doubled in size.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Remove the coffee topping from the fridge. Divide it into 4 equal portions. Working with one portion at a time, place the topping on a sheet of plastic wrap. Place another sheet of plastic wrap on top and roll out the topping to the same size as the bread, about ¼ inch thick. Remove the top sheet of plastic wrap and carefully flip the topping onto one of the bread. Peel off the second sheet of plastic wrap. Repeat with the remaining topping.
• Bake the mocha walnut bread for 30 minutes or until the bottom of the bread is browned and the internal temperature is 190-200 degrees F. Let the bread cool completely.
• Make the whipped cream. Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
• Slice the bread in half horizontally. Spread the whipped cream on the bottom half and stack the top half on top. Slice the bread and serve.

Notes

This recipe can easily be halved to create 2 loaves instead of 4.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Prepare the dough

This mocha walnut bread takes several steps, so let's jump right in, shall we? First, make the dough.

We want the bread to be as soft as possible, so we're going to make an enriched dough, adding butter, egg, and milk to the dough. And, of course, we can't forget the instant coffee granules, which give the bread that mocha flavor.

The dough will look dense because of the walnuts, but don't worry, it'll work out. It'll also look a little wet, but as long as the dough pulls away from the bowl of the stand mixer, it's good to go. Don't be tempted to add too much additional flour or it'll make the bread dense.

Cover the bowl and let the dough proof for one hour in a warm area. The dough may not double in size, but it should still rise a bit.

Step 2: Make coffee topping

While the dough is proofing, make the coffee topping. We're going to bake the bread with this coffee topping on top to give it a lovely crunch and add extra coffee flavor.

To make the topping, cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and continue to beat until combined. Dissolve the instant coffee in the milk and add the mixture.

Add the dry ingredients, including the flour and baking powder, stirring just until combined. The mixture will be very sticky, so we're going to chill it in the fridge for at least one hour.

You can also make the topping the day before or stick it in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Step 3: Shape dough

Now let's go back to the dough. Divide the dough into four portions and shape each into a log about 6 inches long.

Place the loaves onto a lined baking sheet, loosely cover, and let them rise for another hour. The bread will spread during the second proof, so give the loaves space in between to grow. I squeezed my loaves onto one baking sheet, but it's safer to put them on two.

Preheat the oven and prepare the coffee topping. You want to work fairly quickly because the coffee topping is a wet mixture.

It can also be difficult to roll out without adding too much flour on the counter to prevent it from sticking. So here's my handy tip: use plastic wrap!

Cut the coffee topping into four pieces. Then, line your kitchen counter with plastic wrap and place the first portion on top. Place another sheet of plastic wrap on top and roll it until it's about ¼ inch thick.

Peel off the top layer of plastic wrap and use the bottom plastic wrap to lift the coffee topping and lay it on the bread. Makes clean up a lot easier too!

Now, bake the bread for 30 minutes or until the bottoms are browned. I like to check the internal temperature to make sure they're ready, since it's hard to tell just by the color. You want the temperature to be between 190-200 degrees F.

Let them cool completely before slicing them in half and filling them with whipped cream.

Okay, so I'm going to go ahead and just say it. I think this mocha walnut bread came out even better than I expected. In fact, I think they rival the ones sold at Korean bakeries. Every bite is packed full of mocha flavors, toasty, nutty walnuts, and lovely, sweet cream. It's just so good!

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: The coffee topping and whipped cream can be prepared the day before. You can also prepare the dough and do the first proofing, then place it in the refrigerator overnight. Let it come to room temperature before shaping and proceeding with the second rise.
• Store: Once filled with whipped cream, store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Unfilled bread can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Frequently asked questions

More sweet bread recipes

Looking for more sweet bread ideas? Try these: