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1
Cream butter and sugar until smooth.
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2
Add vanilla and slightly beaten egg yolks and mix about 2 minutes until fluffy.
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3
Add flour and yeast and stir slightly.
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4
Add the milk and mix on low speed to make a soft dough, adding flour as needed or milk.
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5
Knead for 4 minutes before tipping onto counter.
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6
Stretch the dough into a rectangle and fold letter style top to bottom and side to side.
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7
Place dough in straight sided container, cover and rest 15 minutes.
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8
Stretch and fold again, resting 15 more minutes.
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9
Allow dough to rise 1.5 times its volume to double its volume.
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10
Roll dough out to a 12 inch by 12 inch rectangle.
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11
Make filling by placing frozen chocolate chips and cinnamon in a food processor and process to a grandular consistency. Add cold butter and pulse until well mixed.
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12
Spread mixture on dough, leaving a 1/4 inch rim uncoated.
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13
Roll dough into a rope like cylinder without stretching the length beyond 15 inches.
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14
Cut the rope into 2 15 inch half-cylinders and braid to form a loaf, folding in the ends. Place in an 8 inch x 4.5 inch loaf pan well oiled.
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15
Preheat oven to 350F while letting loaf rise to 1.5 times its volume.
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16
Brush with egg white glaze if desired and bake for 50 minutes to an hour and 10 minutes, until the internal temperature is 180F to 200u00b0F.
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17
To prevent over browning due to the sugar in this recipe, cover loosely for at least half the time with aluminum foil while baking.
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18
Let cool completely before serving.
