Combine all the ingredients in the bread machine pan and process on the regular bake or on the light crust cycle.

Not too sweet, heaven with a smear of mascarpone cheese and a cup of caffe latte, this bread can be made easily in the bread machine. If you wish, however, you can shape it the Italian way, into a round free-form loaf, place it on parchment paper, and bake it on a stone. We used Pernigotti Cocoa from Williams-Sonoma for the deepest mahogany color and richest chocolate flavor. Buy the best-quality chocolate chips as well. In our market, these are Guittard. You can also use an equal measure of chocolate squares: 3 ounces, or 3 squares, equals 1/2 cup chocolate chips. If you use squares, chop them up in the food processor first, pulsing until you have bits about the size of chocolate chips, or shave them with a knife into the dough. Droste, Lindt, Tobler, Ghirardelli, and Guittard are all top-quality chocolates for use in baking.

Set you machine for "light crust" to prevent overbrowning.

For an easy frosting, pull the bread out of the machine the moment it's completed baking and top it with chocolate chips. They'll melt and you can smear them over the top for a gorgeous chocolate cake.