Chocolate Brioche

By efriend

Ingredients

• You Will Need:
• For the Sponge
• 1/2 c. bread flour
• 2 tsp. yeast
• 1/2 c. whole milk, room temp.
• For the Dough
• 5 eggs, large, slightly beaten
• 3 c. bread flour, + 1/4 c. for dusting the counter and proper texture
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 c. unsalted butter, room temp., cut into cubes
• For the Chocolate Filling
• 2/3 c. whole milk
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 6 Tbsp. flour
• 6 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
• 1 Tbsp. espresso powder
• 3 Tbsp. butter, unsalted and cubed

Preparation

Step 1

Create the sponge first. It should be mixed well and set on the counter to ferment for 45 minutes to an hour. You can also start it and put it in the fridge overnight to ferment slowly. Just take it out and let it come back to room temperature before starting the rest of your recipe.

When the sponge is ready, in a stand mixer add the eggs till fully incorporated.

In a medium bowl, sift together the remaining dry ingredients. Add to the sponge and mix for 2 minutes on medium (Kitchen Aid speed 4).

Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes covered with wrap so it doesn't dry out.

Back on medium speed, add the butter one cube at a time until fully incorporated. Then mix for another 6 minutes. Feel free to set the timer and walk away. Scrape down the bowl once or twice during mixing. Line a baking sheet with sprayed parchment paper and spread the dough out into a rectangle roughly 6" x 8". Use a spatula to shape the dough. It will be sticky, don't worry.

Spray the top of the dough with non-stick spray and cover with wrap so the edges don't dry out. Refrigerate the dough for 4 hours or up to a day.



In a small saucepan bring the milk up to a low boil over medium heat.

In a separate bowl whisk together the egg whites, sugar, cocoa, espresso and flour. It will be very thick, but should be mixed well. When the milk starts to boil, add a little to the egg and sugar mixture to temper it. Whisk vigorously and then pour in a little more. Keep mixing till half the milk is incorporated into the eggs and sugar. Then pour the mixture back into your saucepan. Cook the chocolate filling until it becomes very thick. Do not walk away from the mixture as it thickens and stir it constantly so it doesn't scorch.

When it is very thick and fudge-like, stir in the butter cubes, one at a time until all are melted and the mixture is shiny and smooth. Then spread in a plastic lined dish, cover and chill completely before using.

Okay, now it is time to put them both together for some chocolate brioche magic!

Take the dough out of the fridge and place on a well floured surface. Dust with flour if it is still too sticky, but tender dough will yield more tender results. Place the chocolate filling on one side of the dough, then fold the dough over and seal the edges well.

Now begins the rolling. Roll out to a 12" x 8" rectangle and then fold both ends towards the middle. Then fold the dough in half again. You will see all the edges on one side. Repeat this 3 more times at least. Every time you fold a 'tour double' like this the chocolate ribbons through the bread will get even thinner and the marble swirl will become more complex. So, do it as much as you can. After 3 times my filling started to ooze out one end, so I stopped. Roll the dough and cut as you would for cinnamon rolls. Cut evenly for the baking dish you choose. I made 6 rolls in my hamburger bun pan, but you could also fill a jumbo muffin tin, or reduce the cooking time for regular muffin sizes. In that case, also create a longer and thinner log to cut.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Let the bread rise for around 30 minutes, covered. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and enjoy warm or reheated.

Enjoy!