Chocolate braided brioche bread

Brioche bread is a type of bread that brings back childhood memories. Its texture and flavor is unmatched, and if you make it at home the pleasure and satisfaction is undoubtedly double. That is why Rosa, author of Pemberley Cup&Cakes , brings us the recipe to make brioche bread dough at home, with a peculiarity that makes it even more attractive: braided and with chocolate! What can't you resist?

I was looking forward to the temperatures starting to drop a bit, among other things, so that I could dedicate myself to baking one of the recipes that has stolen my heart from day one: brioche. Because this type of dough requires certain temperature control throughout the process, this task in summer is simply unthinkable in these parts. So the wait has been difficult and the expectation very great.

Preparing a good brioche, if you have never dealt with it, can seem somewhat intimidating at first. But the secret to achieving it, in addition to avoiding high temperatures , is within everyone's reach: tenacity (and good-quality butter). Actually, if we have an electric mixer, such as KitchenAid , things are greatly simplified. If not, do not forget the issue of tenacity, because in this case an extra dose will be necessary. In return, how could it be otherwise, you will get some of the most incredible, exquisite and unforgettable bites you can imagine.

Ceramic mold for plum cake by Emile Henry and Tellier traditional egg cup

There is no single way to make brioche dough; One of the fundamental keys, as I already told you, is butter (of which a large proportion is required), which is why it is highly recommended to use quality butter. Depending on the type of brioche that we are going to prepare, we will use a greater or lesser amount, that is, the more butter, the more enriched the dough for our brioche will be, but we will also face a more arduous kneading.

For today's recipe, I have used a medium amount of butter ; about half the weight of the flour, but you can increase it (up to equal the weight of the flour) or reduce it (up to a quarter) depending on your personal preference.

This time, despite the fact that the brioche dough is left over and is enough by itself to be quite a delicacy, I wanted to give it an exceptional companion: a generous dose of chocolate. The result has been simply formidable, beyond what my clumsy words can express. So there is no choice but to try...

Ingredients (for 10-12 servings)

(Ingredients should be slightly cool to the touch, unless otherwise noted; remove butter and eggs from refrigerator 5 minutes before using.)

For the mass

• 95ml of milk or water, warm (about 45ºC approx.)*
• 5g dry baker's yeast (or 15g fresh yeast)
• 360 - 390g of plain flour (+ extra flour for kneading)
• 45g of white sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons of salt
• 3 eggs (L)
• 190g unsalted butter (+ extra butter for greasing or release spray )

For the filling

• 150gr of pure chocolate (min. 50% cocoa) or dark (min. 70% cocoa), to taste, but of good quality
• 75g unsalted butter
• 12gr of pure cocoa powder
• 15g of white sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
• 1 pinch of salt

To decorate

• 1 egg yolk + 1 teaspoon of whipped cream (or milk)
• pearl sugar (optional)

Elaboration

1. Preparation of the dough

1. In a medium bowl , place the warm milk (or water), sprinkle the yeast (or dissolve it, in case of using fresh yeast) and let it rest for about 5 minutes to start activating it.
2. In the bowl of our mixer , equipped with the hook accessory (or in a large bowl if we are going to knead by hand), we place 390g of the flour, sugar and salt and mix by hand with a few rods until combined.
3. Next, we make a hole in the center, add the eggs, lightly beaten beforehand, and the milk/water and yeast mixture and mix at low speed with the dough hook (or with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon). if we are going to work by hand) for about 6-7 minutes until obtaining a homogeneous mass, although still somewhat rough and quite sticky, which will detach from the bowl. If it were excessively sticky, we would add the remaining 30g of flour, tablespoon by tablespoon, until the desired consistency was achieved.
4. Next, we slightly increase the kneading speed of our mixer (or our arm) and we add the butter in several batches so that the dough gradually absorbs it (I have done it in eight batches), making sure that each one is well integrated before adding the next. It is important that the temperature of the dough does not exceed 24-25ºC. If we are going to knead by hand, there is nothing like a surface that retains cold well, such as marble, steel or even glass ceramic. It is also important to try to keep your hands as cold as possible (I usually always have an ice cube in a zip-lock bag on hand).
5. Once all the butter has been incorporated, we will continue to knead until the dough detaches without difficulty from the bowl or the work surface and acquires a very soft and fine texture and an elastic and very malleable consistency. This step will be somewhat longer than with other types of dough due to the large amount of fat that we have incorporated; with the help of the mixer it can take about 10-12 minutes with this amount of butter; by hand something else.
6. Finally, we shape the dough into a ball with our hands and place it in a large bowl, lightly greased with a few drops of sunflower oil (which will not add flavor), cover with plastic wrap and let it rise. This first leavening can be carried out in two ways , depending on the time we have.

• We can let it rise at room temperature in a warm place (no more than 24-25ºC) and away from air currents for about 1½ - 2 hours or until it almost doubles its size. Once the dough has risen, place it on a work surface, always cold and lightly floured, and degas it by pressing it with your fingertips until the air bubbles that have formed inside are released. We cover loosely with transparent film so that it does not dry out and let it relax for 5-10 minutes. Next, we spread the dough with our hands until we get a more or less rectangular plate and of a certain thickness (the size that allows us to place it in the freezer without losing its shape). We wrap the sheet of dough with transparent film, place it on a flat tray and put it in the freezer for 30 minutes to stop the rising and to be able to handle it more comfortably.
• Or, we can refrigerate it overnight (from 8 to 12 hours max.) and allow the rise to rise slowly in the cold, which will give the final dough a sublime texture and flavor.

Masterclass baguette board , Pallarès knife and set of 4 Kitchen Craft measurers

2. Preparation of the filling

1. With the help of a large, sharp 17cm Pallarès knife or a food processor , chop the chocolate as finely as possible.
2. On the other hand, we melt the butter (bain-marie or microwave) in a large, heat-resistant bowl. Once melted, add the chopped chocolate and mix gently with a spatula until it melts and we get a homogeneous mixture (if there are some unmelted pieces of chocolate, it's not a problem).
3. Next, we add the sugar, cocoa, cinnamon (if we use it) and salt. We combine until obtaining a uniform cream and let temper.

3. Shape and bake

1. Once ready, we remove the dough from the freezer or refrigerator and place it on the work surface, lightly floured, to proceed to shape our brioche, checking at all times that the dough does not get excessively hot (if so, we we would cool our hands whenever necessary). Then we spread the dough with a rolling pin , also floured, always working from the center outwards until this time we get a rectangle of approximately 25 x 40 cm .
2. With the help of a small spatula, spread the filling very gently over the entire area of ​​the rectangle, leaving a 1 cm margin free of filling at one of the long ends of the rectangle.
3. Next, lightly moisten the unfilled margin with a little water and, starting from the long end opposite to the one that we have left with the unfilled margin, we roll the dough on itself, trying to fit well, but without over-tightening so that do not end up deforming. This step and the following ones until we finish braiding our brioche can end up being somewhat "messy"; Working with molten chocolate can be quite messy, so it's extremely important to clean your work surface and your hands throughout the process whenever necessary to avoid excessive staining of the batter (although some transfers are unavoidable).
4. We now place the roll of dough diagonally on a tray that fits well in our freezer, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for another 30 minutes. In this way, the braiding will be much more manageable and clean.
5. Meanwhile, thoroughly grease the inside of a 32 x 15 x 9.5 cm rectangular mold like this one by Emile Henry with a little butter or release spray.
6. After this time, we remove the roll from the freezer, place it on the work surface with the seam facing up and, with the help of a large and well-sharpened knife, cut it lengthwise in half using a straight and clean cut, trying to match with the rolled dough joint. Next, with one or both cuts facing up (depending on the design that we like the most), we pinch the two ends on one side and braid the dough until the end, again trying to make it snug but not too tight (it is more than likely that a small part of the filling ends up staining the dough, do not panic). And we will end up joining the two final ends well so that it does not come undone.
7. Finally, if necessary, we trim the ends to achieve a cleaner finish and a better fit, then we place the piece in the mold, taking care not to disassemble it, we slightly tuck the ends underneath (for pure aesthetics, nothing more) and paint gently. the surface of the dough with the mixture of whipped yolk with cream or milk with the help of a pastry brush (we will keep the excess mixture refrigerated until we use it again before baking).
8. We cover with transparent film, lightly greased with a pinch of sunflower oil, without adjusting and let it rise again, making sure that it does not exceed 25ºC and safe from air currents for about 1 - 1½ more hours until it almost doubles its volume, although it will not grow dramatically.
9. About 10-15 minutes before the end of the last rise of our dough, we preheat the oven (electric and airless) to 190ºC and place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven.
10. Brush our brioche again , now paying special attention to each nook and cranny, with the mixture of yolk and cream or leftover milk, being careful not to prick the freshly risen dough and, if we prefer, add a little pearl sugar to decorate.
11. We initially bake for 20 minutes. After this time, we cover the mold with aluminum foil so that it is loose and we continue to bake another 20-25 minutes until it acquires a striking golden hue.
12. Remove from the oven and let cool inside the mold until you can handle it without burning yourself before unmolding.

The tenderness of this type of dough is especially enjoyed freshly made, but it keeps almost intact for up to 2 more days at room temperature in a closed container.

Traditional Tellier egg cup , Masterclass baguette board , Kitchen Craft measurers and ceramic plum cake pan by Emile Henry

Grades

• *The difference between using water or milk will be appreciated in the final result of the texture of the crumb and the outer crust. In case of using water, we will obtain a lighter crumb and a slightly crunchy exterior; if we opt for milk, we will end up with a somewhat more consistent crumb and a softer crust. In any case, we will enjoy a tender and absolutely exquisite brioche.
• If after the first rise, while you work the dough to shape it, you see that it becomes too soft, do not hesitate to put it in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes until it is manageable again.
• There may be a little bit of the filling mixture left over. I assume that no one would think of throwing it away; I'm sure you can think of a thousand ways to take advantage of it (even by spoonfuls!).

I assure you that it is easier to make this recipe than to explain it, so I hope you soon get your hands on the dough.