CHOCOLATE BRIOCHE RECIPE
 
 
This scrumptious, sweet bread makes a wonderful gift from the kitchen. Start it the night before you need it, as it requires a nights rest to become its delicious best. This recipe makes 2 loaves, one for you and one to give away.
Author:
Recipe type: Bread
Cuisine: French
Serves: 2 Loves
Ingredients
  • ⅔ Cup Warm Whole Milk (80° to 100°)
  • ½ Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons (2 Packets) Fresh Active Dry Yeast
  • 6½ Cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 10 Eggs (at room temperature)
  • 2 Teaspoons Salt
  • 2 Cups (1 Pound) Unsalted Butter, Softened, cut into 1 Tablespoon Slices
  • 1½ Cups Good Quality Semi Sweet Chocolate, Chopped
  • 1 Egg, Beaten (for egg wash)
Instructions
  1. Fit your mixer with the paddle attachment then add the warm milk, sugar and yeast.
  2. Let this mixture stand and do its work for about 15 minutes. It should get a bit foamy which means the yeast is alive and working.
  3. Now, turn the mixer on low speed and slowly add in all 10 eggs and then 3 cups of flour, reserving the remaining 3½ cups of flour for later. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 3 minutes.
  4. To start the initial fermentation stage, cover the bowl of your mixer with plastic wrap and place it in a warm, draft-free location for about 45 minutes. After 45 minutes you should start to see a few bubbles forming in the dough.
  5. Switch from the paddle attachment to the dough hook on your mixer.
  6. With the mixer on low, gradually add the salt and remaining 3½ cups flour to the dough.
  7. Once the flour is incorporated increase the speed to medium and kneed the dough for about 10 minutes or until it begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
  8. With the mixer still on medium speed, begin adding the slices of butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, letting each pat of butter incorporate into the dough before adding more.
  9. Generously spray a large mixing bowl with cooking spray. Turn the dough out into the bowl, rolling it around until it is fully coated with cooking spray.
  10. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and return it to a warm, draft-free location and let it double in size. This will take about 2 to 2½ hours.
  11. Once the dough has about doubled in size, punch it down to remove the air. Once again, tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.
  12. In the morning turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
  13. Cut the dough into 2 equal portions.
  14. Using a rolling pin, roll each portion of dough into a rectangular shape about the width of your loaf pans.
  15. Sprinkle each of the 2 portions of dough with half of the chopped chocolate.
  16. Press the chocolate down gently into the dough.
  17. Starting from the narrow end, roll the dough into a log.
  18. Place each roll of dough seam-side-down into 2 loaf pans that have been generously coated in butter.
  19. Loosely cover the dough with plastic and again, place in a warm, draft-free location until the dough has puffed up, filling the loaf pan. This will take about 40 minutes.
  20. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Brush the tops of the loaves with the beaten egg.
  21. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes more or until an instant-read thermometer registers 190°F when inserted into the center of the loaf.
  22. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes. Remove the bread from the loaf pans and cool on a cooling rack before serving.
Notes
If you prefer, dark chocolate can be used. If only one loaf of bread is needed simply cut this recipe in half.
Recipe by After Orange County at http://afterorangecounty.com/2019/01/08/chocolate-brioche-recipe/