Chocolate Brioche

This chocolate swirled brioche bread is soft, rich, buttery and filled with chocolate throughout the middle.

Course Bread

Cuisine French

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Resting Time 2

Total Time 3

Servings

Calories 300kcal

Author Ryan Beck

Ingredients

Brioche Bread

¼ cup warm whole milk
1 ½ teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon honey
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 egg yoke, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
¾ teaspoon salt
9 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

Chocolate Filling

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Add the milk, yeast, honey and eggs to a bowl of stand mixer, whisking to break up the eggs. Add in the vanilla extract, sugar, flour and salt.
With the dough hook attachment, mix the ingredients until the flour is incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. If dough is too sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time but it's better to be on the sticky side.
With the mixer on low, add half of the butter, mixing until incorporated, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and add the remaining butter. Knead for an additional 3-4 minutes or until the butter is incorporated.
Scrape down the sides and knead for another 5-10 minutes or until the dough is no longer sticking to the bottom of the bowl and will be soft to touch, but not stick to your fingertips.
Grease a large bowl and add the dough to the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
While dough is resting, make the chocolate filling. Beat the butter and sugar in a stand mixer until light and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and salt and beat until incorporated.
Lightly dust your work surface with some flour. Remove dough from mixing bowl and punch down. Roll the dough to about an 8x14 inch rectangle. Spread the chocolate filling evenly over the dough.
Starting with the short edge close to you, roll the dough into a log, trying to keep tight throughout.
Butter and dust an 8.5 x 4 inch loaf pan and transfer the dough, seam side down, to the pan. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let rise for another hour. The dough should just about reach the top of the pan at this point.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush the bread with some egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on top and the middle is done.

Notes

You want your milk warm but don't overheat it or it will kill the yeast. It should be between 105-110°F.
Use room temperature butter. The softer the butter the better it incorporates into the dough which means tasty bread.
Especially if in the winter, proof the bread in the oven with the light on as it adds enough heat to let the dough rise.
The bread is ready to bake when you make a small indentation in the dough with your fingertip and it bounces back.
If you want even more chocolate in the filling, sprinkle ½ cup shaved chocolate over the 8x14 inch rectangle.
You know the bread is done by inserting an instant read thermometer in the middle and it registers at 190°F.
Don't fret if some chocolate oozes out. It still will taste amazing.

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