Double Chocolate Brioche Bread
A beautifully braided, dense and flavorful loaf of chocolate brioche with a rich chocolate filling.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
Chocolate Brioche Dough
- 2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons of active yeast (1 packet)
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 3/4 cup of whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 4 tablespoons of butter
Chocolate Filling
- 4 tablespoons of butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup of brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon of espresso powder
- 2 ounces of dark chocolate, finely chopped
Other
- 2 tablespoons of butter, softened (for loaf pan prep)
- 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar (for loaf pan prep)
Instructions
- Combine 4 tablespoons of butter and 3/4 cup of whole milk in a large bowl and warm until the butter is fully melted
- Allow the butter and milk to cool to between 100-110 degrees
- Add 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and 1 packet of active dry yeast into the butter and milk and let it sit for about 10 minutes or until the yeast is bubbly and frothy
- Whisk 1 egg into the bowl
- Use a mesh sifter to sift 2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, 1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon of salt into the bowl
- Mix until the ingredients are fully combined and a dough begins to form
- Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes
- Transfer the dough into a large lightly greased glass bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap
- Rest the dough for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size
- Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and roll it into a large rectangle
- Spread 4 tablespoons of softened butter over the entire surface of the dough
- In a small dish, combine 1/3 cup of brown sugar with 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon of espresso powder and sprinkle the mixture over the entire surface of the dough
- Sprinkle 2 ounces of finely chopped dark chocolate over the surface
- Roll the dough tightly as you would a cinnamon roll and pinch the seam to seal
- Place the rolled dough longwise pointing away from you, seam side down
- Using a sharp knife, cut the rolled dough in half (see photos above)
- Braid the dough (photos and directions above)
- Prepare a 9"x5" loaf pan by covering the entire interior surface with about 2 tablespoons of softened butter and sprinkling with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
- Carefully transfer the braided loaf into the prepared loaf pan and tuck the ends under
- Cover the loaf pan with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm place for 45 minutes
- Once the dough has puffed up nicely, bake on a center rack at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes
- The bread is ready when the top of the loaf feels set and firm to the touch
- Transfer the bread pan onto a cooling rack to cool for 10 minutes and then transfer the loaf directly onto a cooling rack