Chocolate Brioche
497kcal
Ingredients
The Cocoa Brioche Dough (Day 1 - 5:00 PM)
- 500 g All-purpose flour
- 40 g Cocoa powder
- 200 g Eggs (approx. 4 large eggs)
- 110 g Milk
- 60 g Sugar
- 10 g Salt
- 20 g Fresh yeast (or 5g Dry Instant Yeast)
- 150 g Unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
- 50 g Stiff sourdough starter (Optional, for flavor depth)
- Zest of 1 orange (Optional flavor pairing)
Chocolate Pastry Cream (Day 1 Custard Center)
- 200 g Milk
- 50 g Heavy cream
- Egg yolks
- 40 g Sugar
- 15 g Cornstarch
- Vanilla paste or vanilla bean pod
- 15 g Butter
- 60 g Semi-sweet dark chocolate chips (or finely chopped chocolate)
Artisanal Chocolate Crumble (Day 2 Topping)
- 50 g Butter (cold)
- 37 g All-purpose flour
- 75 g Brown sugar
- 15 g Almond flour/powder
- 15 g Cocoa powder
- Egg (beaten, for egg wash)
Equipment
- Stand Mixer (with dough hook attachment)
- Small Silicone Disc Molds (Crucial for freezing the pastry cream inserts)
- Saucepan & Whisk (for the custard)
Method
Day 1 - Dough & Custard Inserts
- Mix & Knead Dough: At 5:00 PM, add all the cocoa brioche dough ingredients into your mixer bowl. Mix with the dough hook on low speed until combined, then increase to medium-high and knead for 15–25 minutes. The dough must form a smooth, elastic ball that completely cleans the sides of the bowl. Keep internal dough temp under 82°F (28°C) to prevent gluten breakdown.
- The Staged Chill: At 5:30 PM, transfer the covered dough to the freezer for exactly 1 hour to instantly halt fermentation. At 6:30 PM, move the dough to the refrigerator to rest and slow-ferment overnight.
- Cook Custard: Meanwhile, heat the milk and cream in a saucepan on low. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until smooth. Slowly stream the warm milk mixture into the yolks to temper them, return everything to low heat, and stir constantly until thick. Stir in the vanilla, butter, and dark chocolate until fully melted and velvety.
- Freeze Inserts: Spoon the warm chocolate pastry cream into small silicone disc molds. Place the molds in the freezer to freeze solid overnight.
Day 2 - Shaping & Assembly
- Portion & Round: Next morning, remove the firm dough from the fridge. Divide it into 12 equal pieces (approx. 80g each). Roll each piece into a tight, smooth ball and place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Warm Proof: Cover the dough balls loosely and let them proof for 1 to 2 hours at 78–84°F (24–27°C) until light, airy, and completely doubled in volume.
- Make Crumble: While checking on the proofing dough, cut your cold topping butter into the flour, brown sugar, almond powder, and cocoa powder. Mix with your fingertips until crumbly, then store the mixture in the fridge to keep cold.
- Assemble: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Brush your puffy, proofed brioche buns generously with the egg wash. Pop the frozen chocolate pastry cream discs out of their silicone molds and press one disc firmly straight down into the exact center of each brioche roll. Heavily sprinkle the cold chocolate crumble on top.
- Staged Bake: Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking for 10–12 minutes more until the edges are baked through and the custard centers are warm and luscious. Enjoy fresh out of the oven!
Nutrition
Calories497kcalCarbohydrates71gProtein9gFat21gSaturated Fat13gPolyunsaturated Fat1gMonounsaturated Fat4gTrans Fat0.4gCholesterol38mgSodium133mgPotassium228mgFiber3gSugar29gVitamin A460IUVitamin C1mgCalcium120mgIron3mg
Notes
- Why the 1-Hour Freezer Step Matters: As reader Christina pointed out, this step might seem unusual! Putting the highly enriched, warm dough into the freezer for exactly 1 hour instantly drops its core temperature. This stops the yeast from over-proofing upfront and firms up the butter matrix, allowing the dough to transition smoothly into a flawless, long, uniform overnight refrigerator rise.
- Can You Freeze the Brioche Unbaked?: Yes! You can easily freeze these rolls for future baking. Follow the recipe up through Step 5 (shaping the dough into 80g balls). Place the shaped balls on a tray and freeze them solid. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag for up to a month. To bake, thaw the balls in the refrigerator overnight, pick up at Step 6 (warm proofing until doubled) the next morning, and assemble with fresh custard inserts and crumble!
- Dough Temperature Warning: Because chocolate dough absorbs and retains ambient friction heat very easily, monitor your stand mixer closely. If your dough passes 82°F (28°C) during the 20-minute knead, the butter will break its emulsion and ruin the gluten network. If it feels warm to the touch, wrap a frozen gel pack around the base of the mixer bowl.
- Managing the Custard Center: Make sure your silicone custard inserts are frozen completely solid before pressing them into the proofed dough. If the pastry cream is too soft or warm during assembly, it will collapse the delicate air bubbles built during the 2-hour proof, resulting in a dense, flat pastry rather than a tall, light brioche envelope.