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    Chocolate Brioche

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    *mandatory

    Chocolate Brioche

    Because the dough is left to rise three times (the last two risings can be done in the fridge overnight), the work involved in making these is staggered. This means you can have warm brioche on the table in time for breakfast - and get your lie-in.

    • Vegetarian
    • Preparation time: 40 minutes, plus at least 7 hours rising
    • Cooking time: 20 minutes
    • Total time: 1 hour, plus at least 7 hours rising 10 minutes

    Makes: 12 brioche

    Ingredients

    • 150g Waitrose Plain Chocolate with Coffee
    • 75ml whole milk
    • 500g Waitrose Very Strong Canadian White Flour
    • 7g sachet from a 56g pack McDougalls Fast Action Dried Yeast
    • 6 large eggs, room temperature
    • 250g President Unsalted French Butter, very soft
    • 75g caster sugar
    • 2 tbsp milk, to glaze

    Method

    1. Break up the chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl with the milk. Rest the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water and leave until melted, stirring occasionally - do not allow the bowl to touch the water. Remove from the heat, stir gently and leave to cool until needed.
    2. Mix the flour with the yeast and 1 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a free-standing mixer fitted with a dough hook. Break the eggs into a jug and beat lightly. With the mixer on its lowest speed, pour the eggs in batches onto the flour. After adding the last batch of egg, stop the machine and scrape down the sides. Add the chocolate mixture and mix on the lowest speed until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Scrape down the bowl then knead the dough in the machine on low speed for 5 minutes.
    3. In another bowl, using a wooden spoon, beat the soft butter with the sugar until creamy. With the machine on low speed, add the butter mixture to the dough a little at a time. Knead the dough in the machine for a further 5 minutes. At this point the dough will be very soft and sticky. Cover the bowl with a lid or clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size - about 2 hours.
    4. Flour your fingers very well then punch down the risen dough to deflate - it will feel more like a chocolate mousse or cake mix than a bread dough. Cover as before then place the bowl in the fridge and chill until the dough is firm and has doubled in size again - about 4 hours, although it can be left in the fridge overnight at this point.
    5. Butter a 12-hole muffin tray or 2 x 6-hole brioche-shaped trays. Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a floured work surface and knead gently for 1 minute. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions.
    6. To shape the brioche, pinch off a hazelnut-sized ball of dough from each portion and roll into a smooth, neat ball. Shape the rest of the portion into a neat ball and gently drop into the muffin tray. Flour your index finger and push it into the centre of the ball of dough in the tray then place the smaller ball over this hole. Repeat with the remaining portions. Slip the tray into a large plastic bag, slightly inflate then leave to rise until the dough has doubled in size - 1 hour in a warm room or overnight in the fridge.
    7. Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Uncover the brioche and brush with milk to glaze. Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes until firm. Leave to cool for a minute before turning out onto a wire rack. Eat warm from the oven or leave to cool completely then store in an airtight container and eat within 24 hours. Alternatively, freeze for up to a month.

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    Cook's tips

    To make traditional French fluted brioche you will need 18 small fluted metal moulds (well buttered) that are 8cm wide at the top. It will take about 10 minutes to bake brioche in these.

    This recipe can easily be done without an electric mixer. Simply knead the dough by hand instead.

    Variation

    To make double chocolate brioche, roughly chop 100g Green & Black's White Vanilla Chocolate and knead into the dough after it has been chilled and before shaping.

    To make vanilla brioche with chocolate chips, follow the main recipe but leave out the melted chocolate. Mix the milk with the eggs and add half a teaspoon vanilla extract then add to the flour mixture. Continue as before then chop 100g plain chocolate or Waitrose Plain Chocolate with Coffee and knead into the dough before it is shaped. The rising times will be slightly shorter as the dough is lighter.

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