Soft, golden brioche folded around vanilla pastry cream with chocolate chips. It’s a lovely brioche variant to try once you’ve got the basic brioche technique down pat.
INGREDIENTS
For the brioche dough
400 g (2 2/3 cups) white flour
170 g (6 oz) unsalted butter, cubed and softened, plus extra to grease the tin
250 g (5 large eggs at room temperature), lightly beaten
70 g (1/3 cup) white sugar
6 g fine sea salt
7 g instant dried yeast
For the crème pâtissière/ chocolate filling:
250 ml (just over 1/2 cup) full-cream (whole) milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste
2 large egg yolks
60 g (2 1/2 tablespoons) caster (superfine) sugar + 2 tbsp for syrup
12 g (1.5 tablespoon) cornflour (cornstarch)
12 g (1/2 oz) unsalted butter
100g (3.5 oz) dark chocolate chips
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the beaten eggs (reserving 1 tablespoon for brushing), sugar and salt. Add the flour on top, make a small well in the centre and add the yeast. Mix on low-medium speed for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Gradually add the softened butter and knead for 7–10 minutes, until the dough is sticky and glossy. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 2–3 hours.
To make the pastry cream, heat the milk and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat until just simmering. In a separate bowl, whisk the yolks, sugar and cornflour until smooth. Slowly whisk in the hot milk, then return the mixture to the pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir in the butter until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and chill.
Roll out the dough on a sheet of baking paper into a 30 × 24 cm (12 × 9½ in) rectangle. Spread the chilled pastry cream over one long half, sprinkle with chocolate chips, then fold the other half over. Peel away the top layer of baking paper. Slide the dough (still on the paper) onto a large baking tray and chill to firm up for 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) fan-forced. Slice into five 6 × 12 cm (2½ × 4¾ in) rectangles and space apart on two lined trays. Brush with the reserved egg and bake for 18 minutes, or until golden.
While the pastries bake, combine 2 tablespoons of caster sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a simmer for 1–2 minutes. Set aside. As soon as the pastries come out of the oven, brush them with the warm sugar syrup for a glossy finish.
STORAGE: Best eaten fresh on the day. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 day.
Share this post