Chocolate Chip Brioche Loaf

Ingredients

• 260 ml Lukewarm milk (38-40°C; use 310ml if skipping the egg)
• 7 g Instant yeast
• 30 g Sugar (For the dough)
• 1 Egg (For the dough)
• 500 g Bread or All-Purpose flour (Minimum 12% protein)
• 1 tsp Salt
• 100 g Butter (Softened)
• 225 g Chocolate chips (200g-250g range provided)
• 1 Egg yolk (For egg wash)
• Milk (A splash for egg wash)
• 40 g Water (For syrup)
• 40 g Sugar (For syrup)

Steps

1. 1

   In a large bowl, whisk together the lukewarm milk (38-40°C) and instant yeast.

2. 2

   Add 30g sugar and 1 egg to the milk mixture and whisk again to combine.

3. 3

   Add the flour, salt, and softened butter. Mix well with a spatula (or a floured hand) until the flour is fully combined and no dry spots remain.

4. 4

   Fold the dough over itself, turning the bowl after each fold. Repeat this 10-20 times until the dough looks smooth and free of lumps. Alternatively, you can knead it for a few minutes if preferred.

5. 5

   Flip the dough over, fold it in half, cover the bowl, and let it rest for 30 minutes.

6. 6

   After 30 minutes, take the dough out and flatten it slightly. Pour the chocolate chips over the surface.

7. 7

   Fold the dough over the chips repeatedly until they are totally combined and evenly distributed throughout the dough.

8. 8

   Place the dough back in the bowl, cover, and rest for another 30 minutes.

9. 9

   Line a loaf tin with parchment paper.

10. 10

    Decompress the dough, take it out, and cut it into 3 equal pieces.

11. 11

    Roll each piece into a rope approximately 1/3 longer than your loaf dish.

12. 12

    Plait (braid) the three ropes together and tuck the ends underneath.

13. 13

    Lift the braided loaf into the prepared tin, cover, and let it rest for a final 30 minutes.

14. 14

    Preheat your oven to 170°C (340°F).

15. 15

    Whisk the egg yolk with a splash of milk to create an egg wash. Brush the top of the loaf generously with the wash.

16. 16

    Bake at 170°C for 12 minutes, then turn the oven temperature down to 160°C (320°F) and bake for another 13-15 minutes.

17. 17

    While the bread is baking, prepare the syrup by bringing 40g water and 40g sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Boil for about 1 minute until the sugar is fully dissolved, then set aside.

18. 18

    As soon as the loaf comes out of the oven, brush the sugar syrup generously over the top.

19. 19

    Leave the bread in the tin on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes, then remove it from the tin to finish cooling on the rack.

Notes

You can skip the egg in the dough by increasing the lukewarm milk to 310ml. The bread can be sliced and frozen for later use.

Nutrition per serving

• bread
• brioche
• baking
• chocolate chip
• dessert
• breakfast
• no-knead