A recent Sunday brunch gave me an excuse to dive (happily) into my
flour cookbook. Have I mentioned this delicious collection
before? I love the bakeries. I love the book. I love brioche.
And so the recipe of choice was an obvious one: Brioche Au Chocolate!
Please don't be intimidated by things like 'brioche dough' and 'pastry cream'... it all really is more forgiving than you might think... and more delicious.
Just begin with the
basic brioche (page 73 in the cookbook):
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 packages (3 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 cup cold water
6 eggs
1 cup plus 6 tablespoons (2 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the all-purpose flour, bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water, and 5 of the eggs. Beat on low speed for 3 to 4 minute, or until all of the ingredients have come together. Stop the mixer as needed to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all of the flour is incorporated into the wet ingredients. Once the dough has come together, beat on low speed for another 3 to 4 minutes. The dough will be very stiff and seem quite dry.
On low speed, add the butter one piece at a time, mixing after each addition until it disappears into the dough. Then, continue mixing on low speed for about 10 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. It is important for all of the butter to be mixed thoroughly into the dough.
Once the butter is completely incorporated, turn up the speed to medium and beat for another 15 minutes, or until the dough becomes sticky, soft, and somewhat shiny. It will take some time to come together. It will look shaggy and questionable at the start and then eventually it will turn smooth and silky. Then, turn the speed to medium-high and beat for about 1 minute. You should hear the dough make a slap-slap-slap sound as it hits the sides of the bowl. Test the dough by pulling at it: it should stretch a bit and have a little give.
Place the dough in a large bowl or plastic container and cover it with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the dough. Let the dough proof in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to overnight. At this point, you can freeze the dough in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
And for the
pastry cream...
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cake flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a medium saucepan, scald the milk over medium-high heat. While the milk is heating, in a small bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until blended, then slowly whisk in the flour mixture. The mixture will be thick and pasty.
Remove the milk from the heat and slowly add it to the egg-flour mixture, a little at a time, whisking constantly. When all of the milk has been incorporated, return the contents of the bowl to the saucepan and place over medium heat. Whisk continuously and vigorously for about 3 minutes, or until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil. At first, the mixture will be very frothy and liquid; as it cooks longer, it will slowly thicken and become more viscous. Once it thickens, stop whisking every few seconds to see if mixture has come to a boil. If it has not, keep whisking vigorously. As soon as you see if bubbling, immediately go back to whisking for just 10 seconds, and then remove the pan from the heat. Boiling the mixture will thicken it and cook out the flour taste, but if you let it boil for longer than 10 seconds, the mixture can become grainy.
Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small heat-proof bowl. Stir in the vanilla, then cover with plastic wrap, placing it directly on the surface of the cream. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until cold, or up to 3 days.
Bringing it all together...
1/2 of the basic brioche dough
pastry cream
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 egg
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat liners
On a floured work surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle about 20 by 10 inches and 1/4 inch thick. It will have the consistency of cold, damp Play-Doh and should be fairly easy to roll. Position the rectangle so a long side is facing you. Spread the pastry cream evenly over the bottom half of the rectangle. Fold the top half of the rectangle completely over the bottom half, then press down gently so the halves are smooshed together.
Use a bench scraper or a chef's knife to cut the filled dough into 10 pieces, each about 2 inches wide; each piece will be about 2 by 5 inches.
Carefully transfer the brioche to the prepared baking sheet. Cover the pastries lightly with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to proof for about 2 hours, or until the dough is pillowy.
Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg until blended. Gently brush the tops of the pastries with the beaten egg.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack for 20 to 30 minutes.
Best served warm or within about 4 hours of baking!
