Chocolate Hazelnut Brioche

I don’t know what triggers new recipes ideas but food seems to be constantly in my thoughts, I even have a colleague who has started to call me cookie! The weather was rainy yesterday in Auckland so we decided to take the opportunity to do some shopping since we wouldn’t be missing anything at the beach but I found my mind was not really concentrated on what I was meant to be doing but thinking about what I would bake when I got home. I had already promised my partner that I would make him a terrine (for several weeks actually!) but I really wanted to make something sweet. Chocolate loaf came to mind and out of that was born the chocolate hazelnut brioche. I have not made brioche before and always thought it might be complicated but I found a quick version from La Tartine Gourmand and decided to use this (lovely website by the way).  I have changed it slightly and of course added the hazelnuts, chocolate & cinnamon and was very happy with the results.

The ingredients make a big loaf so if you haven’t got a big tin use two or half the ingredients.

Ingredients

Use one large kugelhof or loaf cake tin or two small loaf tins

• 500g flour
• 100 butter, at room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 1 packet dry yeast (1 tbsp)
• 2 tbsp castor sugar
• 300ml warm milk
• 1 egg yolk for glaze
• 150g chocolate
• 70g shelled hazelnuts
• 1 generous tsp cinnamon
• 50g chocolate (chopped) & 50ml cream for the ganache topping

Method

• In a bowl mix the flour and sugar and make a well in the middle.
• Add the yeast to the warm milk and allow yeast to grow a little (will become frothy).
• Add the yeast and milk to the flour and sugar and mix with your hands, before it becomes a dough add the butter into the mixture and combine.
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each. 
• Knead the dough until it is elastic and shiny. It may be easier to make this with a food mixer and dough hook attachment but unfortunately I do not have one so I had to resort to good old fashioned muscle power! If using your hands it feels like it is never going to come together with the eggs and butter but it will! Keep mixing & kneading! 
• Cover dough with cling film and let it rest in a warm place until it doubles in size.
• Knead the dough again for 5 minutes and then roll into an oblong shape (see photo) which will fit you tin in length.
• Spread the melted chocolate over the dough (see photo).
• Sprinkle the hazelnuts and cinnamon over the chocolate. 
• Roll the dough up loosely length ways (see photo) and put into a kugelhof cake tin for the round form. You can also use a normal loaf tin but if the tins are small you may need two.
• Keep the dough in a warm place covered with cling film until it has doubled in size (see photo)
• Preheat the oven at 180 centigrade.
• Bake for 25-35 minutes, if you tap the bread it should sound hollow.
• Remove, unmold and let cool on a rack.
• Put the cream in a bowl and heat in a microwave, add the chopped chocolate and stir till melted.
• Pour over brioche letting it drip down the sides of the loaf. 

When I removed this from the oven it was 11pm, since I had to make the terrine first, so there was no sampling straight that eveing so I have to confess to eating it for breakfast with a cup of tea. Perfect way to start the day and i justified the calories by going out for a surf afterwards.

Sorry that these photos aren’t very clear but it was quite late in the evening at this stage and there was no natural light in my kitchen which I rely on normally for taking photographs.