Brioche Filled with Chocolate Ganache

Submitted by Lisa

Ok, I only made this because I had just made the Apple Pear Coffee Cake that called for Brioche dough, and I had some of the dough left over. So I looked in the book: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a day, and found that the dough could be made into many other recipes also.

Face it, doesn't the name of it sound delicious?

Now that I have made it and tasted it, and gotten the input from the kids, I would probably use milk chocolate instead. They just don't like bittersweet. Personally, I was not a fan. I just don't think bread and chocolate go together...but that could just be me?!

Makes 1 loaf

1 lb (grapefruit size portion) Brioch dough (recipe will follow all instructions)

1/4 lb bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan

4 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tbsp rum (I used vanilla)

5 tbsp corn syrup

1 egg white, lightly beaten with 1 tbsp water

granulated sugar for sprinkling on top

1. Making the ganach: Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the mircowave on low, until smooth. Remove from heat, add the butter, and stir until incorporated.

2. Stir the cocoa powder into the rum, add the corn syrup, and mix until smooth. Add to the chocolate.

3. Assembling the brioche: Lightly butter a 9x4x3 inch nonstick loaf pan. Dust the surface of the dough with flour and cut off a 1 lb piece. Dust the piece with more flour and shape into a ball. Using a rolling pin, roll out the ball into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle, dusting with flour as needed.

4. Spread 1/2 cup of the ganache evenly over the rectangle, leaving a 1 inch border all around. Starting at the short end, roll up the dough, being careful to seal the bare edges.

5. Gently tuck the loose ends underneath, elongate into an oval, and drop into the prepared pan.

6. Allow to rest 1 hr 40 min.

7. Twenty min before baking time, preheat the oven to 350.

8. Bake the brioche for about 45 min, or until the top is golden brown and the sugar caramelizes. Due to the butter in the dough, the brioche will not form a hard, crackling crust.

9. Remove from the pan and cool slightly; then drizzle the remaining 1/4 c of ganache over the top. Cool completely and slice.

Brioche Dough

Makes four 1 lb loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halved.

1 1/2 c lukewarm water

1 1/2 tbsp yeast (2 pkts)

1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt

8 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 c honey

1 1/2 c unsalted butter,(3 sticks) melted, plus butter for greasing the pan

7 1/2 c all purpose flour

egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water)

1. Mix the yeast, salt, eggs, honey, and melted butter with the water in a 5 qt bowl.

2. Mix in the flour without kneading. If you aren't using a mixer with dough hook, you may need to to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour. The dough will be loose but will firm up when chilled; don't try to work with it before chilling. (You may notice lumps in the dough but they will disappear in the finished products.)

3. Cover(not air tight), and allow to rest at room temperature, until dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approx. 2 hrs.

4. The dough can be used as soon as it is chilled after the initial rise. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 5 days.

**Now follow the instructions above for the Brioche filled with Chocolate Ganache , or use these for just plain brioche. **

5. Defrost the dough overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. On baking day, grease a 9x4x3 inch nonstick loaf pan. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off 1 lb (grapefruit size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a 1/4 turn as you go.

6. Elongate into an oval and place in a prepared pan. Allow to rest for 1 hr 20 min.

7. Twenty min before baking time, preheat oven to 350.

8. Using a pastry brush, brush the top crust with egg wash.

9. Place the bread near the center of the oven and bake for 35 to 40 min, or until a medium golden brown. Due to the fat in the dough, brioch will not form a hard, crackling crust.

10. Allow to cool before slicing or eating.