Chocolate Brioche

If you are looking to impress someone who loves everything chocolate, look no further! And I say impress someone, as this is made for sharing.  It is airy, rich and oh so yummy.  This one is worth the best cocoa and chocolate chips money can buy.  I use a chocolate spread or peanut butter over the stretched dough to make it extra special.

The night before preparing the brioche dough, feed 40g of your starter with 80g of water and 80g of flour.  Place it in a glass big enough for it to double.  Mark the jar with an elastic band or marker so you know how much it grew overnight.

350g of flour
50g cocoa

80g of sugar

7g of salt

200g sourdough

120g of milk, warmed up

150 g butter, salted (room temperature)

3 large eggs (+ 1 egg yolk for brushing)
100g chocolate chips
150g chocolate spread or peanut butter (optional)

Beat eggs with sugar and milk.  In a separate bowl, mix the flour with the remaining ingredients (except spread and chocolate chips) and stir in the egg mixture using a wooden spoon until well incorporated. Let stand for 30 minutes. Wet you finger tips with cold water and fold the dough three times at 20-minute intervals. After the last fold, let stand at room temperature for two hours. Refrigerate overnight, up to 24 hours. Remove from refrigerator, and using a rolling pin, roll out dough on a lightly dusted surface to 23 cm x 23 cm square. If using spread, with a spatula, spread it on the surface of the dough and sprinkle with 2/3 of the chocolate chips. Roll it up and place in a 23 cm x 13 cm loaf pan (9 inch x 5 inch).  I like to line the pan with parchment paper for easy sliding out and clean up.  Final proof for 2 hour. Beat egg yolk, brush top of brioche and sprinkle remaining chocolate chips just before baking. Bake in a preheated oven at 200C for about 45 minutes or internal temperature reaches 90C. 

Eat at own risk.  It is so good you will want a second slice.