Chocolate Brioche

This was killer bread. I like it even better than cinnamon rolls! It makes a great gift or for a potluck/party. The dough mixes up really fast, most of the time comes from shaping, rising and baking the loaves. Adapted from this book on Artisan Breads.

Brioche Dough

Mix in a large bowl:
3/4 C (1.5 sticks) butter, melted
3/4 C warm water
1/4 C honey
3/4 tea yeast
3/4 tea salt
4 eggs, lightly beaten

Mix in without kneading until combined:
3.75 C unbleached all purpose flour (or combine regular flour with 1 C whole wheat bread flour. Whatever you do, don't use "pastry" flour, it doesn't have enough gluten for breadmaking)

Don't add additional flour, the dough will be "wet" compared to traditional bread dough. This is ok.

Cover and let rise for 2 hours at room temp. Chill in refrigerator.

Chocolate filling
Melt in pyrex cup in the microwave, about 60 seconds:
1 C chocolate chips or diced bittersweet chocolate
2 TB butter

Add and mix until spreadable:
2 TB honey or corn syrup
1/3 C cocoa powder
1 tea vanilla extract

Cut prepared, chilled dough (above) in half into two balls. Roll out each on floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate mixture in a uniformly thin layer. Roll up dough into a loaf shape.

Grease a loaf pan or other pan and drop the dough into the pan.

Cover and let bread rest 1 hour 40 minutes.

Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Wait until bread is cooled to slice, otherwise the chocolate oozes out all over the knife.