chocolate brioche log bread 巧克力步里欧树桐面包 (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ

no.. this is not a log cake ヾ(＠† ▽ †＠）ノ… it’s my log bread… heh heh…. but it’s always fun to play with food isn’t it? Ｏ(≧∇≦)Ｏ

Recipe adapted from/食谱取自于: Food & Wine

Ingredients (makes 2  9-by-4 1/2-inch loaves)

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk, warmed
1/4 cup sugar
1 package active dry yeast
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon finely ground Sichuan peppercorns
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
7 large eggs
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions

– In a small bowl, combine the warmed milk and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and stir lightly. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes
– In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, combine the flour, cocoa, salt, ground Sichuan peppercorns, chocolate chips and the remaining 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of sugar and mix well. With the machine at medium low speed, beat in the yeast mixture. Add 6 of the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the side of the bowl as necessary. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until thoroughly incorporated; scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times. The dough should be soft, smooth and slightly sticky
– Transfer the dough to a floured bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let stand in warm place until risen and puffy, about 1 hour
– On a floured work surface, pat down the dough. Gather it into a ball. Flour the bowl and return the dough to it. Cover and let stand again until risen, about 45 minutes
– Generously butter two 9-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pans. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and cut it in half. Pat each half into a 9-by-8-inch rectangular loaf and transfer to a prepared loaf pan, seam sides down; neatly fold in the ends. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let stand until the dough fills the pans, about 1 hour
– Preheat the oven to 350°. Beat the remaining egg and brush some over the tops of the loaves. Using a sharp knife, make a lengthwise slice in the center of each loaf. Bake for 35 minutes, rotating the loaves halfway through baking, until they sound hollow when tapped. Transfer the pans to a rack to cool slightly, then run a knife around the edges and turn the loaves out onto the rack. Serve the brioche warm or at room temperature
– The loaves can be wrapped well and frozen for up to 1 month

Personal notes:

– i halved the recipe to make a loaf. i omitted the peppercorn (as we did not like this “surprise”); and i will suggest using 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips for a halved recipe
– the dough is very soft, so i added 2 tbsp to give it a bit more structure so i could jelly-roll it into a log. my bread was not baked in a pan
– after trimming the dough into a rectangle, i used the trimmed bits to further jelly roll and stuck it onto the main dough so they look like mini trunks
– after brushing the dough with egg wash, i used a fork to draw swirls on the dough but as it is a chocolate dough, the swirls were not too apparent. further, i wanted a stronger chocolate taste to the bread, so i piped 85% melted chocolate on the log and decorated the bread with acorns (made from chilled coffee ganache)

… and so i serve log bread for breakfast… and i’m gonna serve this with NUTELLA!! ヾ（＠＾▽＾＠）ノ

I am submitting this to the “Baby Sumo’s Christmas Recipes Collection 2013” event which is hosted by Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out

Pollution index: 28 (excellent)