Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Brioche filled with chocolate ganache

Brioche filled with chocolate ganache

After all those tears on the weekend, a video made me laugh my heart out Monday night. Have you seen the 9 year-old boy who acts like Gordon Ramsay? I watched the video 3 times in a row – that’s how much I liked it. And there wasn’t a fourth because Joao said I would probably wake up the entire building. :)

“There is nothing like a day after another” – my granny always says. Despite her sailor’s mouth, she’s quite a wise person. :)
That’s why I bring this brioche to you today. After that bomb, I deserved some good bread. And this, my friends, is superb.

Brioche filled with chocolate ganache

Brioche filled with chocolate ganache
from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Brioche dough*:
1 ½ cups (360ml) lukewarm water
1 ½ tablespoons granulated yeast (1 ½ packets)
1 ½ tablespoons salt
8 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup honey
1½ cups (340g/3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
7½ cups (1.050g) unbleached all-purpose flour

Filling**:
¼ pound (112g/4 ounces) bittersweet chocolate – I used 60% cocoa solids
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan
4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon rum – I used brandy
5 tablespoons corn syrup
1 egg white, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Granulated sugar for sprinkling on top

Start by making the dough: mix the yeast, salt, eggs, honey and melted butter with the water in a 5-quart (4.7 liter) bowl or lidded (not airtight) food container. Mix in the flour without kneading, using a spoon. You can also use a 14-cup capacity food processor or a heavy-duty stand mixer with dough hook. If you’re not using a machine, you may need 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 product.

Cover (not airtight) and allow to rest at room temperature until dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.

The dough can be used as soon as it’s chilled after the initial rise. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 5 days. Beyond 5 days, freeze the dough in 1-pound (450g) portions in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks. When using frozen dough, thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours before using, then allow the usual rise and rest times.

Now, make the ganache: melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave on low, until smooth. Remove from heat, add the butter and stir until incorporated.
Stir the cocoa into the rum, add the corn syrup and mix until smooth. Add to the chocolate and butter mixture.

Lightly butter a 9x4x3-inch nonstick loaf pan (I used a regular 26x10x5cm pan lined with baking paper). Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (450g/grapefruit-sized) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape in into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter turn as you go. Using a rolling pin, roll out the ball into a ¼-inch (0.60cm) thick rectangle, dusting with flour as needed.

Spread ½ cup of the ganache evenly over the rectangle, leaving a 1-inch (2.5cm) border all around. Starting at the short end, roll up the dough, being careful to seal the bare edges. Gently tuck the loose ends underneath, elongate into an oval and drop into the prepared pan. Allow to rest 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF. Using a pastry brush, paint the top crust with the egg white. Sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar.

Bake the brioche for about 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the sugar caramelizes. Remove from the pan and cool slightly, then drizzle the remaining ¼ cup ganache over the top crust. Cool completely and slice.

* this amount of dough makes four 1-pound loaves – I halved it to make two.

** this amount of ganache is enough to fill and drizzle over one 1-pound loaf – I doubled it to make two.

Brioche filled with chocolate ganache

32 comments:

  1. That is a naughty naughty piece of cake! I'd obviously take two slices.

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  2. oh i agree with erin this is naughty and nice and i love it!

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  3. Get out my fat pants...OMG I love it...just love it! It's perfect for my dessert addiction.

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  4. Kill me now. Two faves rolled into one. (Literally.) YUM.

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  5. Dear God this looks amazing! I seriously would be afraid to make this because I would eat the entire thing right away! Beautiful!

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  6. Brioche and ganache?! Over the top, my friend! This looks completely indulgent and wonderful.

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  7. You never cease to amaze me, patricia! This looks wonderful!

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  8. Oh, this is gorgeous, Patricia! The bottom picture makes me wish I could grab that plate and snarf both slices up. Well done, my dear!

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  9. On my, I love brioche and with chocolate I'm in heaven! Great photos too.

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  10. Oh. My. God. Patricia, you'll turn me into a baker yet! I can't tell for sure, but I'm guessing with the small amount of honey for so much dough, your brioche isn't overly sweet, right? I really like that in baked goods. Oh, and the photographs? Beautiful, my friend.

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  11. Ohhhh... Patricia. This looks AMAZING! Invite me over for coffee! :)

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  12. This is my absolute favorite brioche recipe! In fact, I made this very one a few weeks ago, except I used Nutella as a filling. I haven't had time to post about it yet, but I will eventually.

    Yours looks much prettier than mine did. I love that you shaped it into a loaf. Much easier to slice.

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  13. Brioche and chocolate? That would brighten up anyone's day!

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  14. Whoa, nice brioche.

    I watched Juno last weekend. Loved it.

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  15. Lovely! That looks like the kind of bread I could be munching on all afternoon before realizing how much chocolate it actually amounts to, hahaha! :) I really should try out the recipe sometime. Thanks for it!

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  16. That is perfection rolled up into a bread! It looks beyond delicious Patricia, I'm sure I could eat this breakfast, lunch and dinner! Oh, and I can see why you laughed at that video, it's hilarious! That kid is something else. :)

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  17. Oh, man, this looks too, too good.

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  18. wow, brioche and chocolate ganache is a match made in pure goodness!! looks absolutely delish!

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  19. You've made me so hungry for breakfast and it's now 10:33pm at night! Delicious!

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  20. Hi Patricia,

    I saw your picture on Tastespotting and thought I needed a piece of that for my breakfast this morning. It looks just gorgeous. I am SO thrilled you made it from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Thank you for making it and sharing it with all your readers.

    Happy Baking and enjoy all the bread!

    Zoë

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  21. Erin, thank you for your visit! You can have as many slices as you want. :)

    Meeta, tks, darling!

    Cathy, I'd been craving a sweet kind of bread. :)

    Lindsey, darling, how is the baby? ;)

    Emily, I quickly sent some to my MIL's, because I would end up eating the whole thing. :)

    Lydia, very indulgent! :)

    Deb, you are so kind, dear! Tks!

    Lynn, I had one of those slices right after I took the photos. :)

    Nic, thank you, gorgeous!

    Terry, I know I will! :)
    You're right - and the large amount of salt, too. Very balanced.

    Michelle, I'd love to have you over for coffee and dinner! xx

    Susan, you must! Blog about it, because I know I'll be inspired to make it!

    Y, I agree! :)

    Barbara, I loved it too. :)

    Mark, it's pretty sinful, isn't it? :)

    LyB, that kid is a handful. :)
    And I'm glad you like the bread, tks, sweetie!

    Sarah, tks! :)

    Mimi, thank you!

    Lorraine, you do that to me, too, so we're even. ;)
    xoxo

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  22. Oh my! This has all my favorite ingredients.
    It's no secret I love chocolate, I love honey, I love butter, I love brandy (no, I haven't had any, yet), and I love the look of that Chocolate Filled Brioche.

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  23. Oh Patricia, glad it worked out. I love brioche and with ganache...even better. Looks perfect.

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  24. mmmm i love brioche. even better when it's filled with chocolate :)

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  25. That looks unbelievably delicious!

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  26. oh wow--i would so love a piece of that bread!!

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  27. It looks amazing! I would love a piece for breakfast right now!

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  28. Oh! My!

    Sounds heavenly. Mail me some?

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  29. That must be one of the most amazing things I've seen lately. I'm putting it in my "must make" file and saving it for a day when I feel like being REALLY BAD.

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  30. Thank you! I was looking for a brioche recipe to try today and this looks fabulous.

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  31. Oh Patricia all of your posts are taunting me!! Everything looks so good and such beautiful photos! I've been dying to make chocolate brioche for years but have never made it. There's a Martha Stewart recipe I wanted to try but I'm saving this one too!

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