Chocolate Chip Sourdough Brioche
Light, fluffy and studded with chocolate, this chocolate chip sourdough brioche is a cramique-style brioche that is sure to become a family favorite. Perfect for tearing and sharing, this recipe makes two small loaves of sourdough brioche.
Servings: 8 servings (2 small loaves)
Equipment
- kitchen scissors or sharp knife
- pastry brush for egg wash
- container for proofing or covered bowl
Ingredients
Stiff Sweet Levain
- 20 grams sourdough starter, ripe and active heaping 1 Tablespoon
- 5 grams granulated sugar about 1 teaspoon
- 40 grams bread flour heaping 1/4 cup
- 20 grams water about 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon
Tangzhong
- 20 grams all-purpose flour about 3 Tablespoons
- 100 grams whole milk scant 1/2 cup
Chocolate Chip Brioche Dough
- all of the stiff sweet levain about 90 grams
- all of the cooled tangzhong about 100 grams
- 40 grams whole milk about 3 Tablespoons
- 60 grams granulated sugar about 5 Tablespoons
- 2 large eggs about 100 grams
- 10 grams salt about 1 1/2 teaspoons
- 350 grams bread flour about 2 1/2 cups
- 113 grams unsalted butter about 1/2 cup, reserved to add in during the kneading process
- 150 grams good quality, semi-sweet, chopped chocolate or chocolate chips, about 3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons, reserved
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- splash of water
Instructions
Stiff Sweet Levain (5-6 hours, at 78ºF)
- Mix together ripe sourdough starter, bread flour, granulated sugar and water. Knead the levain until it forms a cohesive ball. Place in a clear jar and set in a warm 78ºF place. Cover and let rise for 5-6 hours until the levain has doubled in size and the top is rounded.
Tangzhong
- About an hour before the levain is ready, whisk together 20 grams all-purpose flour and 100 grams milk in a saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens into a paste. This usually takes about 1-2 minutes. Quickly remove the thickened mixture from the heat and let cool before mixing your dough.
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Brioche
- Mix the Dough: To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cooled tangzhong, ripe, bubbly and active levain, milk, granulated sugar, eggs, salt and bread flour. Turn on the mixer and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and all the ingredients well incorporated.
- Add Butter: Cut the butter into chunks, about 12-24 per stick of butter. Butter should be firm but soft enough to leave a dent when you press your finger into the butter. Turn the mixer on and add chunks of butter into the dough a little at a time. Continue adding chunks of butter until all the butter is added and begins to incorporate into the dough.
- Knead until Windowpane: Continue kneading the dough on medium speed for 20-30 minutes (this will depend on your mixer and your dough) until the dough passes the windowpane test. To check for windowpane: Stop the mixer. Take your hands and pull up on a portion of the dough. At the beginning stages of kneading the dough, the dough will break as soon as you start to stretch it. As the dough kneads and the gluten strands develop, the dough will stretch thinly without tearing. You will know the dough is finished kneading when the dough does not tear when pulled and you can see light through the dough, like a windowpane.Be Aware: As you knead the dough, the friction from the mixer can heat up the ingredients in the bowl. It is important that the dough doesn't get too warm or else the butter will begin to melt and separate from the dough. If you notice this beginning to happen, take a break, stick your dough in the refrigerator to cool down and then continue kneading after the dough cools a little bit.
- Begin Bulk Fermentation: Once the dough reaches the windowpane stage, it will be very soft, but also cohesive. Dump the dough into a container and cover. Set the dough in a warm, 78-80ºF place for 12 hours, or until doubled in size. Take the temperature of the dough as needed to make sure the dough temperature stays right around 78ºF. This temperature is the optimal for fermentation. If your dough temperature is cooler than 78ºF, it will need to ferment longer than 12 hours.
- Add Chocolate and Shape: Dump the risen dough out onto the countertop. Pat and gently stretch into a 12 by 14 inch rectangle. Sprinkle 2/3 of the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate on top of the dough. Starting with the long side closest to you, fold the dough into the middle. The fold the other half of the dough into the middle. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate on the dough. Roll the dough up so you have one small rectangle (see pictures in the post). Cut the dough in half. Drag each half around in a circular motion on a countertop to seal together and place dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Proof: Cover dough with plastic wrap or a baking sheet cover and let rise until puffed up and almost doubled for another 2-3 hours at 78-80ºF. I use a dough mat to help maintain that temperature, but an oven with a light on also works!
- Egg Wash and Score: Once the dough has risen, pre-heat the oven to 375º. Whisk together an egg with a splash of water. Brush egg wash on top of the dough. Take kitchen shears and cut into the dough right along the top edge in a traditional circle (see photos).
- Bake: Bake in a pre-heated 375ºF oven for about 25-30 minutes until completely baked through and reaches an internal temperature of 190-195ºF. Remove from the oven and place loaves on a cooling rack. Let cool and enjoy!
Notes
This recipe makes 2 smaller loaves, perfect for sharing.
Chocolate Chips: Use a good quality chocolate chip or chopped chocolate in this recipe.
Pearl Sugar: If you've tried the Cramique brioche from Aux Merveilleux de Fred, you may want to try a pearl sugar version of this recipe - it is delicious. Use 100-120 grams of medium pearl sugar in this recipe in place of the chocolate chips. The pearl sugar does draw some water out of the dough and can cause a little leaking which may make it take a few extra minutes to bake.
Nutrition
Calories: 441kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 519mg | Potassium: 189mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 479IU | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg
