Iron Chef Shellie
 

Chocolate Swirl Brioche

My first attempt at homemade brioche, made with French butter and a chocolate swirl.

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Chocolate Swirl Brioche
June 22, 2012
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Chocolate Swirl Brioche

So, what do you do when you buy 10kgs of butter? ….. Make brioche!… croissants… biscuits, cakes… anything that involves butter!

If you thought you misread, yes… I bought 10kgs of butter. Creamy, French, make your butt expand, butter.

Why? Why? Why? I hear you ask?

Thanh and I ventured down to the annual Simon Johnson warehouse sale this year, bright and early. Thanh had a mission: Lescure butter, and lots of it. As we froze our butts off in the line to get it, Thanh could see a pallet of butter at the exit door, and saw the price was $1 a stick! That’s cheaper than supermarket butter! We waited patiently to get through the door to secure us some buttery goodness. They were only letting a certain number of people through the door at a time which made for a more plesant shopping experience, and not one of those crazy ones you see on TV where you have two women grabbing the same boot at some crazy shoe sale! Armed with about 3kg of chocolate each, biscuits, and other random noms, we reached the butter! Lescure was $1.25 a block, usually something like, $10-13.. and the box of LeSecret was $1 each for 250g sticks. We both grabbed two boxes (5kg a box) each, and some Lescure for eating, not cooking. Whilst Thanh gave some of his butter away, I now have a dedicated shelf in my freezer for butter, but since I do a lot of baking, it probably won’t last me too long. I usually buy my butter in bulk at Costco anyway!

So yes, back to brioche. I thought it was my first time making it, till Lisa reminded me we make brioche buns for our Heston burgers. Just like when we made those buns, I didn’t feel like the bread was proving as well as I had hoped, but the end result looked pretty damn good.

It’s a very rich, buttery loaf indeed. I’m going to use the basic brioche dough to try a few other things and see how they go. Stay tuned!

Chocolate Swirl Brioche
Donna Hay

8g dry yeast
1 tablespoon lukewarm water
¼ cup (55g) caster sugar
2 tablespoons lukewarm milk
1 2/3 cups (250g) OO flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
225g butter, chopped and softened
75g dark chocolate, chopped
¼ cup (60ml) single (pouring) cream
1 egg extra, lightly beaten

1. Place the yeast and water in a bowl and mix to combine. Set aside in a warm place for 5 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface. Combine the sugar, salt and milk in a seperate bowl. Place the flour, yeast mixture and egg in the bowl of an electric mixer and, using a dough hook, beat on low for 1 minute. Increase speed to high, add the milk mixture and beat for 10 minutes or until dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.

2. While the motor is running, gradually add the butter and beat for 6-7 minutes or until glossy and elastic.

3. Place the dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place for 2-3 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.

4. Place the chocolate and cream in a small saucepan over low heat and stir for 2-3 minutes or until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool completely.

5. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 45cm x 30cm rectangle. Spread the dough with the chocolate mixture and, starting from the longest edge, roll to enclose the filling. Place in a 22cm lightly greased Bundt tin. Cover with a clean, damp cloth and set aside for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

6. Preheat oven to 180ºC. Brush the dough with egg and bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden.

Serves 8-10.

Comments

29 comments on “Chocolate Swirl Brioche
  1. leaf (the indolent cook)

    So jealous of your butter! I knew about the sale but their warehouse isn’t easy for me to get to via public transport. Sigh. Brioche is definitely a good use for your haul.

    June 22, 2012 at 11:38 pm
    • Iron Chef Shellie

      Hopefully you can make it next year, make a friend with a car bring you 😛

      June 24, 2012 at 7:15 pm
  2. Kristy @ Southern In-Law

    10kg of butter, sheesh! You’ve got some baking to do Shellie 😛

    June 23, 2012 at 9:04 am
    • Iron Chef Shellie

      Indeed I do!!

      June 24, 2012 at 7:15 pm
  3. marcellina

    Ooooooh how indulgent! You are soooo lucky to get all of that butter at such a great price. I love what you did with it!

    June 23, 2012 at 10:17 am
    • Iron Chef Shellie

      Yes, I still can’t believe how cheap it was 🙂

      June 24, 2012 at 7:16 pm
  4. Maureen @ Orgasmic Chef

    I’ve never in my life had butter envy until today. $1?? Just saying you stock up on butter at Costco has this yank in a very jealous state. One day they’ll come to Brisbane and I’ll be the first one to sign up.

    This brioche chocolate swirl has a drool factor of at least 12.

    June 23, 2012 at 11:18 am
    • Iron Chef Shellie

      lol butter envy! I’m sure Costco will eventually come to Brisbane 🙂 Love that it rates on the drool factor charts!

      June 24, 2012 at 7:17 pm
  5. Hannah

    I’d go for 10kg of peanut butter… I’m never, ever interested in crazy sales because I can’t stand that packed fight-for-it crowd mentality. *shudders* However, hearing that Simon Johnson doesn’t let that happen, and knowing all the food treasures therein I wants I wants!

    June 23, 2012 at 2:02 pm
    • Iron Chef Shellie

      omg me too! Yes, if it was fight-for-it crowd I wouldn’t be too keen on going either!

      June 24, 2012 at 7:17 pm
  6. Sara (Belly Rumbles)

    Mmmm chocolate brioche made from your bounty of the SJ sales, love it!

    June 23, 2012 at 3:10 pm
    • Iron Chef Shellie

      hehe much more chocolate + butter action to come!

      June 24, 2012 at 7:18 pm
  7. Libby

    WAH! I wanted to go to the Simon Johnson warehouse sale but couldn’t because of work. If I knew that Lescure butters were selling at THAT price, I would have forgone Saturday pay for that!

    June 23, 2012 at 8:51 pm
    • Iron Chef Shellie

      Stupid work!! Come next year 😀

      June 24, 2012 at 7:18 pm
  8. GourmetGetaways

    What a delicious looking brioche, I have never made one before so I will have to give it a go. I buy my flour in 25kgs bags so 10kgs of butte would be super 🙂

    June 24, 2012 at 8:42 am
    • Iron Chef Shellie

      Thanks 😀 I have a big bag of flour too 😛

      June 24, 2012 at 7:18 pm
  9. Esz

    *drool* So much delicious butter!
    I need to know about these sales – is there a mailing list one can jump on?
    That brioche looks amazing too! My Magimix foodpro came with a very French recipe book and I’ve been eyeing off the brioche for a while – not made it tho. Typical!

    June 24, 2012 at 6:07 pm
    • Iron Chef Shellie

      I’m not sure if there is a mailing list, but if like last year and this year, it’s on the same weekend as the Good Food and Wine show. It’s only advertised on their website and in the paper. But I only remembered cos the Sydney one was the week before and I saw people instagramming their hauls. I’ll let you know next year before the event 😀

      June 24, 2012 at 7:20 pm
  10. Marta @ What Should I Eat For Breakfast Today?

    hahaha, great post, you answered all the questions I wanted to ask 🙂 I have one question, did you have like a very good electric mixer? I have a cheap one and it did’n do a good job with a dough for brioche.

    June 24, 2012 at 7:10 pm
    • Iron Chef Shellie

      I do have two good mixers: a Kitchen Aid and a Thermomix! Invest in a good mixer I say 🙂

      June 24, 2012 at 7:21 pm
  11. Tina @ bitemeshowme

    I love love LOVE the look of the inside of the brioche. It’s so pretty!

    June 25, 2012 at 9:01 am
    • Iron Chef Shellie

      hehe thanks Tina 🙂

      June 25, 2012 at 12:24 pm
  12. Nic@diningwithastud

    Perfect way to use your tres cheap butter 🙂

    June 25, 2012 at 10:22 am
    • Iron Chef Shellie

      I’m glad you agree! 🙂

      June 25, 2012 at 12:23 pm
  13. April

    I’m bummed out I missed the sale and all those bargains, especially the butter! Please remember to count me in next year!

    The brioche looks so good. I haven’t tried to make brioche before – I need to fix that quick!

    June 25, 2012 at 11:22 am
    • Iron Chef Shellie

      We will count you in for the carpool next year 🙂

      June 25, 2012 at 12:23 pm
  14. Daisy@Nevertoosweet

    I’m SO glad I was following your instagram that morning if not i would’ve missed out! I’m actually kicking myself for not buying MORE LOL even though I got 10kgs too hehe 🙂
    OOO i’ve never thought of making a brioche before but you make it look and sound ‘do able’ so definitely going to try 🙂

    June 25, 2012 at 4:00 pm
    • Iron Chef Shellie

      Haha! It is do able for sure 🙂

      June 25, 2012 at 4:59 pm
  15. Thanh

    We sure did get a lot of butter. My butter is running out fast. Wish I hadn’t given so much away. You’re smarter than me 🙂

    Beautiful looking cake. I must attempt a brioche like you. Shall wait to see you do burgers with the brioche and I’ll copy.

    July 30, 2012 at 5:12 pm
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Shellie Froidevaux

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