Orange and Chocolate Brioche

I think Brioche make a nice change to bread rolls or muffins in the morning.  There are do-able for a breakfast but better as a nice elevenses with the second or third cup of tea of the day.

If you like your chocolate melted and smeared through the brioche then add the chocolate chips as directed below.  If you want the chips to be chunkier then add them after the first rising.

You’ll need

• 200g strong white flour
• 7g sachet dried yeast
• a pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 100g soft unsalted butter
• 100g chocolate chips
• 2 eggs (at room temperature)
• 2 tbsp lukewarm water
• Zest of two large oranges
• 1 egg yolk for glazing

Equipment

• 12 hole muffin tray
• KitchenAid with dough hook or some elbow grease and a large mixing bowl.

To make them

1. Put the flour caster sugar, salt and yeast into the mixing bowl and stir together well for a couple of minutes.
2. Beat the eggs with the water and then pour these into the mixture and mix til well combined.
3. Cube the butter and then add this to the dough and knead by hand or with the dough hook til you get a smooth dough.  This will take a good 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Add the orange zest and knead for another 5 minutes til the zest is evenly distributed.
5. Finally knead in the chocolate chips and then plop the dough ball into a bowl and cover with a damp tea towel.
6. Put the bowl in a warm place until it has doubled in size.  My house is draughty and usually cold so it took about 2 hours next to the radiator.
7. Grease the muffin tins with some butter and set aside.
8. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead it lightly for a couple of minutes.
9. Divide the dough into 12 portions and then form each one into a ball.
10. Put each ball into the muffin tin, cover with the tea towel again and leave for another hour.
11. Preheat the oven to 200C
12. Brush the egg yolk over the brioche balls and then bake them for 12-15 minutes.

These are lovely eaten as soon as they come out of the oven hot with butter.  They are equally good cold with some butter and honey.

More orange recipes.

I entered this recipe in the Tea Time Treats Blogging event at Lavender and Lovage and What Kate Baked