Chocolate – gianduja brioche by chef « Cyril Lignac »

06/10/20204passionfood

Prep time: 2 hours

Cook time: 25 minutes

Serves: 11 small brioches

If it were up to me, I would make brioche every week, but with the amount of butter some brioche have, that’s just not possible. I have to admit, it tastes so good and the smell when cooked is just overwhelming. And the recipe I’m sharing with you today is exceptional.  The brioche is soft with a good buttery taste, with this chocolate— gianduja runny heart is just delicious.

 The recipe is from chef « Cyril Lignac » and his accomplice the chef « Benoît Couvrand » from the book « La pâtisserie »

 I let you discover the ingredients to achieve this wonder. Don’t forget to read the « Tips & Tricks » section carefully.

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Chocolate - gianduja brioche by chef « Cyril Lignac »

  • Prep time: 2 hours
  • Cook time: 25 minutes
  • Serves: 11 small brioches

The brioche dough, the cocoa shortbread and the chocolate-gianduja spread paste have to be prepared the day before.
To make this recipe you will need:
1- stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment to knead the brioche dough.
2- brush
3- a rolling pin to roll out the cocoa shortbread dough.
4- cookies cutter 6cm in diameter
5- 11 stainless steel cooking rings 8cm in diameter and 4,5cm in heigh.
6- pipping bag with a simple 2mm nozzle. (Or long puff cream nozzle is even better)

Ingredients

Brioche dough : to make the day before

  • 280 g flour, soft wheat flour type “0”
  • 30 g caster sugar
  • 12 g fresh yeast
  • 6 g fine salt
  • 186 g eggs, (whole, between 3 and 4 depending on their size)
  • 225 g unsalted butter , softened ( 190g for me instead 225)

Cocoa shortbread : make the day before

  • 145 g flour, soft wheat flour type “0”
  • 25 g cocoa powder, sifted
  • 100 g caster sugar
  • 70 g unsalted butter
  • 48 g egg , 1 small

Chocolate - Gianduja spread paste : to make the day before

  • 100 g Gianduja hazelnut milk
  • 55 g milk chocolate
  • 20 g dark chocolate , 70% cocoa
  • 150 g liquid cream, 30-35% fat
  • 15 g glucose

Egg wash :

  • 1 whole egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 Tbsp Water , or cream

Method :

Brioche dough : to make the day before

  • 1)

    In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment, place the flour, sugar, salt and yeast and stir everything together for 2 minutes at 1st speed.
    Make a hole in the center, pour in the beaten eggs, knead ( on speed 1) until the eggs are incorporated.  Then knead 2nd speed (for 7 minutes) until you obtain a homogeneous dough that comes away from the sides of the bowl.

  • 2)

    Return to 1st speed and add the diced butter (softened If you press the butter with your finger, you would easily be able to leave a mark, with no resistance. But the butter has NOT melted. This is the consistency you want with your butter), knead until completely incorporated, you’ll probably need to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times during the process. Then return to 2nd speed and continue kneading for 7 minutes, until the dough is elastic, smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
    Once done, increase the speed (maximum) and knead for exactly 2 minutes not a second longer.

     

  • 3)

    Cover the dough with a clean cloth and allow to rise at room temperature until the dough doubles in size.

  • 4)

    Push down your dough using your fist, then weigh it (mine weighed 667 grams). On a lightly floured surface form balls (11 balls of 61 grams).
    Film with cling and cover it with a clean cloth and direction the refrigerator for overnight.

Cocoa shortbread dough : to make the day before.

  • 1)

    Sift the flour and cocoa powder.
    Using the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or by hand), cream the soft butter, diced and the sugar. Then add the beaten eggand mix until the egg is combined. Add the powder mixture (flour and cacao powder). It’s important to not overwork your dough.  As soon as the powders are incorporated we stop mixing.
    Place the dough between two sheets of baking paper, and roll out the dough using a rolling pin (1mm thick), then cut out 11 circles of 6 centimeters in diameters using a cookie cutter. Then place them in the refrigerator overnight.

Gianduja - chocolate spread paste : to make the day before.

  • 1)

    In a bowl place the finely chopped chocolates and the the gianduja.
    In a saucepan, boil the cream and the glucose.  Pour this mixture three times over the chocolates and the gianduja while making emulsions (circular movements using the whisk or the maryse going from the center).  It is necessary to obtain a smooth and shiny dough. Blend everything using a hand blender, film in contact with cling film and set aside 12 hours in the refrigerator.

Bake the brioches:

  • 1)

    The same day, preheat the oven to 30C, then turn off the oven and wait 5 minutes.  Place the brioches on a baking sheet lined with baking paper for 25 minutes.  (If not, place your brioches on a baking sheet covered with baking paper and let them rise for 45 minutes at room temperature and away from air flow . Do not let them rise until they double in size or they will fall back during cooking).
    Take them out, and turn your oven back on to 165C, brush your brioches with the egg wash and place the cocoa shortbread on the top (leave a centimeter in diameter at the top of your brioches without egg wash so that the circle shortbread doesn’t slip).  Then place the rings (8 cm in diameter), this will help the brioches to grow properly during baking time. Remove the rings halfway through baking.

     

     

     

     

    Bake for 20-25 minutes until the brioches are cooked and golden brown. Remove the rings halfway through baking. 

    During the baking time, take the chocolate – gianduja spread paste out of the refrigerator and put it in a pastry bag fitted with a simple 2mm nozzle.
    While the brioches are still warm, garnish them with chocolate – gianduja spread paste.

    Enjoy !!

Tricks & Tips :

I have to admit that I didn’t get this recipe right the first time around 🤫.  It was only on the third try that I was able to get this result (especially aesthetically speaking).

First time around I followed the recipe exactly, it was impossible for me to form balls right after proofing time at room temperature.  So The second time, I put 200 grams of butter instead of 225. I let my dough rise at room temperature, then I placed it overnight in the refrigerator before shaping the balls, then let them rest and rise before baking, result: in the oven they have grown horizontally 😅.  In this case, either I let my dough proof more than necessary or the shortbread was a little thick and the dough didn’t rise properly during baking.

So on the third and fortunately the last try, I further decrease the amount of butter from 225 to 190 grams, I managed to shape my balls before placing them in the fridge overnight.  Instead of 10 balls of almost 70 grams I make 11 of 61 grams and use baking rings that I remove halfway through baking.  And finally I roll out the Cocoa shortbread dough very thinly (1mm or even thinner).  And finally I brush my balls with the egg wash but I leave 1 cm in diameter at the top of each brioche so that the cocoa shortbread doesn’t slip like the other times.
Put the cocoa shortbread in the freezer during the last proofing time of the brioches, before placing them on top of the buns and baking.

Remember to take out the chocolate – gianduja spread from the fridge during the baking time to be able to garnish the brioches with it.

You will find HERE all the advices to make your brioche.  You will find the gianduja recipe HERE

Nutrition

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