Chocolate-Filled Individual Brioche
Makes sixteen mini loaves
3 ¾ cups bread flour
¼ cup almond flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
1 tsp fine sea salt
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
3 tsp instant dried yeast
5 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup warm whole milk
½ cup sourdough starter (optional)
18 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
Filling:
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup toasted and finely chopped walnuts (or other nuts of choice)
1 cup English toffee brittle bits (now available in supermarkets)
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1) Place the two flours, salt, sugar, nutmeg and yeast in the bowl of a standing mixer and mix with the whisk attachment to fully combine.
2) In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, whole milk and starter. (If you don’t use any starter, increase your milk to 2/3 cup)
3) Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture in the standing mixer. Switch to the dough hook attachment and mix on a slow speed for 2 minutes and then increase to a medium speed for 10 minutes to form a soft, elastic dough.
4) Turn the mixture back to low and add the butter in 1 Tbsp pieces. Once all the butter has been added, increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough come together into a shiny, smooth dough.
5) Turn the dough into a butter-greased glass bowl and cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to double in size. This should take about one hour.
6) While the dough is rising, in a medium bowl, combine all the filling ingredients and mix with your fingers until thoroughly combined.
7) Butter two mini-loaf pans and have them at the ready.
8) When the dough has fully risen, turn it out onto your counter and divide in half. Roll the first half into a 16” by 16” square. Spread half the filling over the dough leaving a 1” border of dough on all sides. Roll up the dough tightly like a jelly roll. Divide the roll into eight pieces and place them in the prepared pans. Do the same for the second half of the dough.
9) Loosely cover the loaves with plastic wrap and allow to proof while you pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.
10) When ready to bake, slash the first pan of loaves with scissors and then place the first pan on the center rack of the pre-heated oven. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan, and then bake for another 6-7 minutes until just golden brown. Remove the first pan and bake the second.
11) Allow the loaves to cool in the pan for ten minutes and then cool completely on a wire rack.
