This show-stopping, fragrant chocolate chip brioche bread is flavored with orange zest. Enjoy this bread filled with chocolate for breakfast, as a mid-day snack along with your coffee or transform leftovers into french toast. You won't believe how easy it is to prepare!
I love basic dough recipes that can be transformed over and over and again by adding different ingredients and shaping them in different ways.
I used a basic brioche dough, the same as in these brioche sugar twists, which are popular in Sicily, as well as brioche swirls with jam and almonds and turned it into this stunning twisted brioche bread filled with chocolate chips and flavored with orange zest.
The result is a stunning dessert that will delight all!
Slice it and enjoy as is with a cup of coffee or tea. This soft and fluffy of brioche bread doesn't keep well beyond two or three days. But no worries, if you should happen to have leftovers lying around transform your chocolate chip brioche into the most decadent french toast!
And don't be intimidated by the fancy shape of this chocolate brioche. It's easier than you think!
Ingredient List
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Salt
- Active dry yeast
- Milk
- Butter: unsalted
- Orange: zested
- Vanilla extract
- Egg
- Chocolate chips: of your choice however I used dark chocolate chips
- Salt flakes: to top the bread for a sweet and salty flavor (optional)
The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.
Step by Step Instructions
Prepare the dough
- Proof yeast: heat milk in a small sauce pan until lukewarm. Transfer to a bowl and add yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes until foamy.
- Meanwhile, combine flour; sugar and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Add the cubed butter and process until it is fully incorporated. Stir in the orange zest.
- Switch the paddle attachment for a dough hook and stir in the proofed yeast until well combined.
- Add the egg lightly beaten along with the vanilla extract.
- Knead on medium speed for 7-8 minutes until the dough is smooth, soft and elastic.
- Cover the bowl, place in a warm part of your kitchen and let rise for 3 hours until tripled in size.
Shape the brioche bread
- Prepare a loaf pan (9 x 5inches) by tearing a sheet of parchment paper large enough to hang over the long edges. This will make it easier to lift the baked bread out of the pan. Grease the sides of the pan not covered by the parchment paper.
- Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough on a lightly floured surface to create a rectangle approximately 12 x 18 inches.
- Brush half the melted butter over the entire surface.
- Cover the surface with chocolate chips.
- Roll the dough from one of the longer edges into a cylinder.
- Slice the roll in half lengthwise exposing the chocolate chip filling but leave the top part of the roll attached.
- Twist the two pieces of dough together. Don't worry if it is not perfect or if chocolate chips fall out during the process. You can top the final shaped bread with those chocolate chips.
- You will notice at this point that the dough is much longer than your loaf pan! Simply tuck the two ends of the twisted dough underneath, carefully lift the dough and place in the prepared loaf pan.
- Cover and let rise one more hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the remaining melted butter over the bread and sprinkle with salt flakes (if using).
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the loaf is golden brown.
- Transfer to a wire rack and let cool before slicing.
Recipe Notes
-Try replacing half the chocolate chips with slivered almonds or chopped pistachios.
-This recipe works well with non dairy milk options.
-Although I have not tried it, it should work well with non dairy butter.
Keep chocolate chip brioche well wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Wrap well and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost at room temperature.
Yes it can! You can refrigerate the dough, after the first rising, overnight. Let it come to room temperature, 2-3 hours, the following day before shaping it.
You may also refrigerate the shaped chocolate chip bread and bake it the following day. Bring it to room temperature, brush with melted butter and bake.
Did you try this chocolate brioche recipe?
Let me know how much you enjoyed it by rating it in the recipe card below!
*****
Check out more Italian brioche recipes!
- Sicilian Brioche
- Brioche Cinnamon Rolls with Apples
- Brioche Cinnamon Rolls
- Pistachio Cream Brioche Rolls
- Sicilian Brioche
- Spinach and Ricotta Brioche Buns
- Brioche Swirls with Jam and Almonds
Chocolate Chip Brioche Recipe
Equipment
- 1 9 x 5 inch loaf pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 8 grams active dry yeast 1 packet
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter chilled, cut into cubes
- 1 orange, zest of
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For shaping the brioche bread
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp. melted butter divided
- ½ teaspoon salt flakes optional
Instructions
Prepare the dough
- Proof yeast: heat milk in a small sauce pan until lukewarm. Transfer to a bowl and add yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes until bubbly and foamy.
- Meanwhile, combine flour; sugar and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Add the cubed butter and process until it is fully incorporated.
- Switch the paddle attachment for a dough hook and stir in the proofed yeast.
- Add the egg lightly beaten along with the vanilla extract. Knead on medium speed for 7-8 minutes until the dough.
- Cover the bowl and let rise for 3 hours until tripled in size.
To shape
- Prepare a loaf pan (9 x 5 inches) by tearing a sheet of parchment paper large enough so that there is overhang on the two long edges. This will make it easier to lift the baked bread out of the pan. Grease the sides of the pan not covered by the parchment paper.
- Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough on a lightly floured surface to create a rectangle approximately 12 x 18 inches.
- Brush half the melted butter over the entire surface. Cover the surface with chocolate chips. Roll the dough tighlty from one of the longerr edges.
- Slice the roll in half lengthwise exposing the chocolate chip filling but leave the top part of attached. Twist the two pieces of dough together.
- Don't worry if it is not perfect or if chocolate chips fall out during the process. You can top the final shaped bread with those scattered chocolate chips.
- You will notice at this point that the dough is much longer than your loaf pan! Simply tuck the two ends of the twisted dough underneath, carefully lift the dough and place in the prepared loaf pan.
- Cover and let rise one more hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the remaining melted butter over the bread and sprinkle with salt flakes (if using). Bake for 25-30 minutes until the loaf is golden brown.
- Transfer to a wire rack and let cool before slicing.
Notes
-This recipe works well with non dairy milk options.
-Although I have not tried it, it should work well with non dairy butter. Storage Keep well wrapped, at room temperature, for up to 3 days. To Freeze Wrap well and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost at room temperature. Can the brioche bread be prepared in advance? Yes it can! You can refrigerate the dough, after the first rising, overnight. Let it come to room temperature, 2-3 hours, the following day before shaping it.
You may also refrigerate the shaped chocolate chip bread and bake it the following day. Bring it to room temperature, brush with melted butter and bake.
Nadia Fazio
I love how fragrant this bread is and so fluffy. And this presentation really wowed me, a must try!