Chocolate, Hazelnut, Praline Brioche Loaf

DIFFICULTY
Difficult Difficult
COOK TIME
Over 2 hrs. Over 2 hrs.
SERVES
10+ 10+
Chocolate, Hazelnut, Praline Brioche Loaf
Main INGREDIENTS
  • Bread & Cereals
FOR THIS RECIPE WE LOVE TO USE
Ingredients
Method

Ingredients

Brioche
  • 425g strong white flour, plus extra for rolling
  • 3 tablespoons caster sugar
  • 2 teaspoons fast-acting dried yeast
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 100ml milk
  • 4 large eggs
  • 125g softened butter
Praline and Chocolate Filling
  • 4 tablespoons caster sugar
  • 5 tablespoons water
  • 70g chopped roasted hazelnuts
  • 125g dark chocolate
  • 5 tablespoons single cream
  • 2½ tablespoons cocoa powder
Glaze
  • 1 beaten egg
To Finish
  • 50g dark chocolate, melted
  • 1½ -2 tablespoons chopped roasted hazelnuts
  • Method

  • 1
    Brioche (the day before)
  • 2
    Combine the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, add the milk and eggs and bring the mixture together using a large spatula to make a soft dough. Continue to mix with a beating and kneading action in the bowl for 5-6 minutes until the dough has become smooth.Add the softened butter in small pieces and continue to work the mixture with the spatula for 4-5 minutes more. Cover and rest in the refrigerator overnight.
  • 3
    Praline and chocolate filling
  • 4
    Place the sugar with the water into a small saucepan and stir over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a simmer and cook until a golden, caramel colour is achieved.Remove from the heat and stir in the nuts. Turn the mixture out on to a baking sheet, press flat and leave to set.Place the set nutty caramel into a strong plastic bag, crush with a rolling pin and set to one side.Place the chocolate, cream and cocoa in a small pan and melt together over a gentle heat until smooth. Remove from the heat and leave in the warm pan whilst you roll out the dough.
  • 5
    To make the loaf
  • 6
    Using a spatula turn the chilled dough out onto a well-floured work surface. Dust your hands and a rolling pin with some of the extra flour and roll the dough to a 35cm square, handling as little as possible.Spread the chocolate sauce over the dough leaving a 2.5cm border around the edges and sprinkle over the crushed praline.Brush the border with water and roll up like a Swiss roll, tucking the ends securely underneath to seal in the filling.Place the loaf with the seam side down into the tin. Cover and rest for 2½-3 hours or until it doubles in size. Pre-heat the oven towards the end of the resting time to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas Mark 6. Glaze the loaf with the beaten egg and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas Mark 4 and continue to cook for 25-30 minutes until golden. Allow to cool completely in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack.To finish, melt the remaining chocolate in a small bowl over pan of hot water. Drizzle over the top of cooled loaf and sprinkle over the 2 tablespoons of chopped nuts.
  • 7
    Chilling the dough overnight in the refrigerator makes handling and rolling easier. As the brioche is an enriched bread and has been chilled, the rising will be a longer and slower process than for standard bread.Any leftover brioche makes excellent bread and butter pudding.