Brioche Buns with Chocolate and Hazelnuts

I have made Brioche quite a few times.  It is a lovely soft, enriched, bread that is simply delicious.  I have made loaves, Brioche a tete and just simple buns.  But for this recipe I decided to make buns and coat them with some milk chocolate that had some roasted chopped hazelnuts stirred into it.

The recipe is not difficult, but it does take a very long time, and really is best done using a stand mixer.  For my brioche I always make a wet dough, that is very sticky.  I have seen several recipes where the dough is actually quite firm and not tacky to the touch.  That seems to work too, but as I have had success in the past with the sticky dough I desired to use that.

Having made the dough it must be allowed to proof and rise to double in size.  Then it needs to be knocked back and then refrigerated for at least 7 hours before going on to shape the buns.

For mine I used a muffin tin for 4 buns and my larger fluted brioche tins for 3.  If making just with a muffin tin this recipe should make 8 buns.  As I varied the size of mine I got 4 from the muffin tin and 3 in the fluted brioche tins.

I was very pleased with how the buns baked.  They coloured nicely and the internal temperate reached 99C/210F which ensured that they were fully cooked through.

After allowing them to cool it was just a case of dipping them in a mixture of milk chocolate with a little vegetable oil and some roasted chopped hazelnuts.  I had intended to dip just once, but in the end I let the topping cool and set up a little and then dipped them all again.

I must say they really did taste so good.  The wonderfully soft brioche bun and then the perfectly matched chocolate and hazelnuts, gave a soft enriched bun and the richly decadent flavour of the chocolate and hazelnuts, with that extra texture too.

                    Brioche Buns with Chocolate & Hazelnuts – Video
Ingredients:

• 250g (1 2/3 cup) strong white bread flour( I am sure plain flour would work too)
• 25g (2 tbsp) caster sugar
• 5g (1 1/4 tsp) instant yeast
• 70ml(1/4 cup + 2 tsp) milk
• 2 1/2 medium eggs(large in USA) retain the other half of the 3rd egg for use later.
• 125g(1 stick + 1 tbsp) softened unsalted butter
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 an egg with a little milk for an egg wash
• 250g(about 9 oz) milk chocolate(dark would be fine too)
• 40ml(2 tbsps + 2 tsp) vegetable oil
• 60g chopped roasted hazelnuts( or nuts of choice, chopped quite finely)

Method:

1. Warm the milk to about 43C/110F.
2. Put the flour into the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook.
3. Add the salt and sugar to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other.
4. Add the milk and eggs and mix on a slow speed for 2 minutes.
5. Increase the speed to medium for a further 6 – 8 minutes, until you have a soft, glossy, elastic dough.
6. Add the softened butter and continue to mix for a further 4 – 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl periodically to ensure that the butter is thoroughly incorporated. The dough will be very soft and sticky.
7. Tip the dough into a plastic bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to prove in a warm place for 2 hours, the dough should double in size.
8. Knock the dough back and cover again.
9. Chill overnight or for at least 7 hours, until it is firmed up and you are able to shape it. 
10. Lightly dust the worktop with flour and tip out the dough onto it
11. Knock the dough down and fold it into itself a few times, using a little more flour to make it workable, as necessary.
12. Roll the dough into a sausage and divide into 8 pieces of equal weight(if you are using a muffin tin)
13. If using brioche tins divide into 6 pieces, of equal weight.
14. Grease the tins.
15. Roll each piece of dough into a ball .
16. Place into the appropriate tin, which has been greased in advance.
17. Cover the tin with a damp towel and allow to proof until the dough balls have doubled in size( up to about 2 hours).
18. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/375F
19. Using the egg and milk was  brush the buns to lightly cover.
20. Place in the oven, on the middle shelf, and bake for 15 minutes if using a muffin tin and 20 minutes for those in a brioche bun tin.
21. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about one or two minutes.
22. Tip out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
23. Melt the chocolate, in a bain-marie(double boiler) or in a microwave.
24. Stir in the oil and stir to fully combine.
25. Stir in the chopped hazelnuts and stir in to combine.
26. Dip the top of each cooled bun into the mixture, to coat the entire top surface.
27. Lift out and hold upside down, so any excess can drip off, for about 30 seconds to a minute.
28. Place, the right way up on a plate or tray to set up a little.
29. If you wish you can dip again after a while to increase the thickness of chocolate, but a single dip is very good too.
30. Once the chocolate has cooled and set up the buns are ready to serve.