truffes brioche

if you would ask me what i really, really couldnt live without i would tell you it was a truffes brioche. of course i wouldnt wanne live without my friends, my miu miu's, my work, my books, my home and all the other things that fill your heart and soul.
but there is nothing as comforting, as good and sweet as a truffes brioche. sprüngli in zürich bake a mean one - when my best friend was in hospital and very sick we ate one a day. i am still convinced it was the truffes brioche that healed him in the end.
i decided it was about time i came up with my own recipe. a truffes brioche cant be too difficult to bake. here we go with a sweet little bread - perfect for your easter brunch (or lunch, or dinner or a midnight snack...). dont you think?



RECIPE

500g flour
1 teaspoon salt
20g fresh yeast
50g sugar
125g butter, soft
4 eggs, lightly beaten
12 truffes (or pieces of chocolate)

egg glaze:
1 egg
2 tablespoons of milk

sift flour and salt into bowl of a food mixer attached with the dough hook, rub in the yeast, mix in sugar. add eggs & start kneading. cut soft butter in small pieces and add one after the other while the mixer is running. knead for about 10 minutes until dough is very soft and silky.
then shape into a ball and put in an oiled bowl, cover with a towel and leave to rise for about 1 hour until it has doubled in size.

turn out the dough onto a floured surface, cutt off about 150g of dough and divide the rest into 12 equal pieces. shape each piece into a bun and then flatten it out, placing the truffe into the centre. fold the edges over the chocolate, pinching them together to seal. press buns, seam side down, into 12 lightly oiled individual brioche tins (or simply use muffin tin to bake).

take the reserved dough and divide it into 12 small pieces. shape each into a ball. make a small indentation in the top of each bun, brush with a little egg glaze and press small ball of dough into each one. cover the tins with a towel and leave to rise for about 30 minutes until doubled in size, then glaze.

heat oven to 190 c° , bake brioches for 20 minutes until the buns are risen and sound hollow when tapped underneath, let cool for a bit, then remove from the tins. let cool on a wire rack or serve when still warm.