Overview: first make the lemon brioche, then the chocolate spread and cinnamon glaze, and finally construct the bread.
Step 1: Lemon Brioche
Ingredients
530g flour (more if too wet)
100g sugar
1/2 lemon zest
3 eggs
120ml warm water
15g fresh yeast or 7g regular dry yeast
1/2 tsp salt
90g softened butter diced (or 90ml vegetable oil)
Method:
Add the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest to large bowl. Pour the water, eggs, and yeast into a separate bowl and whisk.
Mix dry ingredients together on medium speed and then the add wet ingredients, mixing slowly until well incorporated.
Turn the mixer to high speed and add the butter slowly. If the dough is too wet at this point, add more flour (mine took another 2 cups).
Leave to prove in a warm place for at least 2 hours.
Step 2: Chocolate Spread
Ingredients
50g icing sugar
30g cocoa powder
180g Islands 75% Dark Chocolate
120g unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1tsp ground cinnamon
Method:
Melt the chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, and butter together.
When smooth, whisk in the icing sugar and cocoa powder and leave to cool.
NB: the mixture must be cold when spreading.
Step 3: Cinnamon Glaze
Ingredients
1tsp cinnamon
1tsp fresh ground coffee
100g sugar
100g water
Method:
Bring all the ingredients to boil in a pot and then pass through a fine sieve.
Step 4: Build bread!
- Grease two 2¼-lb/1kg loaf pans (9x4 inch/23x10) with oil and line the bottom of each pan with waxed paper.
- Divide dough in half and keep one half covered in the fridge.
- Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface and shape into a rectangle measuring 15x11 inches (38x28 cm).
- Position dough so that a long side is closest to you.
- Using an offset spatula, spread half of the chocolate mixture over the rectangle, leaving a ¾ inch/2 cm border all around.
- Shaping the dough: Use both hands to roll up the rectangle like a roulade, starting from the long side closest to you and ending at the other long end.
- Press to seal the dampened end onto the roulade, then use both hands to even out the roll into a perfect thick cigar.
- Rest the cigar on its seam rim and cut about ¾ inch/2 cm off both ends of the roulade with a serrated knife.
- Then use the knife to gently cut the roll in half lengthwise, starting at the top and finishing at the seam, essentially dividing the log into two long even halves, with the layers of dough and filling visible along the length of both halves.
- With the cut sides facing up, gently press together one end of each half, then lift the right half over the left half.
- Repeat this process, but this time lifting the left half over the right, to create a simple two-pronged plait.
- Gently squeeze together the other ends so that you are left with the two halves, intertwined, showing the filling on top.
- Carefully lift the bread into a loaf pan.
- Don’t worry if there are gaps in the pan since the bread will rise and eventually look fine, even if you feel like it’s messy at this point.
- Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap or a wet tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place
- Bake immediately at 200C for 20-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean with no dough attached.
- Cool on wire rack then brush over Cinnamon Glaze.
Enjoy!
