Sourdough Chocolate Chip Brioche Bread Recipe
Indulge in the combination of rich chocolate and fluffy brioche with our Sourdough Chocolate Chip Brioche Bread recipe!
This easy-to-follow guide blends the tangy flavor of sourdough with sweet chocolate chips, creating a soft, buttery loaf that’s perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a sweet snack. Elevate your baking with this delicious recipe that the whole family will love!
Brioche is a French bread known for its rich, buttery flavor and fluffy texture. It’s sometimes referred to as a “sweet bread,” because brioche is made with a generous amount of eggs and butter, giving it a soft, tender crumb and a golden-brown crust.
It’s versatile, perfect for enjoying on its own, as a base for French toast, or even made into burger buns. This chocolate chip brioche recipe is the perfect combination of savory and sweet making it a favorite recipe in our home.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- There are a ton of brioche recipes out there but this one is a fun twist a classic and has the added benefits of sourdough fermentation.
- This chocolate chip brioche loaf is perfect for an indulgent breakfast, as a snack with a cup of coffee, or for special occasions!
- You won’t need any special tools to make this recipe and only a few basic ingredients.
Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Brioche
Fed sourdough starter that’s doubled and floats! Need more info on how to feed a starter? Grab my free infographic guide to use until you get into the rhythm of using sourdough often.
For this recipe you’ll want to use bread flour because of it’s higher protien content. The protein or gluten, helps the bread to hold it’s shape. However, all-purpose flour can be substituted. Just know that your loaf may be more cake likein texture.
You’ll want to make sure that your milk and butter are at room temperature. This will ensure that the butter is incorporated easily into the dough.
My family prefers milk chocolate chips but dark chocolate chips or even semi sweet are perfect as well.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How To Make Sourdough Chocolate Chip Brioche Bread
I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easy this recipe is to make. I was intimidated for such a long time because I thought such a beautiful loaf of bread must be complicated but I assure you it is not. However, there is quite a bit of wait time for the dough to rest and rise.
In order to make this recipe, you will need to feed your starter. Give it time to become bubbly and active. This usually takes between 4-6 hours.
Prepare the Dough:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add all of your ingredients except the chocolate chips. Yes all of them. There’s really no need to add them separately. Just make sure that your milk and butter are at room temperature.
Using the dough hook attachment, knead the dough on low speed until smooth and elastic. This will likely take 10-15 minutes. Because this is an enriched brioche dough, it will be very sticky. Resist the urge to add more flour.
Gently pull the dough up and see if you can stretch it out so much that you can almost see through it. This is called the windowpane test and is a good way to see if your dough needs more kneading to form the gluten structure.
You can also mix the dough by hand, just know that this will take longer and a lot of arm muscle. Transfer your dough to a lightly greased bowl.
Bulk Ferment:
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm spot for 6-8 hours. Do not rush this part. Let your dough rise and double in size or very close to it.
Cold Proof:
Once the dough has risen, be sure the bowl is covered tightly and place it in the refrigorator overnight for best results or a minimum of 4 hours.
Shape the Dough:
After the cold proof, your dough will be stiff. Use a bowl scraper to pull the dough away from the sides of the bowl and out onto a lightly floured surface.
Now you will add the chocolate chips. Gently fold the chips into the dough by folding over the sides like an envelope.Then divide the dough into 2 equal portions and shape them into a tight ball.
Place each ball into a 9×5-inch loaf pan, cover once again with plastic wrap and let the brioche loaves rise in a warm place until they double in size. This may take 4-8 hours depending on the temperature of the room.
Bake the Bread:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
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Brush the tops of the loaves with an egg wash. An egg wash is simply combining an egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
Once baked, be sure to cool before slicing. I like to remove my loaves from the pan fairly quickly and place them on a cooling rack.
Substitutions & Variations
Instead of making chocolate chip bread, divide the dough into 16 equal portions for chocolate chip brioche rolls.
Another option is to leave out the chocolate chips altogether and you’ll have a classic brioche recipe!
The perfect breakfast treat would be to substitute chocolate chip brioche slices into your favorite French toast recipe.
Baker’s Timeline
7:00 AM: Feed Sourdough Starter
2:00 PM: Prepare the dough after your starter has doubled.
2:15 PM: Bulk fermentation begins with the dough covered and in a warm place.
9:00 PM: Place your covered dough in the refrigerator overnight for the cold-proof period.
The Next Day:
8:00 AM: Add chocolate chips, shape the dough, and place in loaf pans. Cover.
1:00 PM: Bake and cool. Just make sure your dough has risen to the top of your pan before baking.
Baking Tips
- If you are concerned about your bread sticking, line each loaf pan with parchment paper before adding the dough.
- Don’t skip the egg wash! This gives the top of the bread that beautiful glassy finish in traditional brioche recipes.
Recipe FAQ’s
What makes brioche different from regular bread?
Brioche is classified as an enriched dough, meaning it contains additional ingredients such as butter, eggs, and sugar. These ingredients give brioche a rich flavor and soft texture, setting it apart from regular bread.
Can I substitute mini chocolate chips?
Yes, but know that you most likely won’t have distinct chocolate spots when you cut a slice due to the size of the chips.
How can I tell if my brioche dough has risen enough?
Brioche dough should double in size during the fermentation process. To check if it’s ready, you can perform the “poke test” by gently poking the dough with your finger. If the indentation springs back slowly, it’s ready to shape. If it springs back quickly, it needs more time to rise.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
Brioche bread is best when enjoyed within 2-3 days at room temperature. Just pop it in a plastic bag and keep it out on the counter.
If you won’t be eating it soon, it’s best to freeze it by wrapping it in plastic wrap and sealing it in a freezer bag. Brioche can be kept frozen for 2-3 months.
To thaw frozen brioche, remove it from the freezer and unwrap it. Allow it to thaw at room temperature for a few hours or overnight.
The combination of sourdough with the subtle sweetness of chocolate chips is a delightful combination in this delicious homemade bread recipe. I highly recommend a toasting a slice with a little butter and enjoying it with a warm cup of coffee!
https://www.instagram.com/autumn.chasingoursimple/If you make this chocolate chip brioche bread recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 starts! Tag me on Instagram @autumn.chasingoursimple with your bakes.
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Brioche
Ingredients
- 1 cup active sourdough starter active and bubbly
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose bread flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk room temperature
- 2 sticks butter room temperature
Egg Wash
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon water whisked together
Instructions
- In order to make this recipe, you will need to feed your starter. Give it time to become bubbly and active. This usually takes between 4-6 hours.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add all of your ingredients except the chocolate chips. Yes all of them. There’s really no need to add them separately. Just make sure that your milk and butter are at room temperature.
- Using the dough hook attachment, knead the dough on low speed until smooth and elastic. This will likely take 10-15 minutes. Because this is an enriched brioche dough, it will be very sticky. Resist the urge to add more flour.
- Gently pull the dough up and see if you can stretch it out so much that you can almost see through it. This is called the windowpane test and is a good way to see if your dough needs more kneading to form the gluten structure. You can also mix the dough by hand, just know that this will take longer and a lot of arm muscle. Transfer your dough to a lightly greased bowl.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm spot for 6-8 hours. Do not rush this part. Let your dough rise and double in size or very close to it.
- Once the dough has risen, be sure the bowl is covered tightly and place it in the refrigorator overnight for best results ora minimum of 4 hours.
- After the cold proof, your dough will be stiff. Use a bowl scraper to pull the dough away from the sides of the bowl and out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Now you will add the chocolate chips. Gently fold the chips into the dough by folding over the sides like an envelope.Then divide the dough into 2 equal portions and shape them into a tight ball.
- Place each ball into a 9×5-inch loaf pan, cover once again with plastic wrap and let the brioche loaves rise in a warm place until they double in size. This may take 4-8 hours depending on the temperature of the room.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and brush the tops of the loaves with an egg wash. An egg wash is simply combining an egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
- Once baked, be sure to cool before slicing. I like to remove my loaves from the pan fairly quickly and place them on a cooling rack.
