• Recipe and styling by Claire Ferrandi Assisted by Nomvuselelo Mncube 
    Photograph by Dylan Swart

    Milk chocolate, hazelnut and rosemary brioche wreath

    Serves: 10 - 12
    Total Time: 3 - 4 hrs

    Ingredients

    • BRIOCHE

    • 100ml milk
    • 1 tbsp castor sugar
    • 2 x 10g sachets instant dry yeast
    • 720g cake flour + extra, to dust
    • 1½ tsp fine salt
    • 1 tbsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped
    • 6 eggs
    • 240g butter, cubed and softened + extra, to serve
    • TO SPREAD

    • 180g Nutella
    • 100g hazelnuts, roughly chopped and toasted
    • 1 x 80g slab milk chocolate, chopped into small cubes

    Instructions

    1

    For the brioche, combine the milk and castor sugar in a large jug. Add the instant dry yeast and gently mix into the milk mixture. In a large bowl, combine the cake flour, salt, rosemary leaves, eggs and milk mixture, and stir to incorporate, about 5 minutes.

    2

    Mix the soft butter cubes into the flour and milk mixture, little by little. Knead until a soft dough is formed, about 10 minutes. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a clean, damp tea towel and set aside to prove in a warm place, 1 hour.

    3

    Preheat the oven to 180˚C and line a large baking sheet with baking paper. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle of 37cm x 30cm on a flourdusted surface. Spread the Nutella on the surface of the rectangle, and sprinkle over the hazelnuts and the chopped milk chocolate cubes.

    4

    Starting with one of the longer sides of the rectangle, tightly roll up the dough (like a Swiss roll), pinching the edges to seal. With a sharp knife, cut the dough roll in half, lengthways, to expose the layers of dough and Nutella. Carefully turn the 2 halves, so the cut sides are facing up, then stretch them a bit to create longer, thinner lengths. Loosely twist the halves around each other, keeping the cut sides up (this is what adds the aesthetic touch to the brioche once baked).

    5

    Carefully transfer the twisted dough rope to the baking sheet and shape into a wreath, pinching the ends together to seal. Allow the brioche to rise, uncovered in a warm place, about 45 minutes.

    6

    Bake the wreath in the preheated oven, 35 minutes, until cooked through and golden on the outside. Serve warm, with lashings of soft butter for spreading.

     

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