Brioche Suisse

For the brioche

• 2 cups cake flour, though all-purpose may have to do
• Heaping 1/8 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1.5 tsp active dry yeast
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup butter at room temperature

For the pastry creme

• 1 ever-so-over-the-level-of-a-cup of milk
• 1 tsp butter 
• 1.5 tsp vanilla extract 
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup sugar (preferably castor or a superfine)
• 1 tbsp +1 tsp Cornstarch
• 1 level tsp of flour

Garnish and Glaze

• 3/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1 whole egg
• 1 egg yolk

1. To make the brioche dough :
Combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the three eggs and knead the dough 2 to 3 minutes at a slow speed to until it comes together densely. Incorporate the soft butter and knead again, slowly increasing the speed up to medium. Knead at medium between 5 and 10 minutes until the dough becomes very elastic. The dough will be very sticky, don't add flour. Take a large bowl and grease with butter then dust with flour. Transfer the batter to the bowl. Cover with a cloth then let rise at room temperature for one hour.

Flatten dough into a rectangle and place i the the refrigerator for at least 40 minutes (2 hours is ideal) and then 20 more minutes in the freezer.

2. While the dough is setting, prepare the pastry creme :
In a heavy bottom sauce pan over medium heat, combine the milk, one tsp of butter and the vanilla extract. If you are using a vanilla bean, slice it in half and grate it before adding. 

In a separate bowl whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Then add the corn starch and flour - make sure to combine thoroughly with the whisk. Before the milk reaches a boil (remove vanilla bean here!), remove from beat and slowly pour hot mixture in with eggs WHILE WHISKING!!!!!!!! 

Again, without ceasing in whisking, move the entire mixture back into that heavy bottom saucepan. Return to medium low-medium heat until the creme thickens. Once the creme is cooked, move to a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap such that the plastic touches the creme to avoid forming a film and place in the fridge to cool.

3. Put it all together :
Flour a working surface (cold is preferable). Remove the brioche dough from the freezer and flatten into a rectangle with a rolling pin until it is about 4-5 mm thick (a little less than a 1/4 inch). Place this rolled out dough back into the freezer for a few minutes. 

Remove the pastry creme from the refrigerator and work with a whisk until it becomes smooth and supple.  Take the dough out again and spread the pastry creme with a spatula in order to cover half of the rectangle (you're going to fold it over!). Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the creme. With your rolling pin, lightly roll over the chocolate chips to reinforce them into the dough. Fold the plain half of the dough over the chocolate chip half and smooth with your hands to get rid of any air bubbles. Once smooth, with a clean, sharp knife cut strips from the rectangles about 2-3 inches wide. Place the brioches with a decent amount of space on to a baking sheet covered in parchment. Delicately cover the brioches with plastic wrap and allow them to rise at room temperature for 2.5 hours.

20 minutes before the brioches are done rising, preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Prepare the egg wash glaze by whisking an entire egg with one egg yolk. As soon as the brioches are done rising, coat the brioches with a pastry brush. Bake 10-12 minutes until they have a nice brown color. 

*Original recipe: http://perleensucre.com/brioche-suisse-aux-pepites-de-chocolat/ There are some great pictures of the whole process here! She also posts a recipe for the same pastry with pralines instead of chocolate chips.