Brioche Chinois

I had never heard of Brioche before I moved over here to the UK, let alone Brioche Chinois.  You would be right in thinking this is not English . . .  it's French in origin, but it brings the Brioche a step beyond a normal Brioche . . .  this is "Translated literally," a Chinese Brioche.  Nothing Chinese about this however.  I have been told by a French baker here in the UK,  that the word Chinois  simply means a conical shape. What I can tell you  for sure is that they are delicious!


 

I adore these rolls . . .  soft and buttery like a brioche should be  . . . but rolled and stuffed like a cinnamon roll.



Tender buttery brioche dough rolled around a creme patisserie filling  . . .  a filling that is sprinkled with chocolate chips prior to rolling . . .  you could use raisins also, but I like the chocolate chips.



I make the dough in my bread machine on the specialty dough cycle, which takes a lot of the work out of making the dough and it turns out lovely.   The creme patisserie is also very simple to make.   As simple as making a cream sauce.  Just make sure it is cold before you spread it on the dough.



These make a fabulous roll for  a breakfast or a brunch, or for a coffee break or elevensies.  Heck, these are just good eaten out of hand.  Any way you eat them . . .  you are sure to fall in love. I guarantee.

*Brioche Chinois*

Makes 7 servings

Printable Recipe 

Soft brioche buns, rolled and filled with swirls of vanilla  creme patisserie and chocolate chips.  Delectable. 

For the Brioche dough:

220ml [1 cup] milk
2 eggs, beaten

140g [2/3 cup] butter, melted
500g (3 1/3 cups] white bread flour

1 tsp salt

60g [1/4 cup] sugar

2 tsp – the equivalent of 1 sachet – easy-blend instant dried yeast
For the Creme Patisserie:
300ml [1 1/3 cups] milk
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp cornflour (UK) or cornstarch (US)
55g [1/4 cup] sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
You will also need  200g (6 ounces) of semi sweet chocolate chips
To glaze:
130g of sifted icing sugar (1 cup)
1 tsp soft butter
milk
few drops vanilla 

To make the Brioche Dough:
Sift together the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Whisk together the milk, melted butter and eggs. Add the liquid into the flour mixture gradually to form a soft sticky dough. Knead thoroughly by hand or with a stand mixer fitted with dough hooks until you have a smooth, shiny dough that stretches easily without breaking. This can take around 20 minutes to achieve. Once you reach this step, place the ball of dough into a lightly oiled bowl large enough to leave room for it to expand, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in a warm area to rise for around an hour or until doubled in size.

Note - If you have a bread machine with an ‘artisan dough only’ (i.e. non-bake) cycle then you can use your machine to mix and knead the dough for you, which is what I did. 

 

To make the Creme Patisserie:  
Measure the cornstarch and sugar into a medium saucepan with a heavy bottom.   Whisk together and then whisk in the egg yolks and milk.  Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture goils and thickens.  Cook for about a minute longer and then remove from the heat. Whisk in the vanilla.  Pour into a bowl and place a piece of clingfilm/plastic food wrap right on the surface to prevent a skin forming, then leave to cool and refrigerate until required.  

To assemble and bake:

Lightly butter a deep cake tin, around 22-25cm (9 or 10 inches)  in diameter.

Knock the brioche dough down with your fist, form it into a ball, and then (on a well-floured surface and with well-floured rolling pin)  roll the dough out to create a rectangle around 1/3 inch thick with its longest edge measuring around 14 inches. Trim the edges using a sharp knife if necessary, to get a nice neat edge. 

Spread the cooled  crème pâtissière over the whole of the rectangle of dough, leavingr a 1 inch strip along one long edge. 

Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over top and then roll up tightly, beginning with the long end that has creme patisserie along it. Slice the roll into 7 equal sized pieces.  


 

Arrange the slices of dough carefully in the buttered cake tin, using a spatula if needed to avoid them unrolling or losing any of that delicious filling. Place 6 rolls around the edge of the  tin and fit one in the middle. Cover the cake tin tightly with plastic clingfilm and leave it to rise for around 1 hour or until the rolls have doubled in size and are snugly pressed up against one another.  

Preheat the oven to 180 C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  Remove the clingfilm and bake the chinois for around 35 minutes, or until it is a nice light golden brown. Leave to cool slightly.  To glaze, whisk together the icing sugar with the butter and just enough milk and vanilla to give you a thick glaze.  Spread over the warm buns.   Pull apart to serve.  Delicious! 

 

Enjoy!!