Chocolate Brioche Buns

These sweet small buns with chocolate chips are super delicious. They are very popular in Italy and you can find them in a lot of bakeries, the recipe is simple to make at home. Start by placing half a cup of chocolate chips in a freezer then prepare a water roux which is made by heating some water or milk with flour. Into a saucepan over medium heat, add 100ml of milk and 20 grams of flour then stir as it heats up until it becomes a thick paste then remove from the heat and let it cool down to room temperature.

A roux is used to make baked goods softer and fluffier and will also increase the shelf life so that the buns will stay soft for longer. Meanwhile, in a bowl, add half a cup of milk, one teaspoon of dry yeast, and a tablespoon of honey, also add in the cooled roux that you made earlier, half a cup of sugar, one egg and a teaspoon of vanilla extract that always goes so well in this type of preparation. Whisk up everything until combined then add two cups of all-purpose flour in batches and knead the dough.

After all the flour is absorbed in the dough, add 20 grams of butter and knead the dough to incorporate the batter into the dough. Add in the chocolate chips that you placed into the freezer and lightly knead them into the dough making sure they are well distributed in the dough. Place the dough in a mixing bowl, cover with a wrap and let the dough proof for about two hours.

Two hours later, your dough should have doubled in volume, in a lightly floured working top, place the dough and shape the dough into a sausage then divide the dough into parts of the same size so they bake for the same amount of time. Make them big or small depending on your preferences. Take each dough and fold it into one seem then roll it into a counter for a couple of times to make a ball.

Place them in a parchment-lined baking pan, cover them with a clean cloth and let them rest for another hour. After that rest, your dough will look bigger and ready to be baked, beat an egg with a splash of milk then brush it over the buns. Bake these buns in a preheated oven at 350F/180C for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven once baked and let them cool down then serve. These are the softest chocolate chip buns you can ever make at home. Try them and give us your feedback.