Chocolate Brioche

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine bread flour, sugar, instant yeast, and fine sea salt.
2. Add the seeds scraped from the vanilla bean and mix briefly with the dry ingredients.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and lukewarm whole milk.
4. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the egg and milk mixture to the dry ingredients until just combined.
5. Increase mixer speed to medium and knead until dough begins to come together, about 5 minutes.
6. Add the softened unsalted butter in small pieces gradually, kneading well after each addition until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky, about 10 minutes more.
7. Fold in the bittersweet chocolate chunks gently until evenly distributed.
8. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
9. Punch down the risen dough, cover again, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight for flavor development and ease of shaping.
10. Turn the chilled dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth bun and place them spaced apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
11. Cover the buns loosely with plastic wrap and proof at room temperature until puffy and nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.
12. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
13. Lightly beat the egg for the egg wash and brush gently over the tops of the buns.
14. Bake the buns until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 190°F (88°C), about 20-25 minutes.
15. Cool the buns on a wire rack before serving.