Preparation Two-Tone Rolled Brioche Loaf

• 1. Forming the dough: In a large bowl, pour the flour and sugar then make a well in the center (the classic “fountain”) and pour in the lukewarm milk in which you have previously dissolved the yeast.

  Start mixing with a fork or a wooden spoon, gathering the flour from the edges toward the center.

• 2. Adding the liquids and the butter: Add the whole egg and the vanilla extract (or orange zest). Continue kneading with your hands until the liquid is absorbed by the flour.

  At this point, begin incorporating the soft butter a little at a time: work the dough energetically until the butter is completely absorbed before adding more. Finally, add the pinch of salt.

• 3. Working on the board: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.

  Work it with the heel of your hand, stretching and folding it over itself for about 10 minutes, until it becomes smooth, homogeneous and no longer sticks to your hands.

• 4. Creating the cocoa dough: Weigh the finished dough and divide it in half. Place the first half (the light one) in a bowl covered with plastic wrap to rise in a warm place. (A turned-off oven with the light on works perfectly).

  
  For the second half: put it back in the large bowl, add the sifted cocoa and the two tablespoons of milk.

  Knead patiently with your hands, “squeezing” and folding the dough until the color becomes dark and even.

  Now put this dough to rise as well in a second bowl covered with plastic wrap in the same warm spot where you placed the white dough.

• 1. Initial Mixing (K-beater): Attach the K-beater (also called the paddle) to your stand mixer.

  Pour the flour, sugar and the yeast previously dissolved in the lukewarm milk into the bowl. Start mixing at speed 1, the lowest setting.

  As soon as the ingredients begin to come together, add the whole egg. Continue working until you see a rough but homogeneous mass (this will take about 2-3 minutes).

• 2. Gluten development and butter (Hook): Replace the paddle with the dough hook (or spiral). This is the phase where the dough gains strength:

  Turn the machine to speed 1 or 2 and begin adding the soft butter piece by piece.
  It’s important not to rush: wait until each piece is completely absorbed before adding the next.

  With the last piece of butter, add the salt and the flavoring of vanilla (or orange zest).

• Continue mixing for about 8-10 minutes. The dough is ready when it’s smooth, elastic and completely detaches from the sides of the bowl, remaining “clinging” to the hook.

• 3. The cocoa trick (without making a mess) to manage the two-tone dough cleanly:
  Remove the dough from the bowl and weigh it, then divide it in half: put the first portion (white) to rise in a covered bowl.

• 4. Without washing the mixer bowl, return the second half of the dough to it,
  add the sifted cocoa and the two tablespoons of milk

  
  Turn the hook on at low speed until the color is perfectly uniform. Now the dark dough is also ready for rising, so cover both bowls with plastic wrap and place them to rise in a warm spot.

  It will take 2 to 3 hours, or until the doughs have doubled in volume. It strongly depends on the room temperature.

• Once your two doughs (the white one and the cocoa one) have doubled in volume, it’s time to create the beautiful spiral effect you see in the photo.

• 1. Rolling out the two doughs: Take the white dough and roll it out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface.

  You should obtain a rectangle about 12 x 10 in. Do exactly the same with the cocoa dough, trying to give it the same dimensions as the white one.

• 2. Layering and rolling: Place the cocoa rectangle on top of the white one.

  If you want them to adhere perfectly, you can brush the surface of the white rectangle with a little milk before placing the other on top.

  Starting from the shorter side, begin to roll the two layers together, gently but firmly, until you form a compact two-tone cylinder.

• 3. Second rise in the pan: Take your loaf pan (26 cm / 10 1/4 in), butter it or line it with parchment paper.

  Place the roll inside with the seam facing down. Cover with a tea towel and let it rise again for about 45-60 minutes in a warm place.

  The brioche should puff up until it nearly reaches the top edge of the pan.

• 4. Baking: Preheat the oven to 356°F (conventional/static mode). Before baking, brush the surface of the loaf with a little milk or with a beaten egg yolk to make it shiny and golden.

  
  Bake on the middle rack for about 30-35 minutes.

• Extra tip: If after 20 minutes you see the surface darkening too much, cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil and continue baking. To check if it’s done, you can perform the “toothpick test”: if it comes out dry, your brioche is cooked.

• Remove from the oven and let it cool completely in the pan before taking it out and slicing. If you like, you can toast the slices in the toaster or on a griddle 😉