Soft and Creamy Ricotta Chocolate Chips Filled Brioche Bread

Total time: 70 mins. + resting time (3H)

Difficulty: Low

Serves: 6-8

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By Ilaria Canevara

Ricotta Chocolate Chips Filled Brioche Bread is a butter-free version of the famous French brioche. This soft and fragrant leavened bread reveals a delicious filling of ricotta cheese and dark chocolate chips when you bite into it. It's perfect for dunking in a glass of latte for breakfast or as a snack for a healthy and wholesome treat for the whole family.

To make it, simply mix the soft wheat flour, Manitoba flour, dried brewer's yeast, egg, milk, and sunflower oil together, either by hand or in a stand mixer. The resulting smooth dough, left to rise until doubled in size, is then rolled out into a rectangle about 1/2 cm thick, filled with the ricotta cream, and finally rolled tightly, starting from the long side, to form a compact cylinder. Now all you have to do is cut the roll into three even strips, leaving them attached at one end, then braid them together and let the brioche rest again for about 20 minutes.

Baking will do the rest, creating a golden braid on the surface and a soft center, perfect for a Sunday family brunch. If you like, you can dust the dessert with a light layer of powdered sugar, or sprinkle it with crunchy granulated sugar or a handful of chopped hazelnuts before baking.

Ingredients

for the brioche loaf

all-purpose flour

300g

Manitoba flour

250g

Room temperature milk

250ml

Sunflower seed oil

90ml

Granulated sugar

80g

dried brewer's yeast

salt

egg

Vanilla powder

1 tsp

for the filling

cow's milk ricotta

500g

Granulated sugar

100g

Dark chocolate chips

100g

for finishing

Yolk

Milk

to taste

you'll also need

all-purpose flour

to taste

Sunflower seed oil

to taste

How to Make Ricotta Chocolate Chips Filled Brioche Bread

Step 1

Sift the flours into a bowl, add the dried brewer's yeast and mix the powders with a spoon.

Step 2

Separately, collect the egg, granulated sugar and salt in a large bowl, then pour in the milk at room temperature and flavor with the vanilla.

Step 3

Also add the seed oil.

Step 4

Beat the ingredients with a whisk.

Step 5

Gradually add the powders, one spoonful at a time.

Step 6

Mix well with a spoon until you get a coarse mixture.

Step 7

Continue kneading with your hands.

Step 8

Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface and knead carefully until you obtain a smooth, elastic dough.

Step 9

Form a ball, place it in an oiled bowl and make a cross-shaped incision on the surface; then cover with a sheet of cling film and leave to rise in the oven with the light on for about 2 hours.

Step 10

Meanwhile, mix the ricotta, well drained from the whey, with the dark chocolate chips and granulated sugar in a bowl.

Step 11

Once doubled in volume, transfer the dough onto a floured sheet of baking paper and roll it out with a rolling pin.

Step 12

Form a rectangle about 1/2 cm thick.

Step 13

Spread the ricotta cream evenly with a spatula, making sure to leave a few cm from the edge.

Step 14

Using the baking paper, roll up the rectangle of dough starting from the long side until you get a cylinder.

Step 15

Seal the ends well.

Step 16

Cut the cylinder with a smooth-bladed knife and obtain three strips of the same size, leaving them joined at one end.

Step 17

Weave the strips of pasta together and seal them carefully..

Step 18

Let the braid rise for another 20 minutes at room temperature, then brush the surface with an egg yolk, previously beaten with a drop of milk, transfer everything onto a baking tray and place the cake in a fan oven at 340°F/170°C for about 40 minutes: alternatively, you can bake it in static mode at 355°F/180°C for the same period of time.

Step 19

Once cooked, remove the braid from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

Step 20

Slice the brioche bread, bring to the table and serve. Enjoy!

Cooking Tips

If you like, you can replace the dark chocolate chips with candied fruit or raisins soaked in rum, or you can make it even more fragrant by adding a pinch of ground cinnamon or a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
For a dairy-free version, you can use a soy or almond milk instead of cow's milk, and then opt for a plant-based or dairy-free ricotta.
Alternatively, you can play with the filling to suit your personal taste and choose a pear or berry jam, a custard, or a hazelnut spread.

Storage Instructions

Ricotta and chocolate chips filled brioche bread can be stored at room temperature, covered in a glass jar, for up to 2 days.

Can You Freeze Ricotta Chocolate Chips Brioche Bread?

Yes! You can freeze it in slices and take it out when needed: simply heat it briefly in the oven or on a hot grill, and it will be warm and fragrant as if it were freshly baked.