Light Pains Suisses (Chocolate Chip Brioche)

📝 Ingredients

• 200 g plain flour
• 80 g 3% fat fromage frais
• 210 ml semi-skimmed milk (30 for the dough, 180 for the custard)
• 2 eggs (1 for the dough and glaze, 1 for the custard)
• 45 g caster sugar (20 for the dough, 25 for the custard)
• 1 sachet dried yeast (5 g)
• 20 g softened unsalted butter
• 1 pinch of salt
• 2 level tbsp cornflour (18 g)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 50 g dark chocolate chips

🍴 Utensils

• Mixing bowl
• Saucepan
• Whisk
• Rolling pin
• Baking tray and baking paper
• Pastry brush

📖 Steps

1. Warm 30 ml of the milk until lukewarm: it should feel barely warm to the touch, about 35 °C. Stir in the yeast with a pinch of sugar taken from the 20 g for the dough, then leave for 10 min, until foam appears on the surface.
2. Beat 1 egg in a bowl and set aside 1 tbsp in a ramekin for the glaze, keeping it in the fridge. In the mixing bowl, combine the flour, the rest of the 20 g sugar and the salt, then add the beaten egg, the fromage frais and the yeasted milk.
3. Knead on the work surface for 10 min, until the dough is smooth. Work in the softened butter in pieces and knead for another 5 min: it will be sticky at first, then come away from your fingers. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour 15 min, until doubled in size.
4. While the dough rises, make the custard: in the saucepan, whisk the second egg with 25 g sugar, the cornflour and the vanilla, then gradually pour in 180 ml cold milk, whisking to prevent lumps.
5. Cook over a medium heat, whisking constantly. As soon as the custard thickens, keep cooking for 1 min, until it is very thick and pudding-like. Pour it onto a plate, cover with cling film touching the surface and leave to cool in the fridge for at least 45 min: if it's still warm, it will melt the butter in the dough.
6. Roll the dough out on a sheet of baking paper into a 32 × 24 cm rectangle. Whisk the cold custard until smooth, then spread it over the bottom half, leaving a 1 cm border. Scatter over the chocolate chips and press them in lightly.
7. Fold the top half over the custard and pinch the edges to seal. Cut into 8 strips 4 cm wide with a very sharp knife and place them on the baking tray, 3 cm apart. Cover and leave to rise for 35 min. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
8. Brush the tops with the reserved egg, keeping it off the cut sides. Bake for 15 to 18 min at 180 °C, until the pains suisses are golden brown. Leave to cool for 10 min on a wire rack before serving (2 per person): the custard is scalding hot inside.