Goodbye Boring Bread, Hello Leopard Print Brioche!

In 2020, everyone seemed to be trying their hand at bread making. Whether it’s wheat, sourdough, or focaccia, everyone wanted to pass the time making some form of the hearty carb. Well, it’s now 2022, and—as sad it is—we think it’s time to move past that phase of our lives.

Just kidding! Somewhat.

Goodbye boring, basic bread—it’s time to wow our friends and family with creative bakes like this Leopard Print Brioche! And, trust me, they’ll definitely be wild about  it!

Leopard Print Brioche

Difficulty: Medium • 7-12 Servings • Total Time: 3 Hours

Ingredients:

• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup warm milk
• ½ cup  granulated sugar divided
• 1 packet active dry yeast (2¼ teaspoons)
• 7 large eggs divided (room temperature)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 ½ sticks unsalted butter softened 
• 1 tablespoon water
• 4 tablespoons Black Charcoal Powder
• 4 tablespoons Cocoa Powder

Optional Toppings:

• Milk Chocolate
• Chopped Almonds
• Vanilla Ice Cream  

Directions:

1. In a stand mixer using the dough hook attachment add flour, sugar, warm milk and packet of active dry yeast. Mix until a crumb forms.
2. Next add room temperature eggs one at a time to the flour mixture. If your eggs are taken right out of the refrigerator, place them in a bowl and pour hot water over them. Let the eggs sit in the water for 5 minutes. Then take them out for perfectly room temperature eggs.
3. Add water and salt to the mixer.
4. Slowly add softened butter to the mixer in 5 parts. Once combined the dough should be tacky, but still come off the dough hook with ease. 
5. Cover the dough and let rise in a warm place for 30- 45 minutes.
6. Once the dough has doubled in size take the dough out on a lightly floured surface and separate into three equal portions.
7. Add black charcoal to one of the doughs and cocoa powder into the other dough. The last dough will be left plain. 
8. Roll each dough into long rectangles and divide the rectangle into 7-8 even stripes.
9. Take your chocolate dough and roll each strip into a log. Place the chocolate log onto the black strip of dough.
10.  Then fold the black dough over the chocolate as if you were wrapping a hot dog bun around a hot dog.
11.  Take the white dough rectangle and wrap around black dough.
12.  The result should now look like a log with a chocolate center, a   wrapping of black, and then a final wrapping of white dough.
13.  Repeat this process with the remaining dough until you have 7-8 logs.
14.  Add your dough logs to a buttered loaf pan let rise for 45 mins.
15.  Once dough has risen, bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. 
16.  Let bread cool for 5-10 minutes and enjoy with a drizzle of melted chocolate, chopped almonds and vanilla ice cream on top.
17. Each slice will send you to jungle heaven!