Although both challah and brioche are made of enriched dough, they have their differences. The main difference is that challah is dairy free, made to Kosher standards, and popular in Jewish cuisine. It's enriched with eggs, oil, and sometimes sugar. Brioche originated in France, and like most things French, it includes butter! You’ll also find milk and a touch of sugar in brioche dough, along with the butter and eggs. This combo results in the light and fluffy texture brioche is known for.

To make the perfect brioche, you'll need to start by making an egg-rich brioche dough from scratch. Then it's on to a smooth, creamy filling of finely-chopped, bittersweet chocolate, cocoa powder, brown sugar, and a hint of cinnamon. Mixing up the ingredients is only half of the goodness: Next you'll form this beautiful dough into ropes and twist them into an edible work of art. Let me show you how.

Try not to overwork the dough. Simply make the dough, let it rest in a bowl on the counter then place it in the fridge overnight for a good sleep. Yes, you make the dough a day ahead. For future reference, keep in mind that this dough can also be stuffed.

The secret to a perfectly braided brioche loaf is to make sure the dough ropes are equal in size. My favorite trick is to weigh out the pieces on my kitchen scale so I know they’re all the same. You’ll start with two pieces, then spread the filling evenly between them. Next, you'll roll the dough to create a long "rope." The chocolate filling will be encased inside the dough. You will end up with two chocolate-filled dough ropes. Make sure the seam is on the bottom of the roll, facing the countertop, then pinch the dough ends so that delicious filling doesn't escape!

A sharp chef’s knife is the best tool for the next step: Cut each dough rope down the middle. At this point, you’ll have four long dough pieces with the chocolate layers exposed. Take two pieces and start twisting, then place them in your prepared pan! Easy, right? The dough may need to be maneuvered a bit to fit in the pan, but that just adds to the twisty beauty after it’s baked! Read on for the rest of the details.

This delicious pastry is as delicious as it is stunning, and it can be served for breakfast or dessert. The presentation is so beautiful that it makes a great dish for special occasions. It might look like it would be difficult to make, but I promise it’s not. Each step is simple and easy to execute. The end result is well worth it!