Spiced Pumpkin-Chocolate Pull-apart Spider Brioche Bread

Directions

• 1. In a microwave safe container, lukewarm butter and milk for 20 seconds or until butter has just melted. Add 1/2 tbsp sugar and stir to combine. Mixture should be just warm to touch not hot.
  2. Sprinkle yeast on the lukewarm milk and butter mix and leave aside for foaming action (about 10 minutes)
• 3. In meantime, in an another small bowl, take 1/3 cup lukewarm milk, add 1/4 cup cocoa powder and stir to combine. Mix until solids are mixed with warm milk and milk gets chocolaty color. Set aside.
  4. Take two medium size prep bowls (bowl - C and bowl P). add half of yeast mixture, followed by nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, egg and sugar (1/3 cup each) dividing equally in two bowls. To bowl C, also add the chocolate we mixed in step 3.
• 5. To bowl P, add pumpkin puree and mix all ingredients using a whisk.
  6. To bowl C, add 1 cup flour, then use a spatula to combine all ingredients. Mix well for 30 seconds, then add 1/4 cup more flour in two batches, and fold to incorporate flour with mixture fully. Mix will be sticky. Cover and leave aside to rise at warm place until more than double in size. (2 hours)
• 7. To bowl P, add 1 cup flour, then use a spatula to combine all ingredients. Mix well for 30 seconds, then add 1/4 cup more flour in two batches, and fold to incorporate flour with mixture fully. Mix will be sticky. Cover and leave aside to rise at warm place until more than double in size. (2 hours) Additional Notes: I stopped adding flour at 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoon.
  8. Grease a wide pie pan or round pan with butter. Punch down the pumpkin dough and transfer on a flour dusted board,
• 9. Using floured hands, shape dough to a log and divide into 6 pieces.
  10. Make four of the pieces to rounds and place on two opposite side of the pan as shown in the picture.
• 11. Now, punch and roll the chocolate dough on a separate flour dusted board and shape into a log. Divide into 6 pieces.
  12. Make two chocolate dough balls and place between pumpkin balls as shown in picture. Roll a small long stick from pumpkin dough and stud between chocolate balls to make spider shape more distinct.
• 13. Now place the remaining 2 more chocolate balls toward the end making tail of spider as shown in picture. Also, place half of the 5th chocolate dough as mouth of spider. Cover any empty areas with pumpkin balls, like I placed two, one each side of spider mouth. Roll remaining chocolate dough to 8 leg shape long tubes and place as spider legs.
  14. Cover the prepared spider pull-apart bread dough to rise at kitchen counter until just outside the pan. (30-40 minutes). In meantime, pre-heat oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• 15. This how it looks after second rise. Ready to rock!
  16. Bake spider pull-apart bread in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until tops are golden and bread sounds hollow when tapped. Cover bread with foil for last 5-8 minutes of cooking to avoid over-browning the top. Additional Notes: Optional - If serving for breakfast, melt some semi-sweet chocolate chips in microwave 10 secs at a time until melted. Pipe the chocolate on spider part of the bread.