Recipe for braided brioche with a stringy crumb
Even without being lightened up, this brioche is still wonderful! It's true that it's not a light version, but it's a feast for the eyes: it rises beautifully, the crumb is stringy, and it browns magnificently!
Ingredients · Servings 4
- 30g of fresh baker's yeast
- 12.5 cl of lukewarm milk (125 ml)
- 150g of softened butter
- 80 g de sucre
- 1 whole egg
- 3 egg yolks
- the zest of a treated lemon (or orange flavoring)
- 50g of flaked almonds
- 500 g of flour
- 1 pinch of salt
- fac.: coarse sugar (decoration)
Method · 1 h 30 min
- Crumble the yeast and mix it with the lukewarm milk (in the Thermomix: 2 minutes at 37°C, speed 2). Let it rest for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, beat the butter and sugar until creamy (in a Thermomix: mix at speed 2). Add the egg and the three egg yolks one after the other, then the lemon zest and the almonds.
- Next, incorporate the flour and salt, then the milk and yeast mixture, stirring vigorously (TM: Closed bowl/Dough setting). The dough should be soft and pull away from the sides of the bowl in one piece. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour (for example, in the oven, away from drafts). It should approximately double in volume.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust your work surface with flour. Knead the dough again and divide it into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into a strip 3 to 4 cm thick, ensuring all three strips are the same length. Place the strips side by side on the baking sheet and braid them. Once the braid is complete, pinch the ends together. Cover again and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180° (fan oven: 160° without preheating).
- Brush the braid with melted butter or milk, sprinkle with coarse sugar, and bake in the middle of the oven for about 45 minutes. The brioche should rise and turn a nice brown color.
- Let it cool.
