Last week I posted the recipe for a Christmas punch, which I hope you liked. Today, I’m posting the recipe for a raspberry jam Christmas Brioche. As you can see from the photos, I decided to make it in the shape of a star, to give it a holiday touch.
The first time I prepared this brioche was last year and I absolutely loved it. However, I did not have the opportunity to post it on the blog then and only shared it on my Instagram account. I’ve made it again this year and this time I had no excuse not to publish, so I turned on my laptop and here it is.
It may seem complicated at first, but it’s actually not that difficult at all. All you need is a little skill and some time in the morning or afternoon because even the levitation is shorter than that needed for pizza or focaccia. You’ll obtain an amazing and really tender dough. I can’t think of a better way to start my day than with a piece of this delicious and juicy brioche!
I really hope you enjoy it!
INGREDIENTS
250 gr (2 cups) Manitoba flour
250 gr (2 cups) plain flour
70 gr (¾ cup) granulated white sugar
200 ml (1 cup) fresh whole milk
80 gr (⅓ cup) pure unsalted butter
2 eggs at room temperature + 1 whisked egg to varnish on top
6 gr salt
4 gr dehydrated beer yeast
1 tsp honey
The zest of one orange
PREPARATION
Sift the two flours and put them into a big bowl, or into the bowl of your KitchenAid. Now, slightly heat the milk in a saucepan without boiling. Add the butter, sugar, and honey. Remove from heat, add the yeast and mix well. Then pour the liquid into the bowl containing the flours and start mixing. In the KitchenAid, minimum speed.
Beat the eggs slightly in two different bowls, because we will add them separately to the mix. Then, add the orange zest and salt. Work on the mass for exactly 5 more minutes. Don’t worry if the dough is a little sticky. Put it in a bowl, cover it with plastic film and let it rest for two hours or until it doubles in size.
Divide and stretch the dough into four 1mm-thin discs (⅓ inch). Place on a baking paper and spread some raspberry jam on top. Place the second disc on top of that one and spread some jam. Then the third and repeat. Don’t spread jam over the fourth layer. When spreading the jam, avoid the edges, to prevent it from spilling out during baking.
Now place a small glass in the center and starting there, divide and cut the dough into 16 equal parts. Take two adjacent slices and twist them, in other words as you’re creating a braid, and pinch the ends together.
Repeat this and when you have your Christmas brioche, use a brush to varnish the surface with the whisked egg and then carefully place on an oven tray. If you have not been working directly on the tray you might want to ask someone for help moving the star.
Bake at 180ºC (350F) for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, in the lower part of it, with the option of heat ventilation both above and below.
Buon appetito and above all…have a Merry Christmas!
