Hey, I'm so happy to be back here. I hope the family celebrations went well and that you were all spoiled. For my part, I can't complain even though those celebrations were a bit rock'n roll with everyone's germs (I myself was knocked down by a nasty cold that wrecked my late December schedule...). Anyway, now that things are getting better, I'm offering you a little cozy breakfast recipe: the flake brioche!
I think this recipe is brilliant and not very complicated for a breakfast that really stands out. I had already explained to you in detail the brioche design, and I even tested Pascal Weeks' recipe. But you can use any recipe you master, and the result will always be classy for minimal effort (it's even almost less complicated than making nice regular balls to build a Nanterre brioche).
I won't go back over how to make the brioche, just know that whatever your recipe, you'll need a base of 500g flour and 300g liquid (but most recipes are in these proportions, it's hard to measure with fewer ingredients).
The flake brioche recipes I had found (especially at C'est Maman qui l'a fait and Rose and Cook) featured spread as filling. I myself opted for a dark chocolate/milk chocolate ganache (you know, the one I finished with a small spoon when making my Devil's cake). I stand by it, it's really killer!
To make the flake, once the brioche dough is made and chilled for the first time, you'll just need to make stacked brioche discs (I went for 30 cm diameter) and cover with ganache.
Assembly tip: I recommend spreading the dough on a larger diameter than your ring, then placing it on the baking sheet, and then cutting to the right dimensions. Otherwise, the dough tends to shrink and the result isn't very regular.
Next, place a glass in the middle of the dough to clearly define the center (which we won't touch).
Then cut into 4 equal parts:
Then into eight:
Then into sixteen:
Next, just take two strips side by side and make a twist once towards the outside (the strip on the left will turn to the left and the strip on the right to the right). Then just glue the ends of these two strips (making sure to press well) and you're done! Do this for all 16 strips and here's the result:
Let the brioche rise for 2 hours in an off oven with a bowl of boiling water and all that's left is to brush with beaten egg and bake for 40 minutes at 180°.
If you're preparing this flake brioche for breakfast, you can also shape it the night before, brush it and let it rise quietly in an off oven overnight. If you set your oven timer, the brioche will be baked and hot when you wake up!
Flake brioche
Instructions
- 1
Make the brioche dough by mixing flour, salt, sugar and yeast (making sure the yeast is not in direct contact with salt or sugar). Add the beaten eggs.
- 2
When the mixture is well homogeneous, add the butter gradually. Knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides. Cover (the dough, not your night out!) and let rise for one hour in the refrigerator in a clean bowl.
- 3
Meanwhile, prepare the ganache: melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler. When the mixture is well homogeneous, bring the liquid cream to a boil and add it to the chocolate in 3 additions. Put in the refrigerator to set.
- 4
Remove the brioche from the refrigerator and divide it into 3 equal balls. Roll out the first ball, place it on the baking sheet and cut to the desired dimensions using a pastry ring or tart mold. Cover with a layer of ganache.
- 5
Flatten the second ball and place it on top of the first. Cut it to the dimensions of the tart ring and cover with ganache. Finally, flatten the third ball and repeat (but without adding ganache).
- 6
Place a glass in the center of the dough and cut into 16 rays. Take two adjacent rays and rotate outward. Gather and seal the ends well.
- 7
Let rise for two hours in a cold oven with a bowl of boiling water. Glaze and bake at 180° for 40 minutes.
