Make Ahead

Sweet and Savoury Brioche, with a Sugared Mint Crust!

March  3, 2010
3.7
3 Ratings
  • Serves .....at least one!
Author Notes

I am addicted....to 'Artisan breads in 5 minutes' from Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. As it would happen, my copy of Healthy bread in 5 arrived last Friday and I had set my heart on trying the brioche. This week. And so when I saw the challenge this week, it was fairly obvious what had to be done. I must confess that this has to be my favourite food52 challenge (yet!). I have modified the recipe, swapping maple syrup for honey, using wholegrain flour as opposed to white wholewheat! Here it goes! —Kitchen Butterfly

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Ingredients
  • 2 cups (white) wholewheat flour
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon yeast, fresh or granulated
  • 1 cup vital wheat gluten
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher/sea salt
  • 1 cup lukewarm water
  • 1/4 cup
    2 tablespoons oil/melted butter


  • 1/4 cup
    2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup


  • 3 eggs
  • 50 - 75g feta cheese, crumbled
  • 10 chopped candied blood orange or 2 tablespoons zest of blood orange
  • 2 tablespoons caster sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Fresh mint leaves
  • Egg wash made with 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Directions
  1. Whisk together the flours, yeast, salt and vital wheat gluten in a large bowl.
  2. Combine the water, oil, maple syrup/honey and eggs together. Mix into the dry ingredients using a wooden spoon, the dough attachment on your food processor or a stand-mixer with paddle, without kneading.
  3. The dough will be loose but should firm up when chilled. Cover dough and allow to rest at room temperature until it rises and collapses, about 2 hours
  4. If ready to use, grease a brioche pan or an 81/2 X 41/2 inch non stick loaf and cut off half the dough you made. lightly dust with some flour and add the feta and candied blood orange chunks. Quickly shape into a ball and place in the pan, allowing it to rest, loosely covered with plastic wrap for about 1 hour 45 minutes.
  5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and then make mint sugar by combining the fresh mint leaves and the sugar and crushing (with circular motions) in a mortar.
  6. With a brush, 'eggwash' the top of the loaf and sprinkle the mint sugar all over the top.
  7. Place in the oven and bake for 40 - 45 minutes, till the bread is golden.
  8. Remove from the pan after ten minutes and place on a rack so it cools down properly.
  9. Slice...and eat.
  10. The bread was soft and lovely and while the technique is brioche, because I used wholegrain flour, it wasn't overly sweet. The best part for me was the sugared mint crust, which caramelized but hardens a bit and tastes superb! I know what's going with me to work tomorrow!!!!!!!

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I love food and I'm interested in making space for little-heard voices, as well as celebrating Nigerian cuisine in its entirety.

2 Reviews

coffeefoodwrite March 4, 2010
I like the combination of white and whole wheat flours -- I have a recipe for a triple chocolate cookie that has the same combination and it is absolutely delicious! I love bread for breakfast -- am definitely saving this one. thanks!
mrslarkin March 3, 2010
Yum! This looks and sounds lovely! Reminds me of a brioche I had at the CIA's Apple Pie Bakery Cafe a few years ago. It was stuffed with a blood orange filling.