Brioche with honey and nuts/Mucenici

On March 9th, we are commemorating the holy forty martyrs of Sebaste.

In Romania, every 9th of March we prepare this kind of pastry, with honey and nuts, an 8 shape, called “mucenici”.

• 500 g flour
• 200 g milk
• 2 eggs
• 75 g sugar
• 30 g fresh yeast
• 10 g salt
• 200 g butter (divided)

Prepare all the ingredients. Mix them all, except 100 g butter. Knead a soft and smooth dough and add the remaining softened butter.

Allow to rise 2 hours, covered.

Divide dough in 100 g pieces, roll balls and let them proof 30 minutes, covered.

Roll each ball into a 45 cm and shape an 8

or:

Divide each ball into 2 and roll a 55cm rope, then braid them and shape the 8.

Allow to proof 1,5 hours.

Bake them for 20 minutes at 175°C.

Syrup:

• 250 g sugar
• 250 g water
• 200 g honey
• 2 Tbs rose water

In a saucepan, mix the water and sugar and bring to a boil. Add rose water and honey and set aside.

Soak each hot pastry into cold syrup, for few seconds (do not let them too much, they will fall apart), then sprinkle nuts or pistachio on top.

Braided chocolate and fruits wreath/Angelica

This is a Simili sisters’ recipe, from their wonderful book: Bread and sweet things.

Preferment ingredients:

• 135 g Manitoba flour
• 13 g fresh yeast
• 75 g water

Mix the ingredients and allow to leaven 30 minutes, covered.

Dough ingredients:

• 400 g flour
• 75 g sugar
• 120 g warm milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tsp salt
• 120 g butter
• preferment

Filling:

• 50 g butter
• candied orange peel
• chocolate chips
• raisins

Glaze:

• 150 g icing sugar
• lemon juice

Mix the flour, milk, sugar, egg yolks, salt and preferment.

Add butter and knead a soft and smooth dough.

Cover and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk.

Roll out a 2-3 mm thick rectangle, brush with butter, sprinkle the candied orange peel, raisins, chocolate chips leaving a clean 0,5 cm border around the edges.

Roll up the dough and using a sharp knife, cut the log in half length-wise. I suggest to do this on baking paper.

Start  braiding the two pieces, trying to keep the open layers exposed so the cut ends remain on top. Pinch the ends together and form a wreath.

Brush with more butter if you want, and let rise 40 minutes.

Bake 25 minutes at 200°C.

Glaze it:

Sweet coconut rolls & sweet hazelnut chocolate rolls

Dough ingredients:

• 525 g flour (1/2 T45 & 1/2 T55)
• 100 g milk
• 4 eggs
• 15 g fresh yeast (5 g dry)
• 75 g sugar
• 4 g salt
• 250 g butter

Dissolve yeast with 1 Tbs sugar and 3 Tbs warm milk.

Sift flours, add salt. Add eggs, milk and sugar, 100 g butter and yeast.

Knead a soft and smooth dough, then add the rest of butter and mix for 10 more minutes. Let the dough to rise in a buttered bowl, for 2,5 hours.

Punch down the dough, to get the air out. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Until morning, I changed my mind and I decide to divide  the dough to have 2 sweet roll types. I was sure about coconut at that point.

I remembered one cute cutting to form daisies, that I saw it at  Dana and want it to try again, so I chose one more dark filling: chocolate and hazelnuts filling.

Coconut filling:

• 100 g butter
• 100 g sugar
• 100 g coconut flour
• 20 g flour
• 20 g cornstarch
• 1 egg white
• vanilla

Mix well and refrigerate overnight.

Chocolate hazelnut filling:

• 50 g butter
• 50 g sugar
• 50 g hazelnut flour
• 65 g pralin/nutella
• 15 g flour
• 15 g cornstarch
• 10 g cocoa
• 10 g vanilla

Mix well to combine.

Divide dough in 2 pieces:

Divide one half in 10 pieces of 60 g, roll balls.

Divide chocolate filling in 10 x 26 g pieces

Pat each ball, place chocolate filling on top and roll to form a ball.

Pat the ball into a round:

And cut 12 stripes along edge, leaving uncut a 5 cm circle in the middle:

Or 16 stripes:

Twist the stripes, cutting side up:

Cover and allow to rise until doubled in bulk.

Take the other half of dough, divide in 10 x 60 g pieces:

Divide the coconut filling into 10 x 36 g logs:

Pat each ball, place a coconut log on top and roll:

Pace the roll seam side down onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper and allow to rise 1,5 hours.

Brush with  eggs-wash, sprinkle black sesame in the middle to form a daisy:

And score with a lame or a scissor, then sprinkle sugar grains onto coconut rolls:

Bake them for 15 minutes at 190°C, until golden brown.

They are so soft…

Sweet ricotta and apricot rolls

Dough ingredients:

• 1 kg flour
• 130 g sugar
• 42 g fresh yeast (14g dry)
• 500 ml milk
• 150 g butter
• 2 eggs
• 2  tsp salt

Mix all ingredients and knead 10 minutes to obtain a smooth and soft dough.

Let rise until doubles in bulk.

In the meantime prepare the filling/s.

I prepared 3 fillings:

Walnut filling:

• 100 g butter
• 100 g hazelnuts/walnuts
• 100 g raisins
• 80 g sugar
• orange & lemon zest
• milk

Mix all the ingredients in a pan, ever medium heat, add milk to obtain a thick paste(pudding like)

Ricotta filling:

• 250 g ricotta
• 30 g butter, softened
• 50 g sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 20 g cornflour
• a handful of raisins/cranberries
• vanilla
• 9 halves apricots

Combine all the ingredients, except apricots.

Cinnamon filling:

• 40 g butter
• 130 g sugar
• 2-3 Tbs cinnamon

Mix the sugar and cinnamon.

• egg wash, for brushing

After the first rise, divide dough in 3 parts.

1) Pat one dough part in a rectangle, spread the walnut filling

You can spread filling on a third of a dough sheet (the middle stripe). Cover the filling with the top part of the dough sheet, and then with the bottom one.

Fold in 3:

Cut stripes, twist and arrange them on a baking tray. Brush with egg wash. Cover and let rise until doubles in volume.

2) Roll second dough part in a sheet, cut 9 (~8 cm diameter) circles.

Divide rest of dough in 18 parts, roll balls, then form logs (~22 cm long) and braid them 2 by 2.

Brush with egg whites the circle, arrange a braid on the edge, fill with ricotta mixture and place an apricot on top. Cover and allow to rise until doubled in volume.

3) Pat the 3rd dough part in a rectangle, brush with butter , sprinkle sugar, roll a log, then cut 7 cm wide slices.

Cut again each, on middle, not to reach the bottom.

Brush with egg wash, cover and let rise until doubles in volume.

Bake for 20 minutes at 200°C.

Caramelized Brioche/Brioche à la cassonade

Brioche Zurkan -second part…

As I already said here, I saw plenty of beautiful models at Valentina and I intend to reproduce them all.

They consist in a sweetbread dough filled with cassonade and butter (you can add cinnamon if you like).

Brioche dough:

• 350 g T45 flour
• 200 g Manitoba flour
• 25 g fresh yeast
• 75 g sugar
• 250 g milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 125 g butter
• 5 g salt

• 100g butter
• 150 g cassonade
• cinnamon (if you like)

Combine 25 g sugar, yeast and 50 g warm milk and mix well to dissolve. Let stand 15 minutes.

In a separate bowl melt the butter add 200 g milk, 50 g sugar and the yolks. Mix well and pour over sifted flour and salt.

Add yeast and knead a soft and smooth dough, at least 10 minutes.

Put the dough in a buttered bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in bulk.

Divide dough in 4, shape balls and pat each into a 28-30 cm round sheet.

Place first dough sheet on the baking sheet lined with baking paper. Spread 1/3 butter  leaving a 2 cm border all around, sprinkle 1/3 sugar (and cinnamon).

Brush the edge with egg wash and place second dough sheet on top. Press the edges, and continue with butter, sugar, cinnamon like before.

Start cutting, the pictures will do all the job here.( 8 parts)

Take one triangle’s tip with your fingers and delicately twist it, pass it thru cut. Repeat with all the rest.

Put your finger into the edge’s cut and twist the ends underneath, pulling towards outside.

Shape the triangles, pressing them with a bamboo stick.

Allow to proof until doubled in size, then gently brush with egg wash.

Bake at 190°C for 25 minutes.

Cover with aluminium foil after 15 minutes if needs ( will prevent excessive browning of the top).

They are so delicious. I must say, there are no leftovers of this brioche in my house.

I love caramel.

Needless to say, I’m a fan.

To be continued…

Brioche au chocolat

These brioche become viral lately, thanks to Valentina Zurkan (I mean: shape, cutting).

Many thanks to Poca and Dana who brought them into my attention.

I chose one model from many of Valentina’s collection, a sweetbread dough and I filled them with chocolate spreading.

Brioche dough:

• 350 g T45 flour
• 200 g Manitoba flour
• 250 g milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 25 g fresh yeast
• 75 g sugar
• 125 g butter
• 5 g salt

• 350-400 g chocolate spread (nutella)

Combine 25 g sugar, yeast and 50 g warm milk and mix well to dissolve.

In a separate bowl melt 50 g butter add 200 g milk, 50 g sugar and the yolks. Mix well and pour over sifted flour, add salt. Add the yeast and knead a soft and smooth dough.

Add 75 g butter at the end and knead 10 more minutes.

Put the dough in a buttered bowl, cover and let the dough rise in a warm place, for at least 1,5 hours.

Turn the dough on the table, divide in 4, shape balls

and pat each into a 28-30 cm round sheet.

Arrange one in a baking sheet, on parchment paper. Spread 1,5 spoons of nuttela leaving a 2 cm border all around

brush the edge with egg wash.

Cover with another dough sheet, gently press on edges to  seal them

spread again nutella…and so on.

Do not spread the last dough sheet.

Place a cup in the middle and cut the circle into 16 equal parts.

Take two parts of the brioche in both hands and delicately twist them twice in opposite directions. Repeat with all pairs to form eight-armed star.

Seal the edges pressing them with a bamboo stick. (Or just twist the ends of each arm underneath to create a round shape.)

Let to rise until doubled in size

Then gently brush with egg wash. Sprinkle some sugar grains in the middle, if you want.

Bake at 190°C for 25 minutes.

Cover with aluminium foil after 15 minutes ( will prevent excessive browning of the top).

Brush with syrup or just sprinkle icing sugar.

Enjoy.

They are delicious, with a melt-in-your-mouth soft crumb…

Black forest buns/Brioche forêt-noire

If you are looking for something different you should try these buns; they are filled with sour cherry pie filling and crumbled chocolate cake. Yummy!

For 15 pieces, we need:

Icing ingredients:

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 2 Tbs lemon juice

Mix well the ingredients.

Dough ingredients:

• 550 g flour
• 160 g butter
• 25 g fresh yeast (8 g dry)
• 2 egg yolks
• 80 g sugar
• 240 ml  milk
• 1 tsp. salt

Pour 100 ml boiled milk over 50 g flour and quickly mix very well

then add 50 g butter, mix well.  Cool a little and add the fresh yeast dissolved with sugar

then the egg yolks and 140 g flour

cover and let rise 15 minutes.

Add rest of the butter, flour, milk and salt and knead 10 minutes.

Let rise in a buttered bowl, covered, until dough doubles in size ~ 1,1/2 hours.

In the meantime prepare the filling.

Filling ingredients:

• 1 x 680 g jar canned sour cherry (pitted sour cherry in syrup)
• 2 Tbs lemon juice, optional
• 2-3 Tbs sugar
• 45 g cornstarch

Drain sour cherry, pour the syrup in a pan (will be ~350ml), add sugar and lemon and bring to boil. Add cornstarch dissolved with 1-2 Tbs of water and mix well with a whisk. When thickens remove from heat, add the sour cherries and let aside.

You can use, as well, 2-3 cups cherry pie filling.

Once the dough has risen, pat it in a 40×52 cm rectangle, spread the cold filling leaving 2 cm all around

then sprinkle chocolate cakes’ crumbles. (I used 400 g brownie; previously I made them with castagnaccio)

Roll the dough in a log

pinch the dough closed, and cut the buns with a sharp knife about 4-5 cm wide.

Place the buns in pan, cover

and allow to rise for 1 hour.

Bake for 25 minutes at 180°C.

Cool on wire rack.

You can drizzle icing on top if you prefer.

And enjoy:

Chocolate shortbread covered sweet buns/Brioche satine

Ingredients for 12 buns:

Dough :

• 100 g milk tang zhong
• 300 g flour
• 12 g fresh yeast (or 4 g instant dry yeast)
• 50 g egg (about 1 egg)
• 40 g sugar
• 4 g  salt
• 80 ml milk
• 30 g butter, at room temperature

Tang zhong milk :

• 20 g flour
• 100 g milk

Combine flour with cold milk, mix well and place over low heat , keep stirring  until it begins to thicken (about 1 minute). Remove immediately from heat, do not allow to became too thick. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool.

Chocolate shortbread :

• 170 g flour
• 20 g cocoa powder
• 5 g baking powder
  145 g sugar
• 75 g butter
• 70 g egg, lightly beaten
• 1 Tbs water
• a pinch of salt

• chocolate chips, to roll the buns

Mix all the dough ingredients, except butter. Let the mixer knead the dough for 10 min and then add the butter. Knead again, then let the dough rise until double in size, 1  hour 1/2.

In the meantime prepare the short-dough.

Cream butter with sugar, add egg and water. At the end add sifted flour, baking powder and cocoa.

Wrap the dough and refrigerate.

When the dough has doubled in size push your fist quickly, but gently into the center of the dough. Then pull edges of the dough to the center. Take dough out of bowl, and place on lightly floured board. Pat dough gently.

If you have time, let the dough rest 10 to 15 minutes after punching down and before shaping. Cover with an inverted bowl and let sit on counter. This relaxes the gluten and makes the dough easier to roll out and shape.

Divide the dough into 50 g pieces. Shape rolls.

Cut the shortbread into 12 pieces.

Sprinkle flour on the table and roll up each shortbread piece in a circle (about 0,3 cm thick).

Place one ball (up side down) in the middle

And wrap up in shortbread; pinch ends together and smooth out or tuck sealed ends under ball.

Roll in chocolate chips and lightly press to coat. Arrange them on a greased pan, or lined with parchment paper. They will quite rise, so let some space.

Cover and let them rise 45 minutes.

Bake at 180°C, 20 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.

 

Sweet chocolate braided bread

I dedicate this recipe to my friend Dana.

This is a Prepared Pantry recipe, with some adjustments.

Ingredients:

• 500g flour
• 21g fresh yeast
• 200g milk
• 60 g brown sugar
• 35 g cocoa
• 60 g butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg a room temp.

Mix all the ingredients

to make a soft but not tacky dough. Do not let yeast come in direct contact with the salt.

Knead until the gluten is developed. I let my KA 10 minutes on second speed.

Set the dough in a greased bowl, cover and let it stand until doubled, around one hour.

In the meantime prepare the filling.

Filling ingredients:

• 140 g cream cheese
• 40 g semi-sweet chocolate, melted
• 30 g sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• flavor, if you prefer

Mix all the above until smooth.

Once the dough has risen, divide in 3, shape balls

roll each in a rectangle, spread 1/3 filling on each, leaving 3 cm border with no filling.

Roll each rectangle in a rope, pinch the ends and tuck them together. You can roll again, gently; If you roll the dough too thin, the filling will poke through the dough.

Braid the tree ropes, tuck the ends under.

Allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. I put it on baking paper (or you can grease the pan and sprinkle it with cornmeal)

Bake the bread 40 minutes at 175°C, until done.

Cool on a wire rack.

While is cooling, prepare the glaze.

Glaze ingredients:

• 165 g icing sugar
• 15 g cocoa
• 30 g cream cheese

Beat all the ingredients and add warm water (about 2Tbs, or so) to make a glaze of drizzling consistency.

Drizzle the glaze over the bread.

Happy birthday Dana!

Remember to take time to do something special just for yourself.

This is not a birthday cake (I ‘m sure that you will prepare something special), but I know that is something that you like.

Winnie agree that tastes delicious….Oh bother!!

Stollen a la Ciril Hitz

Stollen is a sweet bread, brioche like, containing dried fruit and often marzipan and covered with sugar, powdered sugar.

Stollen is a traditional German cake, usually eaten during the Christmas season.

Biga:

• 330 g bread flour
• 200 g milk
• 1 g fresh yeast (half of peanut size)

Combine all the above to obtain a smooth dough. Cover the bowl and allow to ferment overnight at room temperature.

Dough:

• 500 g bread flour
• 3 eggs
• 65 g milk
• 115 g granulated sugar
• 60 g fresh yeast or 20 g instant yeast
• 10 g salt
• 225 g butter
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 Tbs vanilla
• 3 g ground cinnamon
• 200 g golden raisins
• 200 g dried cranberries
• 150 g dries apricots, cubed
• 400 g dark raisins
• 150 g slivered almonds, toasted
• 40 g dark rum
• 700g simple syrup (350g sugar+350g water)
• biga

• 250 g marzipan

For simple syrup stir the granulated sugar into hot water in a saucepan until the sugar is dissolve.

Macerate the dried fruits in rum and top off with cold syrup. Should reaches the top of the fruit. Let sit at room temp. minimum overnight.

For a longer period (up to 2 months), store in the fridge.

The night before baking, remove from fridge and let come to room temperature. Drain the liquid that has not been absorbed.

Combine the preferment, yeast, eggs, flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt, until the dough comes together on 1st speed ~4 minutes.

Slowly incorporate the butter on 2nd speed and mix well ~15 min. Shape a ball and cover.

Allow a bulk fermentation of 1 hour.

Gently incorporate the nuts and the fruits, work round and allow another half hour rest time.

Divide in 4 or into desired shape, work round and allow an additional resting time of 20 minutes.

Work the dough into torpedo-like shape, divide in half with a wooden dowel. Roll indentation out into desired shape, fill with almond paste rope and allow 1 hour final proof.

The stollen should double in size.

Bake 175°C in a convection oven until golden brown (~45 minutes, depending of their size).

While still hot, brush with clarified butter. Dust after buttering with granulated sugar, then let cool overnight before dusting with icing sugar.