Ingrédients
- 10 g (2 tsp) fresh baker's yeast
- 20 g (4 tsp) lukewarm water
- 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 4 g (¾ tsp) fine sea salt
- 270 g (2 cups + 2 tbsp) all-purpose flour (French T45 or similar)
- 3 whole eggs
- 110 g (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- Pearl sugar, for finishing
- 50 g (⅓ cup) candied fruit, plus 1 fève (charm)
- 25 g (3 tbsp) golden raisins
- Zest of half a lemon, finely grated
- Zest of half an orange, finely grated
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water
- 1 egg yolk
- Apricot jam, for glazing
Préparation
- Place the sugar, salt and citrus zest in a bowl and press with a pestle to crush the zest and release the citrus oils into the sugar.
- Crumble the yeast and dissolve it in the lukewarm water.
- Mix the eggs, dissolved yeast and orange blossom water together.
- Pour the liquid mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the flour and knead gently until a smooth dough forms.
- Add the citrus sugar in 3 batches, kneading until fully absorbed each time.
- Take the butter in small pieces and add them to the bowl, squeezing each piece between your fingers first.
- Knead for about 30 minutes on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and becomes smooth and glossy.
- Add the candied fruits and raisins, and knead for a few more minutes to distribute them evenly through the dough.
- Place the dough in a warm spot, cover with a cloth and let it rise for 4 hours until doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough, shape it into a ball and refrigerate overnight with a cover.
- The next day, remove the dough from the fridge and let it come back to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Flour your work surface, place the dough and divide it into 2 pieces. Shape into 2 balls, insert a feve into each, make a hole in the centre and gently stretch while rotating to form a crown shape with a wide opening in the middle.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F).
- Place the crown on parchment paper and let it rise for 1 to 1.5 hours.
- Mix 1 egg yolk with a little salt and water, and gently brush the brioche with a silicone pastry brush.
- Lower the oven to 175°C (350°F) and bake until golden brown (20 to 25 minutes).
- Meanwhile, heat some candied fruit syrup or seedless apricot jam in a saucepan.
- Brush the warm brioche all over with the syrup.
- Decorate with pearl sugar and candied fruits.
