2.14.2015

a berry brioche will make your day brighter!

{ berry swirl brioche }


i love challenges.
i feel the uttermost need to experiment, discover and push my limits every time.

i can't stay still, because even when I do it my mind is still racing.
in my head, at any time, ideas swell and eventually overflow like popping corn, unpredictable, plenty and loud.

i also use to put recipes together during meetings. or on my way home, in the metro. or while i'm shopping for groceries. or in the shower. it's just something that i can't avoid.

all of this to say that i have been dreaming about this day for a long, long time.
i had the recipe thought of, i had seen plenty others for inspiration, i was even convinced i could successfully do it, but i never found the time. it does take some eight hours - and some more overnight rest - but i finally convinced myself that it would be absolutely worth it.

i was partially guided by some brioche recipes i've found online, but i made it pretty much from scratch. having no stand-mixer, i kneaded it all by hand - and oh yeah, if that wasn't some heavy work out! - i used frozen berries - which are usually too watery for this kind of recipe, but i'm not rich! - and i didn't really follow any guidelines on pretty much anything - only my gut, which once more has proven to be sharp.

i was astonished at how perfect this whole thing actually turned out.
modesty aside... it was absolutely gorgeous.

whenever i bake bread, i always think that it is the best bread i've ever made/eaten/seen. but this time i think i've raised the tide quite high.

i think i am in love with my breakfast,
may i tempt you too?




so if you have nothing to do this saturday night... or if you find yourself awake before noon tomorrow... give this brioche dough a try.

because it will be the best bread you've ever baked.

promise.




brioche com recheio de frutos vermelhos
ou o beau dos pequenos-almoços e brunches

500g de farinha
150g de manteiga, à temperatura ambiente, em cubos
10g de fermento seco
125ml de leite morno
4 colheres de sopa de açúcar
4 ovos
2 colheres de chá de sal

recheio:
500g de frutos vermelhos congelados
1/2 de chávena de farinha + farinha maizena
1/4 a 1/3 de chávena de açúcar
sumo de meio limão

Numa taça grande, misturar o fermento e o açúcar e juntar o leite. Deixar repousar cerca de 5-10 minutos, deixando formar uma espuma espessa no topo.
Entretanto, bater os ovos numa taça à parte.
Juntar os ovos à mistura de fermento e bater vigorosamente com um fouet ou uma batedeira o suficiente para a mistura ficar homogénea. (não bati muito e resultou bem)
Juntar à farinha e o sal aos poucos, incorporando gradualmente com o fouet. Após juntar metade da farinha, continuar o processo amassando com uma mão.
Juntar a manteiga aos poucos, repetindo o processo, desfazendo os pedaços de manteiga e amassando bem com a mão durante cerca de 10 minutos. A massa deve ficar bem homogénea e macia, fácil de despegar das paredes da taça.
Transferir para uma superfície ligeiramente enfarinhada e amassar bem durante outros 10 minutos. Formar uma bola de massa.
Reservar numa taça untada com óleo, coberta com película vegetal e/ou um pano de cozinha limpo, em lugar morno. Deixar levedar durante cerca de 2-3 horas.
No final do primeiro repouso transferir para o frigorífico e deixar estar durante uma noite - pode-se possivelmente saltar este passo mas recomendo-o.
No dia seguinte, retirar a massa do frigorífico e deixar voltar à temperatura ambiente, cerca de 20-30 minutos.
Untar uma forma de bolo inglês grande, com bastante manteiga.
Entretanto, misturar bem os frutos vermelhos congelados com os restantes ingredientes do recheio.
Dividir a massa em duas partes. Estender uma das partes sobre uma superfície ligeiramente enfarinhada, num rectângulo ligeiramente menos comprido que o comprimento da forma.
Espalhar o recheio sobre a massa, deixando cerca de 2-3 centímetros de todos os lados para enrolar e fechar. Enrolar a massa, fechar as pontas e colocar na forma.
Estender a restante massa e cortar em 10 partes iguais. Formar uma pequena bola com cada parte e espalhar todas as bolas sobre o rolo recheado a gosto. As bolas ficarão com bastante espaço entre si, cerca de 3-4 cm não serão um problema.
Tapar com um pano limpo e deixar levedar em ambiente morno mais 2 horas (o forno aquecido a 50ºC e depois desligado é um óptimo local).
Aquecer o forno a 180ºC. Levar o pão ao forno cerca de 40 minutos. Não fiz nenhum teste, foi a olho, mas o topo deve estar dourado e soar oco.
Remover do forno, deixar arrefecer um pouco e desenformar.
Cortar e servir ainda morno.

~

berry swirl brioche
the breakfast and brunch beau

500g flour
150g butter, room temperature, diced
10g dried yeast
125ml warm milk
4 tbsp sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp salt

filling:
500g frozen berries
1/2 cup floour + cornstarch
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar
juice of half lemon

In a big bowl, mix the yeast and sugar and add the milk. Let rest for about 5-10 minutes, so that a thick foam forms on the top.
Meanwhile, in a second bowl, beat the eggs.
Mix the eggs into the yeast mixture, whisking energetically until creamy and homogeneous.
Gradually incorporate flour with the help of the whisk. After reaching half the amount of flour, keep on kneading the dough with one hand.
Blend in butter, kneading for about 10 minutes. The dough should be homogeneous and pliable, easy to unstick from the sides of the bowl.
Place on a flour dusted surface and knead for another 10 minutes. Roll it into a ball.
Transfer to a greased bowl and cover with cling wrap and/or a clean cloth and let leaven for about 2-3 hours.
After this first raising period, place in the fridge overnight - it may be possible to skip this but I reccomend it.
The following day, remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to return to room temperature, about 20-30 minutes.
Generously grease an english cake pan with butter.
Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients for the filling in a bowl.
Divide the dough in two parts. Roll one of them over a flour dusted surface, to the shape of a rectangle, slightly smaller in lenght than the pan.
Spread over the filling, leaving some 2-3 cm all around, roll it and close the tops. Place in the greased pan.
Roll the second part of dough and cut it into 10 even parts. Shape small balls and spread them over the first roll. It is okay for them to be quite far apart, about 3-4 cm.
Cover with a clean cloth and let leaven for another 2 hours (an oven heated to 50º and then turned off is the perfect place to do it).
Heat oven at 180ºC. Bake for about 40 minutes. The top should be golden and sound hollow.
Remove from oven, let cool for a while and unmould.
Slice and serve warm.


~

hope you've had a nice Valentine's day
xoxo
inês

5 comments:

  1. Que maravilha, Inês! Quem me dera,para o pequeno-almoço de amanhã...
    Beijinhos

    ReplyDelete
  2. Que delícia! Adoro estes pães doces e o teu ficou mesmo apetitoso.
    http://petiscana.blogspot.pt

    ReplyDelete
  3. Fiquei com água na boca só dever,coisa tão boa
    Bj

    ReplyDelete
  4. Agora pela manhã o que eu dava para comer um pedaço deste teu brioche acompanhado com um chá.....

    Está lindo!

    Adoro Adoro, tenho de tentar experimentar fazer mas tentar cortar na manteiga ver como ficará:)
    Grande beijinho

    ReplyDelete