This star brioche can be made with chocolate (Nutella) but also as a savory brioche with vegemite and mozzarella. There are endless combination of options for flavor such as adding nuts, using lemon curd, etc. This recipe comes from a cooking class I attended.
Ingredients
500 g of bakers flour (in the shops in France, I think it is T45 flour), this is important
290 g of eggs (i.e. weight without the shells), you may have to use part of an egg to get to that number (keep the rest for egg wash)
50 g of milk
95 g of white sugar
10 g in salt
12 g of instant yeast
290 g of unsalted butter at room temperature
Method
- Mix all ingredients except sugar and butter on low for 4 minutes. This is important, sugar and butter are added later to enable the flour to hydrate otherwise sugar and butter would coat the granules of flour.
- Then increase to medium speed for 2-3 minutes (the dough will develop) and slowly add in the sugar over the next 5 minutes. The dough will then be intensely developed which correspond to the gluten strands having taken a developed structure. You may know about the window stretch, which is often used for yeasted dough, you can do it here. If you take a walnut size of dough and gently pull it into a square, it should stretch easily, not tear and you should see through. By hand it will take a bit of time and you may want to use a dough cutter/scrapper. In any case, be mindful not to keep adding flour as you will then change the recipe.
- Then add the soft (not melted!) butter a little at the time still while mixing until the dough cleans the side of the bowl.
- Cover with cell wrap but not too tight so the dough can grow in size and leave in the fridge for at least 20 minutes (overnight is fine).
- This is where you get the dough divided in the parts that will be put together to make the desired shape. In the case of the brioche star, I divided it in 4 balls the same weight (weight of total dough, divided by 4).
- Preshape: gently spread in a rectangle by pushing and pulling with your fingers each ball onto the counter, perform 2 envelop turns (fold left third towards the middle then right third to join, turn the dough 90° and repeat). Then bring in the corners to the centre, turn around and using both hands move the ball on the counter until it takes a nice round shape. It will stick to the counter a bit, this is fine. Scoop the ball with both hands pulling towards you and place on a tray. repeat for each ball. Don’t overwork it. Cover with cell wrap. Place the tray in the fridge 20 min minimum or so.
- Get you baking tray out, line with baking paper. With a rolling pin, roll the first ball into a circle a bit smaller than the width of your tray. Place on the tray. Cover with Nutella (you may want to mix it first to make sure it is quite easy to use). Repeat for the next balls. The last ball does not get any Nutella topping. Placea glass at the centre of your brioche, this will be the centre of the star and will not be cut in the coming process. Using a dough cutter or sharp large knive cut in quarter from the edge to the external part of the glass, subdivide each quarter further in 3.
- With 2 hands seize one wage in each hand and fold both towards you twice (left hand turns clockwise, right hand counter clockwise), tuck together the ends. Repeat until you have gone all around.
- Eggwash avoiding the chocolate areas (not to smear it everywhere).
- Allow for a final proofing, at least 20-30 minutes at room temperature (22-25°C), it may take longer is colder.
- Preheat oven at 180-200°C. Bake for 15-30 minutes (depending on your oven) until golden brown.
