Brioche isn’t a particularly useful thing to make; a little too rich for breakfast and not really sweet enough for pudding. But in my opinion, absolutely perfect for a nice little brunch or morning tea.
It’s also a real joy to make. Rich, golden and bursting with butter, I love working with this dough and the way it makes my hands feel and smell. I love and the gradual process of rising, shaping and pressing into smooth round discs. And of course, I love the end result.
Apricot Brioche
You can swap the apricots with pretty much any seasonal fruit, figs would be beautiful here as would berries or sliced peaches. If making these for brunch, just make up the dough the night before then divide up into smaller balls when you wake up, let them rest for a couple of hours and pop in the oven just before your friends arrive and/or you fancy eating them. This recipe is adapted from one in my new favourite cookbook Huckleberry. If you like baking, then you’ll absolutely love this one.
4 tbsp full fat milk
2 tbsp active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups 00 baking flour (plain is ok too if that’s what you have)
1/4 cup caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 tsp sea salt
5 eggs, beaten
220g unsalted butter, cubes, very soft
1/2 cup almond flakes
Warm the milk just a little then place in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook. Sprinkle in the yeast and whisk to combine. Set aside for a few minutes or until frothy. Add the flour, sugar, salt and eggs then mix on low for a few minutes or until the dough comes together.
Increase the speed a little and work the dough for five minutes, stopping every now and then to scrape the dough down from the sides of the bowl.
Now, reduce the mixer speed again to low and add the butter a little at at time. Pausing every now and then to scrape any dough down the sides of the bowl. Mix until all the butter is completely integrated into the dough and you have a beautiful smooth mixture. Remove from the mixer bowl and with lightly floured hands, work into a ball.
Transfer to a greased bowl, cover with plastic and place overnight in the fridge.
The next morning, take your dough out of the fridge and gently cut into four or six small balls, depending on how big you want them and how many you want!
Gently work the first piece of dough into a smooth dough, pinching the sides down to the base so the sides are all even. Then, using the heel of your palm, flatten the first into a disc (keep the remaining covered with a damp tea towel while you work), with a gentle indentation in the middle. Place on a greased, lined baking tray and repeat with the remaining dough.
Cover loosely with plastic and set aside at room temperature again for two hours. After an hour and a half, preheat the oven to 180C. Slice the apricots into halves or quarters and arrange in the indent of each brioche.
To make the egg wash, combine two tbsp double cream with 1 egg and whisk well. Brush this over your brioche and then sprinkle liberally with the extra sugar and the almond flakes.
Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the brioche are golden brown. Serve straight away!
Oh Sophie, I can just imagine the flavour and scent of those apricots…. my father had two trees… and I’ve never quite tasted anything like them since! Lovely post. Many thanks : )
So much apricot goodness Sophie x
Those bairns of yours are the luckiest ducks, Soph. x
Your brioches look delicious
ooh these look so delish. I miss apricots (stone fruit in Germany last summer was horrid, too long in cold storage)
I love apricots. I’m going to try making apricot brioche. Thanks for sharing the recipe. The garden looks great too.
Apricot Brioche looks amazing! Thanks for sharing the recipe! 🙂
I have always been afraid of making brioche, but looking at your delicious photos and reading through your straightforward recipe, I am encouraged to have a go!
Would it be possible to make this without a dough hook?
Hi Rachel – yes it would be possible. the only thing is that this is a fairly sticky dough so it’s just a bit messier doing it by hand!