For easter we have a beautiful tradition in Austria to eat a brioche in a braid shape, called "Strietzel". Even though it has a slight sweet taste, it is eaten with ham, horseradish and a hard boiled egg. I adore the sweet combination with butter and homemade apricot marmelade too - try it out, it is to die for! Here you will find the method I used to braid the brioche which was 4-braided, but you can make a simple 3-braid brioche too.
For the brioche you will need:
500g plain flour
130g caster sugar
1 package of dry yeast
1 tsp baking powder
1 lemon, zest
250ml milk
40g butter
For the glazing you will need:
1 egg yolk
4 tbsp milk
First combine the flour, dry yeast, baking powder and sugar together, add the lemon zest. Slightly warm up the milk and let the butter melt in it (the milk should not be boiling nor be too hot). When the butter is fully melted, add the liquids to the dry ingredients and start kneading the dough, either with a machine or with your hands. Knead until the dough is not sticking to the bowl anymore (maybe you have to add a little bit more flour or milk to get the right consistency). Cover it with a cloth and leave it at a warm spot to rise for 1 hour.
Take the dough, cut it into 4 pieces and roll them into round buns. Leave them to rise for another 20 minutes before using them. After 20 minutes, take each dough bun and roll it out into even ropes. Then start with the braiding. When finished, place the braid on a tray witch parchment paper and let it rise outside for another 20 minutes before baking. Whisk the egg yolk together with the milk and brush the braid before putting it into the oven at 170°C for 25 minutes. The brioche will be ready when it is evenly golden brown. Take it out of the oven and let it cool down for 30 minutes before using.
The baked brioche is aswell a great base for french toast, if it is already a few days old.
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