French cuisine · Breakfast & Eggs

Braided Brioche with Pink Pralines

Braided Lyonnaise brioche with pink sugared almonds that melt while baking and marble the dough pink.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

• 500 g flour
• 1 cube fresh yeast (42 g)
• 60 g sugar
• 100 ml lukewarm milk
• 4 eggs
• 200 g soft butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 200 g pink pralines (sugared almonds, roughly chopped)
• 1 egg for brushing

Instructions

1. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk, mix in the flour, sugar, salt and the four eggs, and knead for 10 min. into a firm, smooth dough.
2. Gradually knead in the soft butter in small pieces and work for another 10 min. until the dough turns silky and glossy and can be pulled into long strands.
3. Let the dough rise covered at room temperature for 1 hr. until it has doubled, then knock back and chill for at least 2 hr., preferably overnight – it can only be braided once cold.
4. Roughly chop the pink pralines, briefly knead two thirds of them into the cold dough and roll it into three equally long strands of about 40 cm.
5. Braid the strands into a plait, tuck the ends underneath, place on a baking sheet and let rise covered for another 50 min. until the plait has visibly puffed up.
6. Brush with the beaten egg, sprinkle with the remaining pralines and bake at 170°C (325°F) top/bottom heat for 30–35 min.; cover with foil after 20 min. if the surface browns too much, and serve lukewarm in slices.