French cuisine · Breakfast & Eggs

Brioche Vendéenne

Braided brioche from the Vendée, flavored with orange blossom water and rum and baked with pearl sugar.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

• 500 g flour
• 100 g sugar
• 150 g butter
• 3 eggs
• 150 ml whole milk
• 7 g dry yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp orange blossom water
• 3 tbsp dark rum
• 1 egg for brushing
• 2 tbsp pearl sugar

Instructions

1. Warm the milk until lukewarm, dissolve the dry yeast in it and let stand for 10 min. until the surface is foamy.
2. Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a stand mixer, add the yeast milk, the eggs, orange blossom water and rum, and knead on medium speed for 10 min. into a smooth dough.
3. Gradually work in the soft butter in small pieces and knead for another 10 min. until the dough is silky and pulls away from the bowl as a whole; cover and let rise for 1.5 hr. until doubled.
4. Deflate the dough, roll into three even strands of 35 cm each, braid into a plait and tuck the ends firmly under the loaf.
5. Place the braid on a baking sheet lined with parchment, let rise for 50 min., brush with beaten egg and sprinkle thickly with pearl sugar.
6. Bake in the oven preheated to 170°C for 30–35 min. until deep golden brown, then let cool on a rack and tear into slices instead of cutting.