French cuisine · Breakfast & Eggs

Gâche Vendéenne

Soft butter-and-cream brioche loaf from the Vendée with a long rise, sliced for breakfast.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

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

Instructions

1. Warm the cream until lukewarm, dissolve the dry yeast with 1 tsp of the sugar in it and let stand for 10 min. until fine bubbles appear.
2. Mix the flour, remaining sugar and salt, add the yeast cream, both eggs, the orange blossom water and the milk, and knead for 8 min. into a smooth dough.
3. Gradually knead in the soft butter in pieces and beat for another 8 min. until the dough is glossy and pulls cleanly from the bowl; cover and let rise for 1 hr. until doubled.
4. Deflate the dough on a floured surface, shape into a loaf about 30 cm long and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment; let rise again for 45 min.
5. Brush the loaf with the beaten egg, score it lengthwise 1 cm deep and bake in the oven preheated to 170°C for 35–40 min. until deep golden brown and it sounds hollow when tapped.
6. Let cool completely on a rack, cut into thick slices and serve with butter and jam for breakfast.