During this period of quarantine, how many of us haven't tried more elaborate-than-usual recipes? There's no shortage of time; Mondays have become Sundays or even Fridays – days that were once associated with a collective joy for the “weekend.” In other words, every day becomes a day like any other. That’s why we asked Roberto Miranti for his delicious brioche recipe – so we could make it at home for an extra-special breakfast. Just like the breakfast we used to have at the coffeeshop or pasticceria just a few weeks ago.
Homemade Brioche: Roberto Miranti's Recipe
Ingredients:
1 lb flour (strong flour), 3 ½ oz creamed butter, 3 ½ oz sugar, 1 oz honey, 3 eggs + 1 yolk, 2 oz lukewarm water, ¾ oz brewer's yeast, 1 tsp salt, 6 oz softened butter (for rolling, to be worked separately)
Method:
Add all the ingredients to a bowl attached to a standing mixer – except for the water and brewer's yeast. (You can also use a electric hand mixer for this part, but you’ll probably need dough hooks.) Mix the ingredients for about one minute until combined. Add the yeast (that you’ve previously dissolved in lukewarm water to activate). Mix for about 25-30 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Remove the dough and pierce it a few times before covering it with food grade plastic wrap. Let the covered dough cool in the refrigerator for at least 30-40 minutes at 40°F. In the meantime, cream the butter separately in the standing mixer. Work it like a dough, creating a rectangular block using a rolling pin. Transfer the molded butter to the refrigerator so it can solidify a little bit. (You’ll want to remove the butter from the fridge just 10 minutes before rolling.) Once the dough is ready, close the butter inside the dough to make a sort of dough-butter “envelope.” Flatten the dough with the rolling pin to laminate it, folding it three times in the usual 3-4-3 or 4-3-3 sequence. After each fold, place the dough in the refrigerator for 30-40 minutes and make sure to cover it with food-grade plastic wrap each time.
Finally, roll the dough out to a thickness of 3.5 mm and cut into triangles. Let the triangles rise. (The dough must triple in volume at this stage.)
Tip:
You can roll and freeze the dough for later use. Just take the dough out of the freezer and let it rise in the evening to bake the next morning. Bake at 350°F for about 15-18 minutes in a well-ventilated oven.
Roberto Miranti
Roberto Miranti approached the world of pastry making when he was very young in his hometown city of Turin. Already at the age of thirteen, he was working in laboratories where he learned the secrets to the true art of both pastry making and experimentation with ingredients and technique. His is a true and authentic passion; pastry is Miranti’s life. With his innovative recipes, he participates in international competitions, having received important awards in Basel, Rimini and even at the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie in Lyon with his renowned Torta Incantesimo – a chocolate mousse with an exotic gelée made from mango, mandarin and passionfruit. In Turin, Roberto Miranti has opened two restaurants: Pasticceria Orsucci (Via Borgaro 65) and Pasticceria Cupido (via Salbertrand 41).