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The French sugar brioche is a divine brioche with a flaky crumb, scented with orange blossom and decorated with grains of sugar. A classic of Provençal cuisine, this brioche, also known as galette des rois briochée, is ultra moist! And if you could smell the wonderful aroma that emanates from the oven during baking...
And for the record, legend has it that this French sugar brioche, also called "brioche des Rois" is only eaten in January... but why deprive yourself of it the rest of the year? She's so good! And French tradition dictates that whoever finds the charm inside gets to buy the next brioche des Rois, and so on throughout January.
And if you're looking for recipes for Epiphany, you'll love my recipe for traditional French King Cake or this more original recipe for French King cake with apples.
Table des matières
💙 Why you'll love it
- It has a super-smooth crumb and is mega-soft, and that's a must for a brioche!
- It makes a change from more traditional Epiphany recipes
- Even though I know brioche can seem intimidating, this one is foolproof with all my tips.
- Ideal for a comforting snack or a gourmet breakfast.
- You don't need a mold to make it.
🧈 Ingredients
These are the main ingredients, and the quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
- Flour : all-purpose flour. It's perfect for an ultra-soft Brioche des Rois.
- Instant dry yeast
- Milk : use whole milk, lukewarm (not hot).
- Orange blossom flavoring to lightly perfume the brioche.
- Eggs - ideally pasture-raised organic. You can refer to the Eco Tips I've written on eggs to help you choose the right ones.
- Sugar : in two forms: classic white powdered sugar and sugar grains (also known as chouquette sugar).
- Fine salt.
- Butter : unsalted, to be used soft (not melted). This is what makes the brioche soft, so don't neglect its quality. I recommend a butter with a minimum fat content of 82%, President is a good brand.
- In the Provencal tradition, orange (or lemon) zest and candied fruit are added. They're optional in this recipe because I don't really like them, but feel free to add them if you like them!
🥰 Chef's tips
- As European, I'm used to working in grams and milliliters. For savory dishes, the American measuring system can work just perfectly most of the time. But for anything sweet, I really recommend using a digital scale, which is much more precise. That way, you'll be sure to succeed with your recipes.
- Be sure to use the recommended ingredients: all-purpose flour, warm whole milk, softened soft butter and a room-temperature egg.
- Knead the dough for the recommended 10 minutes in your food processor: this is what will give the brioche that stringy crumb. It will also be easier to work with when kneading by hand.
- How to know if the dough has been kneaded enough (after kneading by hand): press lightly with your finger. If the dough more or less returns to its original shape (not completely), it's done!
- Don't neglect the growing times: the brioche will grow twice for 1h30. This is what gives the bread its soft, melt-in-the-mouth crumb.
- Tip for successful sprouts: I usually put my dough in a bowl and stick some cling film over it. I turn on my oven at 86°F/30°C and once it's hot, I turn it off and open the door for about ten minutes. Then I put the bowl down and leave it to grow (I do this for both sprouts).
- Use a ramekin or ovenproof utensil.
- Don't forget to add the charm, after the 1st shoot.
- Generously flour the work surface to prevent the dough from sticking and make it easier to work.
- To bake: use the natural convection mode (especially not convection heat), place your brioche in the middle of the oven and don't overcook it.
- Don't hesitate to cover the brioche with aluminum foil while it's baking: if you see that it's getting too dark and there's still some baking time left, cover it with aluminum foil.
💡 Frequently Asked Questions
Just add a little flour!
Yes, but I'd advise you to make two separate brioches, rather than one huge one that will bake for a super long time.
Yes, but the baking time will be shorter. And don't forget to put a charm in each one.
I've never tried it, but as the dough is quite sticky, I'd recommend using a food processor. I use the Prospero food processor from Kenwood, which is the best value for money I've found (and it's multi-functional). If you don't have one, try making the dough with well-floured hands, but I can't guarantee the result.
❄️ Storage / freezing
To store this French sugar brioche, wait until it has cooled completely and place it in an airtight container, wrapped in cling film. After 2 days, it will start to dry out, but you'll have eaten it long before that!
The best way to restore its softness is to put it in the microwave for a few seconds (5 to 10, depending on your microwave) just before eating, when you feel it starting to dry out.
I prefer to freeze straight away what I'm not going to eat, to keep all the softness when I defrost. The principle remains the same: wait for the brioche to cool, cut it into portions and place them in a freezer bag, on which you'll write the date. Then place in the freezer.
To defrost the brioche, I put it in the oven for a few minutes and then put it in the microwave for a few seconds to restore its softness.
😋 Other delicious brioches
If you make this authentic French sugar brioche, it would be so nice to leave me a comment and rate the recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. You can also tag me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook or Tik Tok, or even send me a photo, I love seeing my little dishes in your homes!
📖 Recette
Authentic French sugar Brioche
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (380g)
- 1 ½ teaspoons instant dry yeast (5g)
- ¾ cup whole milk warm (180g)
- 2 tablespoons orange flower water
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (75g)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened (50g)
- 1 pinch salt
- ¼ cup pearl sugar (50g)
- 1 orange optional
- 1 cup candied fruits diced, optional (125g)
For the egg wash:
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons of whole milk
Instructions
- Mix the yeast and 2 ¾ cups flour in the bowl of your food processor. Add the warmed milk, orange blossom flavoring, beaten egg, sugar and a pinch of salt. If you like orange zest (optional), add it too.
- Continue blending, then gradually add the soft butter pieces. Run the food processor for 5 minutes at low speed, then 5 minutes at slightly higher speed.
- It's sticky, but that's normal. Place the dough on a generously floured work surface, gradually add the remaining flour (a little more if necessary, until the dough forms a much less sticky ball) and knead with your hands.
- Tip to determine whether the dough has been kneaded enough: press lightly with your finger. If the dough more or less returns to its original shape (but not completely), it's ready! Cover and leave to rise at 82-86°F/28-30°C (see notes) for 1h30.
- Flour your work surface and place the dough on top. Form the dough into a ball, fold it over several times and add the fava bean. If you like candied fruit (optional), now's the time to add it.
- Flour your fingers and make a fairly large hole (it will get smaller during the 2nd sprout and then during baking) in the ball, to form a crown.
- Place an oven-safe ramekin in the center of the crown, so that the dough doesn't touch it. Beat one egg yolk and 2 tablespoons milk in a bowl. Gently brush the mixture over your wreath. Set the mixture aside in the fridge and leave to rise again, covered, at 82-86°F/28-30°C for 1h30.
- At the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 340°F/170°C on natural convection/static heat top and bottom, and very gently brush the wreath with the mixture. Then add the sugar grains.
- Bake for approximately 28 minutes in the middle of the oven. Keep a close eye on the brioche as it bakes: if it darkens too much and there's still time to bake, cover it with aluminum foil.
- Let cool before removing the ramekin to avoid burning yourself, and enjoy when barely warm.
Notes
- As European, I'm used to working in grams and milliliters. For savory dishes, the American measuring system can work just perfectly most of the time. But for anything sweet, I really recommend using a digital scale, which is much more precise. That way, you'll be sure to succeed with your recipes.
- Tip for successful rises: I usually put my dough in a bowl and stick some cling film over it. I turn my oven on to 86°F/30°C and once it's hot, I turn it off and open the door for about ten minutes. Then I set the bowl down and leave it to rise (I do this for both rises).
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