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Pan brioche with Versilia ovenette

17/11/2023

Pan brioche is a sweet leavened bread that can also be baked in the Versilia ovenette, a kitchen tool used to achieve baking similar to that of a conventional oven but on a home stove. Here is a basic recipe that you can customize as you like.

Ingredients

  • 500 g of 00 flour
  • 100 g of sugar
  • 250 ml of warm milk
  • 1 packet of dry yeast (7g) or 25g of fresh yeast
  • 100 g of soft butter
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon or orange (optional)
  • 1 egg yolk and a bit of milk for brushing (optional)
  • Icing sugar for decorating (optional)

Preparation

  1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk with a teaspoon of sugar and let it rest for a few minutes until small bubbles form on the surface.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the remaining sugar and, if desired, the grated zest of lemon or orange.
  3. Add the milk and yeast mixture to the flour and start kneading. Incorporate the eggs, one at a time, and the soft butter in pieces. Add the salt.
  4. Work the dough on a pastry board until it becomes smooth and homogeneous, then form a ball and let it rise in a bowl covered with a damp cloth for about 2 hours, or until it doubles in volume.
  5. Once risen, take the dough and shape it into small loaves or balls, as desired, and arrange them inside the previously buttered and floured Versilia ovenette.
  6. Let the dough rise again inside the closed ovenette for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the stove.
  7. Place the ovenette on the stove over medium-low heat and cook for about 45-50 minutes, or until the pan brioche is golden brown and well cooked inside (you can check this by inserting a toothpick in the center, which should come out clean).
  8. If desired, before baking you could brush the surface of the pan brioche with an egg yolk beaten with a bit of milk for extra browning.
  9. Remove the pan brioche from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack. Once cool, you can dust it with icing sugar for decoration.

Curiosity

Pan brioche, originally from France, has now become a tradition in many countries, including Italy, where it is often used as a base for rich breakfasts or snacks, but can also accompany cheeses and cold cuts. With the Versilia ovenette, the cooking is more direct and less energy-consuming compared to a traditional oven, but the result will be equally soft and delicious.