Brioche with ice cream

17/11/2023

Brioche with ice cream is a classic of Sicilian gastronomy, a true delight for summer. In Sicily, it’s known as “brioche with tuppo and ice cream”. Here’s how to prepare it:

Ingredients

500g of type 00 flour
200g of cream ice cream or flavor of choice
100g of sugar
100g of soft butter
2 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
12g of fresh brewer’s yeast
120ml of lukewarm milk
A pinch of salt
The grated zest of 1 lemon
Powdered sugar for dusting
Beaten egg for brushing (optional)

Preparation

Begin by dissolving the yeast in the lukewarm milk with a teaspoon of sugar taken from the total amount.
In a large bowl, mix the flour with the remaining sugar, grated lemon zest, and a pinch of salt.
Add to the center the dissolved yeast in milk, the eggs, and start kneading.
As you knead, add the soft butter in pieces, making sure it is well incorporated into the rest of the dough.
Work the mixture until it becomes smooth and elastic, then cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise for about 2 hours in a warm place, until it doubles in volume.
Once the rising time is up, take the dough and shape it into balls the size of a small apple. If you want, you can shape a small “tuppo” (tuft) in the center, which is characteristic of the Sicilian brioche.
Let the shaped brioches rise for another 30 minutes, then brush the surface with beaten egg to give it color and shine while baking.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Let the brioches cool down after baking.
Once cool, cut in half and fill them with a generous scoop of ice cream.
Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Curiosity

This combination of bread and ice cream might seem unusual, but thanks to the contrast between hot and cold and between the sweetness of the ice cream and the leavened brioche, it becomes a unique experience for the palate. In Sicily, especially on hot summer days, it is not uncommon to find people enjoying it as a meal replacement, sometimes accompanied by a granita.