Heart of Brioche

The “Heart of Brioche” are sweet delights perfect for breakfast and snacks, or as an elegant dessert. Here’s how to proceed:

Ingredients

• 500 g of manitoba flour
• 150 ml of warm whole milk
• 100 g of sugar
• 100 g of soft butter
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 egg yolk for brushing
• 15 g of fresh brewer’s yeast
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 vanilla bean or vanilla extract
• Icing sugar for decoration (optional)

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the brewer’s yeast in the warm milk.
2. Add a tablespoon of sugar and about 50 g of flour, mix until you get a homogeneous mixture, and let it rest for 15 minutes, until it starts to form bubbles on the surface.
3. Incorporate the eggs, soft butter, the rest of the sugar, the seeds extracted from the vanilla bean and slowly all the flour, mixing well.
4. When the dough starts to take shape, transfer it onto a pastry board and continue to knead it, adding the pinch of salt, until you obtain a smooth and elastic dough.
5. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with a kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place, protected from drafts, for about 2-3 hours or until it doubles in volume.
6. After the rising time, invert the leavened dough onto the pastry board and divide it into portions of about 80 g each.
7. Form smooth balls and let them rest for another 15 minutes.
8. Afterwards, with your hands, create a cavity in the center of each ball to give them a heart shape. Place the brioche hearts on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, cover them with a kitchen towel and let them rise again for 1 hour.
9. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
10. Brush the brioche hearts gently with the lightly beaten yolk.
11. Bake and cook for about 20 minutes or until they are well-golden.
12. Once baked, let cool and, if you wish, dust with icing sugar before serving.

Did you know?

The “Heart of Brioche” can be filled to taste before the second rise, with spreads, jams, or chocolate, for an even more indulgent heart. Furthermore, the heart shape makes these brioches perfect for special occasions like Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day. Their soft dough and slightly crunchy crust make them irresistible to both adults and children.