400 grams all-purpose flour

100 grams granulated sugar

130 ml lukewarm milk

1 egg

70 grams butter

7 grams dried yeast

1 pinch of salt

350 grams apricot jam (or Nutella!)

icing sugar

Tang Zhong

125 gr water

25 grams strong flour

The Tang Zhong grants softer and fluffier bread for a few days. At 68°C, the gluten in the bread flour and water mixture would cook a little and absorb the moisture, become lighter and leavened. When you add the Tang Zhong into the other ingredients it will help leavening and produce a bread you will not believe.

To make the Thang Zhong: in a small saucepan whisk the water into the flour and mix well until smooth.

Put on fire medium-low heat and keep on stirring, after a couple of minutes the mixture will thicken. (the right temperature should be 68°C). Never bring to a boil, as soon as it reaches the consistency you see in the picture, retain from fire, put in a container, cover with cling film (as it dries), and let cool down at room temperature.

In a container (or in your food processor), put all dry ingredients.

In another container add the tang zhong, the milk and the egg and mix well. Add this to the dry mixture.

Start kneading. When the dough is starting to get together, add the melted butter (lukewarm).

Knead for at least 10/15 minutes.

Start now with the first proofing, in a warm place, for 45/50 minutes into a container (i twill double it size).

Coat with butter and flour a tin.

Break the first proofing and roll the dough to half cm thick. Cut rounds of 12 cm diameter each.

Fill the center of each circle with a tablespoon of jam. And close each circle as shown in picture.

Put the small balls into a greased tin. And start 2nd proofing for 45 mins.

Brush with milk the top.

Bake for 30 minutes at 180° C.

Still hot, cover with a rag. Serve warm and sprinkled with icing sugar.

Sicilian Brioche

500 gr di farina ‘0’ / 500 gr strong flour

80 gr zucchero / 80 gr granulated sugar

70 gr strutto (a temperatura ambiente) / 70 gr lard (room temperature)

7 gr lievito di birra secco / 7 gr dry yeast

2 uova / 2 eggs

200 ml latte / 200 ml milk

un pizzico di sale / a pinch of salt

1 bustina di vanillina / 1 tsp vanillla extract

Spennellare con 1 rosso d’uovo e 1 cucchiaio di latte sbattuti assieme.

Before baking, brush with 1 egg yolk and 1 tbs of milk mixed together.

Riscaldare il forno a 160°.

Heat up the oven to 160° C.

In una ciotola unire la farina, lo zucchero, il lievito secco, il sale e la vanillina. Unire le uova, lo strutto ammollato a temperatura ambiente e il latte leggermente intiepidito.

In a container mix all dry ingredients.Add the eggs, the lard, the milk warmed up for 30 seconds in a microwave oven.

Impastare prima con una forchetta e in seguito con le mani. Continuare con le mani per almeno 15 minuti, arrotolando la pasta tra le mani e sbattendola sul ripiano di tanto in tanto (più si lavora con le mani più le brioche saranno soffici).

Mix at first with a fork, then start knead with your hands for at least 15 minutes (the more you knead it the softer the brioches will be).

Mettere la pasta a lievitare per circa 3 ore.

Let rise for 3 hours.

Riprendere la pasta, impastarla di nuovo e fare un filone lungo, tagliarlo in 10 parti uguali, formando delle palle. Prendere ogni palla, staccare un pezzo di pasta grosso come una ciliegia, appallottolare la restante, fare un buco col dito e adagiarvi  la pallina prelevata precedentemente. Posare sulla placca foderata di carta forno. Coprire con un canovaccio umido.

Knead the dough again. Take out 10 pieces, take out from each piece a small piece of a size of a cherry. Now make a ball out of each of the 10 pieces. Put the small cherry on top of it. Put on a greased drippin pan. Cover with a wet cloth.

Lasciare lievitare per altre 2 ore circa.

Let rise for 2 hours circa in a warm place.

Prima di infornare spennellare con il rosso d’uovo e 1 cucchiaio di latte leggermente battuti.

Brush with 1 egg yolk and 1 tbs of milk mixed together

Infornare per circa 15 minuti, attenzione a non farle colorire troppo.

Bake for 15 minutes maximum (careful they do not get too brown).

Servire ancora tiepide, possibilmente farcite di gelato.

Serve warm, they are great if filled with ice-cream.