Ingredients
Dough
- 125 ml (½ cup) warm milk
- 11.25ml (2 tsp+1/4 tsp) dry yeast
- 650g flour
- 80g ME, MAPLE & I's maple sugar (or white sugar)
- 10 ml (2 tsp) salt
- 5 eggs
- 300g cold butter, cubed
Filling
- 100g butter, at room temperature
- 250g ME, MAPLE & I's maple sugar or brown sugar
- 10g ground cinnamon
Frosting
- 400ml (1 ⅔ cup) ME, MAPLE & I's maple spread
Method
Dough
- Pour the warm milk into a bowl and sprinkle with the dry yeast. Mix well with a whisk, then leave to rest for 5 minutes.
- Pour the warm milk, flour, maple sugar, salt and eggs into the bowl of a mixer fitted with a hook. Knead for 6 minutes.
- Add the butter in three or four additions, leaving to knead well between each addition. The butter should be completely incorporated and the dough shiny and elastic. This kneading process takes about 12 minutes.
- Pour the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Shape the dough into a ball (use both hands to turn the dough into a ball) and place in an oiled bowl. Cover with a clean cloth and leave to rise at room temperature for 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface, then fold the dough over itself into a cylindrical shape.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper, then generously flour the parchment paper. Place the dough on the floured parchment paper.
- Leave to rest for 20 minutes to allow the pastry to relax. This will allow it to spread out without too much resistance.
- Roll out the dough using a rolling pin. Once the dough has been rolled out to the size of the baking tray, set aside in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
Filling
- Take the pastry out of the fridge, then roll it over the brioche with the rolling pin to obtain a rectangle exactly the same size as the baking sheet.
- In a bowl, beat the butter well with a wooden spoon to soften it and then add the remaining butter.
- Brush the dough with butter (you need to get butter all over). Sprinkle with maple sugar and press well with your hands to make the sugar stick to the butter. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon.
- Roll up the dough, starting from the longest side, to form a roll. Cut into rounds about 4 cm wide. Line a baking tin of your choice with parchment paper, then arrange the buns in it, spacing them slightly apart. I like to use a drip pan, as I find the height of the edges perfect for keeping the shape of the buns.
- Place in a pleasantly warm place and leave to rise for 1 hour 30 minutes. The buns should have almost doubled in size.
Baking
- Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F).
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the buns are golden brown on top. (When in doubt, I use the blade of a knife to lift the centre of a brioche to see if the pastry is cooked).
- Remove from the oven and leave to rest for about 10 minutes before glazing the buns generously (big spoonful per brioche) with maple spread.
Storage:
If you're unlucky enough not to be able to eat all the brioches fresh, you can freeze them, then pop them in the microwave to make them soft.
Recipe credit: Gabrielle Hillier-Rivard @lacabanesurleroc