Mean Chefs Twice Baked Brioche Recipes

MEAN CHEF'S FOCACCIA DI PATATE ALLA GENOVESE

Steps:

• Peel and dice potatoes.
• Boil in salted water until tender, drain and put through a ricer (no lumps).
• Cool to room temperature.
• Warm milk to 110 degrees, sprinkle yeast over top, whisk in and let sit for 10 minutes.
• whisk 6 tbl oil into yeast mixture.
• Add potatoes, flour, 2 tsp salt and sage.
• Mix with paddle until dough is formed.
• Change to dough hook and knead on low for 3 minutes, until dough is soft and slightly sticky.
• Finish kneading by hand on floured work surface.
• First rise: 1 hour.
• Preheat oven with baking stone to 400.
• Oil a 1/2 sheet pan, place dough in pan and press out to edges.
• Dimple top, sprinkle with coarse salt, cover with cloth and let rise 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle with olive oil.
• Place pan directly on stone and bake until top and underside are golden, about 25 minutes.
• The dough can be formed in rounds and baked directly on stone.
• Can omit sage and substitute other herbs.
• Can top with caramelized onion or other toppings.

MAMA'S TEAR & SHARE BRIOCHE

Steps:

• Mix the warm milk & yeast in a bowl. Leave to stand for a few minutes.
• Sift the 1oz of flour into the milk & yeast mix, add the 1 tsp of sugar & mix well. Leave to stand in a warm place for 10 mins or until frothy (will look a little like mousse!).
• While the starter is standing, sift the flour & salt into a mixing bowl. Add the vanilla sugar then rub in the butter. ( rub in method - rub the butter into the flour to create 'bread crumbs' - like you do with short crust pastry)).
• When the starter is frothy, whisk in the 2 eggs. When the eggs are fully incorporated, pour the mixture into mixing bowl & stir the ingredients until they come together to form a ball.
• Remove the ball of dough & knead on a lightly floured surface for a minute or until no longer sticky.
• Place the dough on a lightly floured dish or tray, cover & let rest in a warm place for around 90 minutes or until roughly doubled in size.
• When doubled in size, knead the dough again for another minute - just to knock the air out a bit.
• Dust a work surface with flour then divide the dough into 12 equal pieces ( cut dough into quarters then cut each quarter into thirds).
• Lightly grease a baking tin then place the balls inside - 3 in the middle of the tin & 9 around the edges - make sure there are spaces in between.
• Place in a preheated oven at 230 c for around 18 minutes. Start checking the brioche at 15 minutes, remove from oven when pale gold all over.
• Remove from tin & allow to cool.Put the icing sugar in a bowl and slowly add a tiny bit of hot water at a time, until you have a thick icing that you drizzle over the brioche. Slowly drizzle the icing over the brioch until it is almost covered.
• Tear off a piece when you want & enjoy!

MEAN CHEF'S SWEET TART DOUGH

Steps:

• Process dry ingredients in cuisinart.
• Cube butter and add.
• Pulse until cornmeal consistency.
• Add cream and egg yolk.
• Process until dough just comes together.
• You may need to add a touch more cream.

BEST BRIOCHE FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Whisk milk, eggs, vanilla extract, sugar, nutmeg, and salt together in a bowl.
• Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, dip each slice of brioche bread in the egg mixture and cook in the hot butter until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side, adding more butter as needed. Transfer French toast to a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until puffed, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Cook and stir 1/4 cup butter in a skillet over medium-low heat until browned and toasty, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer browned butter to a cold dish. Drizzle browned butter over baked French toast and top each slice with 1 tablespoon maple syrup.

MEAN CHEF'S TRIPLE LEMON LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F; position rack in middle of oven.
• Crease and flour two 8x2-inch round cake pans.
• Sift flour, baking powder and salt together.
• Pulse 1/4 cup of the sugar with the zest in a food processor until well combined.
• Beat the butter and lemon sugar in a mixer until light and fluffy-1 to 2 minutes.
• Add remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and beat until smooth.
• Beat in 1/4 of the milk until just blended.
• On low speed, add flour mixture alternating with remaining milk in 3 batches, scraping as needed.
• Beat until just blended.
• In a clean bowl, whip egg whites on medium speed until foamy, add cream of tartar, increase speed to high, beat until whites just hold stiff peaks.
• Add 1/4 of the whites to batter and fold in with a whisk or spatula.
• Fold in remaining white 1/4 at a time.
• Divide batter evenly between cake pans and smooth tops.
• Bake until tester in center comes out clean- about 35-40 minutes.
• Let cool for 10 minutes, remove from pans and cool completely on rack.
• Cut each cake in half horizontally using a long serrated knife.
• Place one layer on a serving plate, cut side up.
• Spread with 1/3 cup of chilled lemon curd.
• Lay another cake layer on top, spread with lemon curd and repeat with 3rd layer.
• Top with fourth cake layer.
• Up to a few hours before serving, spread a thin layer of frosting on cake, filling gaps as you go.
• Chill to firm crumb coat for about 30 minutes.
• Spread remaining frosting decoratively over sides and top of cake.
• Scatter top with lemon zest as garnish.
• TO MAKE FROSTING: In an electric mixer, beat butter and lemon zest until light and fluffy.
• Add confectioners sugar in batches and beat until light and fluffy.
• Add lemon juice and beat for 1 minute.
• Can be made a couple of hours ahead and kept covered at cool room temperature.

MEAN CHEF'S TWICE-BAKED BRIOCHE

Steps:

• Bake a brioche loaf according to directions (can use old previously frozen brioche or croissants).
• Trim crust from all sides and top of brioche (not bottom).
• Cut loaf into thick slices (much like the shape of a thick biscotti) so that they will stand up on a sheetpan.
• For syrup: Put all ingredients into a sauce pan, boil over meduim heat for 1 minute to dissolve the sugar, cool completely and discard vanilla pod.
• Can be kept for a week refrigerated.
• For the Cream: Working at low speed in mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, almonds, and almond paste together until creamy.
• Add eggs one at a time and mix until fully blended.
• Add flour and mix for another minute.
• Fold in almond extract.
• Can be kept refrigerated for 3 days.
• Preheat oven to 325.
• Set a cooling rack over a sheetpan to be used for draining the syrup soaked pieces.
• Line another sheetpan with parchment for baking.
• One by one submerge the brioche slices into the soaking syrup, making sure that they are well moistened.
• Place each slice onto rack to drain.
• As soon as the last slice has been soaked, begin working on the first slice that you submerged.
• Spread a thin layer of the almond cream over the top and sides of each slice.
• Place the coated slices standing on the uncoated bottom on the parchment lined sheetpan.
• Press sliced almonds into cream on the top of each slice.
• Bake for about 20 minutes, untilthe cream is golden brown.
• Cool.
• Dust with powdered sugar before serving.