Recipe for Brioche King Cake

Ingredients:

- 280 g flour
- 10 g fresh baker’s yeast
- 80 ml warm milk
- 1 egg 
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water (optional)
- 60 g softened butter
- 2 tbsp French almond oil
- Pearl sugar (decoration)
- 1 charm (optional)

Preparation instructions:

This first step should ideally be completed the day before.

Start by dissolving the baker’s yeast in the warm milk (begin with a small amount of milk, then add the rest).

Pour the flour into a bowl with the dry ingredients (sugar and salt), mix, then add the egg, milk and yeast mixture, and orange blossom if you plan to use it in your recipe. This is the hardest step as you will need to knead the dough until it is springy and supple (around 15 minutes for a skilled hand).

Once you have completed this step, you can add the softened butter and the French almond oil, then knead again until it is completely incorporated into the dough.

Mold the dough into a ball and leave to prove in the bowl for an hour at room temperature.

You can then cover the bowl with cling film (not touching the dough, so that it can continue to rise) and chill overnight. Make sure it is in the least cold part of your refrigerator (the vegetable drawer is generally the warmest spot after the fridge door). There is a danger that the cold will kill your yeast, which will prevent your brioche from rising!

The next day, take your dough and you will see the little air bubbles that have formed beneath the dough ball. Knead again for a few minutes, then add the charm. Leave to rest for 5 minutes.

Cut out a piece of parchment paper. You have two options for shaping your crown.

The traditional option: use your finger to make a hole in the middle of your dough, then stretch it, creating a rounded shape of your chosen size.

The simpler (but very attractive) option: cut your dough into 8 equal sized pieces and one larger piece. Shape these so that they are round, then position them as shown in the photo (the largest in the middle and the smaller ones around it).

Place on a baking sheet then leave to prove once again for 1-2 hours, away from moisture and drafts.

Baste with a little milk so that it turns golden in the oven, and sprinkle with sugar for decoration before baking for 20 minutes at 150°C (convection oven).

Leave to cool on a rack before serving!