Chinois brioche with lemon cream

Perfect for a party snack or a family breakfast, this Brioche Chinois with lemon cream , the recipe for which I bring you today, is on the list of family favourites. In addition to being very good and tender , it has the advantage of being one of those sweets that can be repeated ad nauseum, since, by just changing the cream filling, it will never be the same.

With an appearance similar to cinnamon rolls , Chinois is a variant of the classic brioche that has an uncertain origin. Although it is not known if it could be German (due to its resemblance to RosenKuchen , rose cake) or if its name is due to its resemblance to a traditional brioche from Chinese pastries, I would not rule out attributing a divine origin to it, due to how delicious this brioche dough with cream always is.

Shaped into a roll, cut into slices, baked in blocks and enjoyed in bites. This is the best way to prepare and enjoy the Brioche Chinois with lemon cream that I bring you today . As you will see in the video below, the recipe is simple, although it takes time , since the dough has to rise and rest. But when it is in the oven and the kitchen starts to smell heavenly , the wait will have been worth it. And as soon as you try it, oh là là! You will be won over!

Without further ado, here is the recipe. I hope you like this Brioche Chinois filled with lemon cream as much as I do.

Ingredients

For the brioche

• 360 g of common flour
• 35 g of sugar
• 5 g of salt
• 3 eggs
• 15 g fresh yeast
• 130 g butter

For the lemon cream

• 80 g lemon juice
• The zest of a lemon
• 80 g of sugar
• 100 g butter
• 3 eggs
• 15 g corn starch (cornstarch)

Preparation

Step by step to make the brioche:

1. In the bowl of the KitchenAid mixer, place the flour, sugar, salt, eggs and crumbled yeast.
2. Using the hook, knead on low speed until the dough looks smooth, about 2 minutes.
3. Increase the speed slightly, add the diced butter and knead for about 15 minutes (you can let it rest), until you see that the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.
4. Remove the hook, cover the bowl with a cloth and let the dough rest at room temperature, away from drafts, until it triples in volume, about an hour and a half. If the temperature is low, you can leave the bowl in the oven.
5. Once the time has passed or the dough has tripled in volume, deflate it with your fist to remove any air bubbles, cover the bowl again with a cloth and place it in the refrigerator for half an hour.

Lemon Cream Recipe:

1. In a saucepan, over low heat, melt the butter with the lemon juice and zest.
2. Separately, in a bowl, mix with a whisk (without beating) the eggs with the sugar and cornstarch.
3. When the butter has melted, pour the mixture from the saucepan over the mixture in the bowl (eggs and sugar), while stirring until all the ingredients are combined.
4. Pour the mixture from the bowl into the saucepan and cook over medium heat until it thickens, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming.
5. Pour the cream into a tray, cover it tightly with cling film and place in the refrigerator until completely cool.

Assembly of the brioche chinois:

1. Remove the brioche dough from the refrigerator, place it on a lightly floured work surface and, using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rectangle.
2. Spread most of the cream over the brioche dough, leaving a 1cm margin on the longest side of the rectangle. Reserve a tablespoon of cream to brush over the brioche.
3. Roll the dough into a log, starting from the greased edge. Before sealing, lightly brush the ungreased edge with water or milk to seal the roll. Place the roll in the freezer for about 20 minutes to make it easier to cut.
4. When 20 minutes have passed, take the roll out of the freezer and cut slices of about 4 cm and place them in the perforated round mould lined with De Buyer baking paper as shown in the recipe video.
5. Cover the mold with a cloth and let the dough rest for an hour or until it doubles in volume.
6. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
7. Beat an egg with the tablespoon of cream that you had reserved and gently brush the brioche with it (so that it doesn't fall).
8. Bake at 160°C for about 30 to 35 minutes.

Grades

• You can make this brioche with any flavoured cream. It will be delicious with the foolproof vanilla pastry cream, or with a coffee cream, chocolate cream, flavoured with any dried fruit paste, or with a delicious frangipane . You can find the recipe for the latter here
• Although it's not a difficult recipe, brioche chinois takes time, so it's important to plan ahead. You can always make the cream the day before, or use less yeast and let the brioche dough rest in the fridge overnight.