Mascarpone Brioche

The mascarpone brioche recipe is, without a doubt, the most popular recipe we've had these months in our closed Facebook group (if you're not in it and you like cooking, I strongly encourage you to join and enjoy!). That's why I asked Beatriz, author of To Be Gourmet, if she could bring the recipe to the blog, and she does so in style, debuting Emile Henry's beautiful new bread mold, the crown mold. Success is guaranteed!

I love traditional brioche, but changing its shape with this such an ideal Emile Henry mold, and refining its flavor and texture with an ingredient like mascarpone cheese, is a different way to keep enjoying this wonderful French sweet.

Here we replace the butter, so those who for any reason want to avoid it have in this recipe the perfect solution they will adore forever.

KitchenAid Artisan stainless steel bowl, Le Creuset Damascus steel knife and Emile Henry ceramic crown mold.

Ingredients

• 520gr strong flour
• 80gr sugar
• 25gr fresh yeast
• 250gr mascarpone cheese
• 120gr warm milk
• 1 egg for the dough
• 1 egg for brushing
• A pinch of salt
• A little butter for greasing

Preparation

1. By hand in a bowl, or with the KitchenAid and the whisk attachment, beat the cheese with the sugar, the egg and the milk at speed 3.
2. If working with the KitchenAid change to the paddle attachment and mix in the crumbled yeast, the salt and the flour in several additions. If not, do it by hand with the help of a wooden spoon or spatula.
3. Little by little we incorporate all the flour until we can transfer the dough to the table and work it manually. With the KitchenAid switch the paddle for the dough hook and let it run about ten minutes at speed 3. When the dough is ready it looks perfect.
4. Let the dough rest inside the same KitchenAid bowl covered with a cloth, or in another bowl, and in a warm place protected from drafts until it doubles in volume.
5. Once it reaches that point take out the dough, knead it lightly to degas it, and divide it into eight portions of approximately the same size.
6. Grease the mold with butter and place the balls in each of the cavities. Let them double in volume again, covered with a cloth.
7. Brush the dough with beaten egg.
8. Place the mold lid to close it and put it in the oven preheated to 250º on the rack, in the middle position.
9. Bake 25 minutes, turn off the oven and open it, pull the rack out slightly and carefully so it peeks out a bit… leaving it like that for a few minutes so the mold loses some temperature before removing it.
10. Open the lid and wait for it to cool slightly before unmolding.

Emile Henry ceramic crown mold, Pallarès carbon steel knife and Nezumi ceramic plate by Tokyo Design Studio

Tips and advice

• The size of the balls after the second rise is the size they will have once the brioche is baked. If we let them rise too long they will grow more and can be slightly crushed when closing the mold; it's better that they remain a bit smaller so the mold can close without touching the dough.
• Ideally prepare this bun in the morning, that way with the rising times it will be ready for tea time.
• We can substitute mascarpone cheese with a cream cheese.
• If dusted with powdered sugar or pearl sugar it is delicious. We can also moisten some regular sugar a bit and sprinkle it on top in little heaps.

Emile Henry ceramic crown mold, Pallarès carbon steel knife and Nezumi ceramic plate by Tokyo Design Studio

Accompanied by a hot chocolate, tea or coffee, it is an ideal snack when we want to pamper our guests and also a good option to celebrate a birthday with a dessert different from the typical cake, since the crown shape is perfect for placing candles.