Light-as-air pull-apart brioche buns with pockets of tangy marmalade and melted white chocolate and a crunchy sugary crust.
These brioche buns are absolute heaven straight out the oven! I first created a Christmassy version stuffed with mince pie filling for the December issue of Food & Home Magazine, but decided to make them breakfasty. So I loaded them up with tangy-bitter marmalade and contrasted that with sweet white chocolate – but they would be equally amazing with different combos. Next time I make these I’ll definitely try a raspberry and white chocolate version.
Once you’ve made the buns and popped them into muffin trays, the dough balls can be frozen, stored in the freezer and then bagged for when you feel like a really special breakfast. Simply remove them from the freezer the night before to defrost, allow them to proof overnight and bake them when you wake up! If, like me, you love dessert for breakfast, try out these Sticky Toffee Pudding Pancakes or these Waffles with Honeyscotch Sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp dried yeast
- ½ tbsp lukewarm water
- 1 orange, zested
- 2 tbsp (25g) castor sugar
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp lukewarm milk
- 1 cup (120g) bread flour
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 75g butter, cubed and softened
- 100g Natura Sugars Demerara Sugar, for sprinkling
- Marmalade, for spreading
- 200g good-quality white chocolate, chopped plus extra melted, for drizzling
- milk, for brushing
Instructions
- Combine the yeast and water in a bowl and set aside in a warm area for 5 minutes or until the surface forms bubbles. In a separate bowl, combine the orange zest and sugar by rubbing the two together with your fingers then add the salt and milk. Place the flour, yeast mixture and egg in the bowl of a stand mixer and, using a dough hook, mix on low speed for 1 minute. Increase speed to high, add the milk mixture and mix for 10 minutes or until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Keep the mixer running and gradually add the butter, mix for about 7 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for 2–3 hours or until the dough has doubled in size. Spray a 12 hole muffin pan with cooking spray and preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Roll out the brioche dough until 1cm thick and use a medium cookie cutter to cut out rounds 5cm wide. Toss each round of brioche dough in the demerara sugar, coating each side. Spoon ½ a tsp of marmalade on each round then sprinkle with a few shards of white chocolate. Layer 5 rounds on top of each other and cut the stack in half horizontally. Place each half in its own muffin pan, cut side down*. Cover with a clean, damp cloth and set aside for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Once doubled in size, brush with the milk and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden and cooked through - the bread should sound hollow when tapped. Serve warm drizzled with extra melted chocolate, if desired.
- *TIP The buns can be frozen at this point. To bake them simply remove from the freeze and thaw completely. Then follow the rest of the recipe.
