Sourdough Brioche à Tête

Whenever I would visit my grandmother growing up, there would always be a few brioche à tête buns waiting for me on the kitchen table. They would be the perfect buttery vessel for my strawberry jam. Lately, I’ve been reminiscing on those times, so I decided to make those beloved buns with a sourdough twist!

Check out the recipe below and try making these lovely little treats for yourself!

INGREDIENTS STEPS

INGREDIENTS

140g warm milk

3g salt

85g sourdough starter

35g sugar

2 eggs (at room temperature)

300g all purpose flour

135g butter (unsalted at room temperature)

2 drops of vanilla

STEPS

1. Weigh out the starter in a large bowl. Incorporate the two eggs, vanilla, 22g of butter, and sugar in with the starter. Mix them until you get an even pale-yellow mixture. Pour the milk into the bowl and whisk vigorously.

2. Add the flour and salt slowly into the wet mixture. (If you're using a stand mixer, mix at a low speed). Scrape down any dry spots to incorporate everything well. Add the rest of the butter in increments until the dough is shiny and smooth. Once the mixture does not have any lumps of butter, let it sit for 30 minutes with a damp towel covering the bowl.

3. Knead the dough on a lightly floured work surface to form a ball. Transfer the ball of dough back into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in the fridge to sit overnight (8 hours).

4. Generously butter each of your brioche molds and place them on a baking pan. Start rolling 80g balls of the dough on a floured work surface. The flour will prevent the dough from sticking to everything and it will smooth out the surface of the balls to help with the shaping. Firmly roll each ball then punch a hole in the middle of half of them to form a doughnut. Place the doughnut looking dough rounds aside.

5. Using the edge of your hand (the area between your pinky and wrist) press gently on the remaining dough balls into a shape resembling that of a bowling pin. This will form the “tête” or “head” on the rolls. Lift the bowling pin by the head and place it body first into a doughnut ring and onto a buttered brioche mold. The dough should be nestled comfortably in the fluted tin. Repeat with the remaining dough balls, brush them with butter, cover with a towel, and let them rise for 30 minutes.

6. Arrange the pieces on a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 360°. Bake the buns until a golden brown (this will take anywhere from 20–30 minutes). Allow the tins to cool enough to touch before removing the buns.

7. Enjoy!