Easy King Cake Brioche

Before starting this Easy King Cake Brioche recipe, organise all the necessary ingredients.

For the brioche dough: Place the flour in the stand mixer recipient.

Add the crumbed yeast on one side of the bowl.

On the opposite side, add the castor sugar...

... and salt. The yeast should not be in contact with the salt.

This is what your bowl should look like.

Place the recipient in the stand mixer.

Use the dough hook.

Add the Fermiline improving agent. This is optional but I highly recommend using it to get brioche and puff pastry with best results.

Add the beaten whole eggs...

... and the orange blossom water...

... and start mixing at low speed, using the dough hook.

When all the flour is incorporated, increase to maximum speed...

... and kneading until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. This should take about 7 or 8 minutes. This step helps to develop the glutinous network of the dough.

When the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl...

... add the soft butter, cut into cubes.

The butter is soft (you should bury a finger easily) but not melted.

Beat until the butter is completely melted and incorporated...

... and the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. If needed, stop the beater and scrape the bottom of the bowl with a scraper or rubber spatula, then resume mixing.

At this stage, the dough should be quite thick and the stand mixer might start shaking. Make sure you stay close to the beater and hold it stable if necessary. I left the room and my beater accidentally fell on the floor!

Scrape the sides of the bowl and leave to rise for 1.5 hours in a warm room or in a proofing chamber, between 25 and 30°C...

... and cover with cling film.

The dough should double in volume.

Knock the dough back with your hand to get rid of the air inside the dough. This step is essential to avoid a strong taste of fresh yeast.

Transfer the dough on cling film.

Wrap the dough well.

Refrigerate the dough overnight.

The next day, the dough should have gained in volume.

Remove the dough from the fridge and remove the cling film...

... and divide it into 2 equal portions. The quantities listed above allow you to make two brioche cakes.

Flour the kitchen worktop.

Place the dough on your workbench and flatten with your hands to get rid of the air inside.

This operation is essential to prevent the brioche from having a strong taste of fresh yeast.

Fold the dough in half.

Flatten with your hand. Remove any flour excess with a small brush.

Shape the dough into a rectangle, with dimensions of roughly 40 x 10 cm. The shape doesn't need to be neat.
Fold the top part to cover half of the dough (over 5cm).

Repeat with the bottom part.

Seal together the edges of both parts. Brush off the flour excess.

Fold the dough in half lengthwise. Now is the right time to insert a trinket...

... and pinch the edges with your fingers to seal the dough.

Roll the dough to create a sausage shape with a diameter of 4 or 5 cm and a length of 40/45 cm.

This should look like this.

Create a crown shape with the dough roll.

Using a knife, split both ends of the dough roll.

Slot both ends together. This methods helps to ensure the ends don't come apart during proofing or baking.

Ease the dough with your hands until the diameter is regular and you can no longer see the slot.

Place the dough ring on a non-stick baking sheet. Leave to rise in a warm environment at 25/30°C (proofing chamber or near a heater). Make sure the temperature doesn't exceed 30°C, otherwise the butter might melt.
At this stage, the brioche can be prepared in advance and stored in the freezer (wrapped in cling film). Go to step #59 for the rest of the recipe.

About 1.5 or 2 hours later, the dough should have doubled in volume. Don't leave the dough rise any longer.

Using a pastry brush, apply the glaze over the surface of the dough ring, very gently to make sure the dough doesn't collapse.

Sprinkle slivered almonds over the brioche ring...

... and pearl sugar.

Preheat your oven at 200°C (gas 6), then reduce to 190°C (gas 5) when you start baking the brioche.

Bake for 30 minutes. After 20 minutes or so, the brioche might look like it is cooked. You can reduce the heat to 180°C (gas 4) but make sure you don't take the brioche out of the oven yet. The centre is a little undercooked on purpose.

Set the brioche aside to cool. Melt the mirror glaze in the microwave for a few seconds until liquid. You can replace the mirror glaze with clear glaze (melt in the microwave with a couple of tablespoons of water for a few minutes).
Combine with a whisk until smooth.

Glaze the surface of the brioche with a brush. This glaze is optional, but it helps to preserve the moist and soft texture for longer.

It also adds a glossy finish and makes it easier to stick candied fruits on the surface.

Finish by drizzling icing sugar over the brioche.

The King Cake brioche is ready. Delicious served with a cup of tea!

In the event you freeze the brioche dough: You froze the dough at step #47. This is a great time saving option!

The dough will keep well in a freezer at -17°C. Wrap the dough with cling film to protect it from humidity and odours.

Glaze the frozen brioche ring with egg wash...

... and cover the surface with pearl sugar. If the glaze sets too quickly in contact with the frozen dough, repeat the operation...

... until the dough has a nice golden finish.

Leave to rise in a warm room (before 25 and 30°C) for 2 hours.
Two hours later, the dough should have defrosted and risen.
2 hours are enough for defrosting and proofing. Make sure the room is warm and the temperature is constant.

Sprinkle again with pearl sugar.

Preheat your oven at 200°C (gas 6), then reduce to 190°C (gas 5) when you start baking the brioche.

Bake for 30 minutes. After 20 minutes or so, the brioche might look like it is cooked. You can reduce the heat to 180°C (gas 4) but make sure you don't take the brioche out of the oven yet.

Set aside to cool before serving. I made another brioche without mirror glaze, candied fruit or slivered almonds.

Simply drizzle icing sugar over the brioche cake. This alternative is really simple and still tastes as delicious!