Brioche col tuppo
In Sicily, summer breakfast is granita and brioche: the bun is torn and dipped into icy coffee or almond granita. Brioche col tuppo is a soft, buttery bun made with milk and honey, with a little knob on top — the “tuppo”, Sicilian for a bun of hair. The dough is gently sweet with a hint of orange zest, and the crumb fluffy, tearing into strands. The buns are also great with coffee or jam, or split and filled with ice cream — that is how Sicilians eat brioche con gelato.
Your own work in that: 40 min.
- Kneading 20 min
- Rising 120 min
- Shaping 20 min
- Proving 60 min
- Baking 18 min
- Cooling 15 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneMake the dough
Mix the flour with the sugar and yeast. Add the milk, eggs, honey and orange zest and knead with a dough hook 5 minutes. Add the salt, then the butter a piece at a time, kneading until each is absorbed.
Ingredients: 500 g strong white bread flour · 70 g sugar · 7 g dried yeast · 180 ml lukewarm milk · 2 pcs eggs · 1 tbsp honey · ½ pcs orange, grated zest · 8 g salt · 100 g butter, softened
Knead until smooth
Knead another 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth, glossy and pulls away from the bowl. Stretched, it should form a thin, translucent membrane.
Ingredients: 500 g strong white bread flour · 70 g sugar · 7 g dried yeast · 180 ml lukewarm milk · 2 pcs eggs · 1 tbsp honey · ½ pcs orange, grated zest · 8 g salt · 100 g butter, softened
A translucent windowpane — the gluten is ready.Leave to rise
Put the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and leave somewhere warm 2 hours, until doubled.
Ingredients: 500 g strong white bread flour · 70 g sugar · 7 g dried yeast · 180 ml lukewarm milk · 2 pcs eggs · 1 tbsp honey · ½ pcs orange, grated zest · 8 g salt · 100 g butter, softened
Divide the dough
Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces of about 100 g (best weighed). From each, pinch off about 15 g for the topknot.
Ingredients: 500 g strong white bread flour · 70 g sugar · 7 g dried yeast · 180 ml lukewarm milk · 2 pcs eggs · 1 tbsp honey · ½ pcs orange, grated zest · 8 g salt · 100 g butter, softened
Shape topknot buns
Shape the larger pieces into tight balls and set them about 4 cm apart on a large lined baking tray (if they do not fit, use two trays and bake them one after the other). Roll the small pieces into teardrops. Press a hole in the centre of each large ball with a finger and push a teardrop in, narrow end down.
Ingredients: 500 g strong white bread flour · 70 g sugar · 7 g dried yeast · 180 ml lukewarm milk · 2 pcs eggs · 1 tbsp honey · ½ pcs orange, grated zest · 8 g salt · 100 g butter, softened
Topknot pressed in firmly — it will not fall off in the oven.Prove
Cover the buns with film and leave an hour, until clearly risen. Towards the end heat the oven to 180°C.
Ingredients: 500 g strong white bread flour · 70 g sugar · 7 g dried yeast · 180 ml lukewarm milk · 2 pcs eggs · 1 tbsp honey · ½ pcs orange, grated zest · 8 g salt · 100 g butter, softened
Glaze and bake
Beat the egg with the milk and gently brush the buns. Bake 15–18 minutes, until deep golden and glossy.
Ingredients: 1 pcs egg · 1 tbsp milk
Deep golden and shining.Cool and serve
Cool on a rack at least 15 minutes. Serve with coffee or almond granita, with coffee, or split and filled with ice cream.
Ingredients: 500 g strong white bread flour · 70 g sugar · 7 g dried yeast · 180 ml lukewarm milk · 2 pcs eggs · 1 tbsp honey · ½ pcs orange, grated zest · 8 g salt · 100 g butter, softened
Before you start
With lard
In Sicily brioche is traditionally often made with lard (strutto) instead of butter, or with a mix of both. You can replace half the butter (50 g) with lard — the flavour will be less buttery, closer to the Sicilian one.
Overnight in the fridge
After kneading you can put the dough in the fridge overnight instead of the first rise. In the morning shape the buns and prove them 1½ hours — fresh brioche for breakfast.
Storage
Brioche is best on the day it is baked. The next day warm it 3 minutes in an oven heated to 160°C. It freezes well.
