Brioche Col Tuppo (Sicilian Brioche)

1. 1

   Combine the milk, water, and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk in the yeast, and let it sit for 20 minutes.

2. 2

   Add the orange zest, vanilla, white sugar, eggs, melted butter, salt, and 4 1/2 cups flour. Using the dough hook, knead on low speed until the mixture comes together, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

3. 3

   Increase the speed by one setting, and continue kneading until a soft, smooth, very elastic dough forms, 8 to 10 minutes. If the dough seems very wet and does not pull away from the sides of the bowl after about 5 minutes, add a little more flour as needed, but be careful not to add too much or the brioche will be dry.

4. 4

   Transfer the dough to a work surface and shape it into a ball. Place it into a lightly buttered bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

5. 5

   Move the dough back to the work surface, press out the air, and shape it into a uniform log. Cut into 8 equal portions. For best results, use a digital scale to weigh the dough and divide by 8 for perfectly sized portions.

6. 6

   After dividing, take each portion and cut off 15 to 20% of the dough to make the smaller "tuppo" bun on top. For uniform pieces, weigh each portion in grams and multiply by 0.17 to determine how much to cut off; for example, portions of 140 grams yield about 24 grams for the "tuppo."

7. 7

   Line a baking sheet with a silpat. Roll each of the 8 larger portions into a smooth ball and place them seam side down on the prepared baking sheet. Roll the smaller portions into smooth balls and set them on the baking sheet as well.

8. 8

   Very lightly flour your index fingers and make a deep well in the center of each larger bun where the tuppo will sit. Before placing it, pinch one end of the tuppo into a pointed shape to help it fit. Assemble one bun at a time for best results, and lightly press to settle the tuppo into the bottom bun so it attaches, with half of the tuppo above the surface and half tucked inside.

9. 9

   After all the buns are formed, place the baking sheet into a turned-off oven to proof until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

10. 10

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Brush the buns gently but thoroughly with egg wash.

11. 11

    Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes before transferring the buns to a cooling rack to cool completely.

• Calories 423.71 kcal High
• Protein 12.21 g Good Source
• Carbs 63.6 g Moderate
• Total Fat 12.26 g Moderate
• Saturated Fat 7.42 g High
• Trans Fat 0.01 g High
• Cholesterol 88.29 mg High
• Sodium 49.26 mg Low Source
• Fiber 3.51 g Moderate
• Sugar 3.74 g Moderate
• Added Sugar 0.62 g Low Source
• Calcium 38.78 mg Low Source
• Iron 4.28 mg Good Source
• Potassium 149.83 mg Low Source
• Vitamin A 141.76 mcg_rae Moderate
• Vitamin C 1.7 mg Low Source
• Vitamin D 0.62 mcg Low Source

Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

• Citrus 🍊
• Eggs 🥚
• Milk 🥛
• Wheat 🌾
• Gluten
• Garlic 🧄