Wiggle My Nose and Tickle My Taste Buds, Bonjour Brioche Cinnamon Rolls

Brioche Cinnamon Rolls have a special place in my heart; it was the first laminated dough Sydney and I created for a recipe. From as far back as I can recall cinnamon rolls and Sydney have met for breakfast daily. When she was very young I used a white bread dough base, but that all changed when Sydney experienced a brioche cinnamon roll, while in Chicago visiting family. From the aroma of the first bite of that light airy and flaky brioche cinnamon roll that entered Sydney’s nose and palate she was in “taste bud heaven.” There was no going back to any other dough. I decided if she was going to insist the cinnamon rolls to be created with a brioche dough; she would also help design them.

After four adequate brioche doughs, turned into cinnamon rolls, eureka we finally had the perfect recipe. Since room temperature for bread and yeast is between 28 to 29 degrees C/ 82 to 85 degrees F, the first order of businesses  was finding the warmest place in the house to proof the dough, oddly enough my bedroom closet was the warmest closed room in the entire house. Due to sanitary reasons we opted for another solution. After pondering this dilemma for a good 60 minutes, we realized if the oven was preheated to 65 degrees C/ 150 degrees F, with a glass baking pan filled with 2-inches of water, and then turned off for about 15 minutes prior to placing the dough inside, it would be an almost perfect temperature. (I now own a proofer, but this technique works just as well, however the dough must be placed in a buttered oven-proof glass).

Pâte à Brioche (Brioche Dough):

Yeast sponge:

82 grams/ 1/3-cup warm milk (100- 110 degrees)

7 grams / 2¼-yeast or7 grams/ 2-¼ teaspoons active dry yeast

1 egg (room temperature)

264 grams, 2 1/4 -cup all-purpose flour (scoop flour and then level off with a knife)

(If using cake/fresh yeast)

Put the (remaining 43 grams milk if using cake yeast) or milk, yeast, egg, and 132 grams/ 1 1/8 cup  of flour in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Mix the ingredients together with a rubber spatula, mixing just until everything is blended. Sprinkle over the remaining 132 grams/1 1/8- cup of flour to cover the sponge.

Rest:

Set the sponge aside to rest covered tightly with plastic wrap for a good 30 to 40 minutes.

After this resting time, the flour coating should crack, the signal the yeast is alive and has swelled.

The Dough:

70 grams/ 1/3- scant cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

5 eggs lightly beaten

192 grams, 1 5/8 cups unbleached all purpose flour

186 grams, 1½ sticks of unsalted  butter

In a standing mixer with the dough hook attachment add the sugar, salt, eggs, and 132 grams/ 1 1/8 cup of flour to the sponge. On low speed (if using a kitchenaid #2) for a minute or two, just until the ingredients are moistened. Still mixing, sprinkle 60 grams// ½ cup more of flour. Once the flour is incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium (#4) and beat for about 15 minutes, stopping to scrape down the hook and bowl as needed. During this mixing period, the dough should come together wrapping itself around the hook;  a tail of dough should form as it hits the side of the mixer bowl. The dough should have a shiny smooth look, feel soft and be extremely elastic in texture.

Allow a full 15  minutes to amalgamate and form the brioche’s signature texture.

Incorporating the Butter:

It is important the butter and dough have the same temperature and texture. I cube the cool and pliable butter using a dough scraper to smear it on a marble cutting board or a cool work surface. When the butter is ready, it will be smooth, soft, and still cool to the touch.

With the mixer on low, add 1-Tablespoon of butter  at a time, allowing the butter to incorporate in the dough before adding more.  When all of the butter has been added raise the mixer speed to medium-high(#6 if using a kitchenaid) to allow all the butter to amalgamate, reduce the speed to medium (#4) for about 6 1/2  minutes, or until the dough has wrapped itself around the hook with a tail hitting the bowl. If the dough does not begin to come together in a ball add a little more flour about 15 grams/ 1-Tablespoon at a time. The end result should be be soft and still sticky and may cling to the sides and bottom of the bowl. Remove the dough and knead by hand, on a lightly floured surface (such as marble) for a minute or 2.

First Rise:

Transfer the dough to a large buttered dough bucket or bowl, cover tightly with the lid or plastic wrap, and let the dough rise in a proffer or a warm room until doubled in size, between 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Second Rise and Chilling:

Deflate the dough by  gently lifting the dough and turning it back on it’s self. Either use your hands or buttered rubber spatula. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap  and refrigerate the dough overnight, or a least 6 hours, the dough will rise again and may double in size once again.

After the second and finally rise the Brioche dough is ready for any recipe calling for brioche. This happens to be my favorite type of laminated dough; it can used for savory or sweet (such as stuffing, a tart, bread, of course cinnamon rolls, and so much more)!

To Prepare and Shape for Cinnamon Rolls:

57 grams/1/4-cup butter, soften but still chilled

Divide the dough in half and keep 1 half refrigerated while working the first half.

On a lightly floured work surface roll the dough into a rectangle that’s 12 inches wide and 13 inches long and ¼ inch thick. Work very quickly, because the dough is so active it may begin to rise again.Brush off the excess flour. Smear 1/3 of the dough’s surface evenly with half of the soften butter and fold the dough into thirds, resembling the fold of a business letter. Place the folded dough in plastic film and chill in the refrigerator for 3o minutes.

While chilling the first half work on the second half in same manor.

The Filling:

per one roll

1 egg lightly beaten

60 grams/½ -cup dark brown sugar

50 grams/4 Tablespoons sugar

1-teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4-teaspoon ground cloves

Mix in a small bowl brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves together and set a side. Use you fingers to break-up the brown sugar to make a fine mixture.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a lightly floured surface. Roll into 11 inches wide and 13 inches long and ¼ inch thick, just as you did at the start.  Using a pastry brush, paint the surface of the dough with the beaten egg; leave the top quarter of the dough bare. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the dough, spread out evenly with the tips of your fingers or lightly with a rolling pin, so everything is evenly distributed. Lightly roll-up into log.

Wrap in plastic wrap well, and place in the freezer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

The Glaze:

295 grams/1 1/4   cup powder sugar

65 grams/¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese

30 grams/2 Tablespoons buttermilk

In a medium bowl whisk powder sugar, mascarpone cheese and buttermilk till smooth and creamy.

While logs are chilling prepare 10 x 10 pan with some of the melted butter and sprinkle cinnamon roll filling on the bottom of each pan.

Shaping and cooking the cinnamon rolls:

Remove the logs from the freezer and, if the ends are ragged cut them off. Using a sharp serrated knife gently saw the logs into 7 to 9: 1 ½ -inch-wide slices. Lay each slice down and gently press with the palm of your hand to flatten just slightly, then with cupped hands turn the slice around on a work surface to re-shape, and place in the pan, cut side down.

Allow the cinnamon rolls to rest uncovered, in a proofer or in warm place for about 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the slices rise and touch each other.

Using dental floss to cut the dough (if it is soft) works best!

Baking the Buns:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C./ 350 degrees F.

Put pan of rolls on the middle rack.

Bake the cinnamon rolls for about 12 to 15 minutes or until just golden brown. As soon as you remove the pans paint with a pastry brush the melted butter and then quickly drizzle the entire glaze evenly on the cinnamon rolls.

Eat and enjoy!

Sometimes I have enough Pâte à Brioche to design a few Brioches à Tête!

This is Sydney morning breakfast!