Catherine Roger's brioche from Terres d'Uzès

FR - Good to know: a food processor is particularly useful for obtaining a flaky crumb, but you can, of course, make the recipe by hand.

Preparation

Mix 12 g fresh baker's yeast (or 5 g dry yeast) and 30 g cold water in the bowl of a food processor using the hook.

Add 300 g type 45 flour, 1 heaped teaspoon salt and 25 g caster sugar, then 3 eggs, one after the other.

Knead for around fifteen minutes at slow speed until the dough pulls away from the edges. Gradually add 210 g butter and knead until the dough pulls away from the sides, which may take a little time.

Leave the dough to rise for two hours at room temperature in the bowl covered with a tea towel. It should double in size.

Knead by hand on a floured surface to remove any gas. Set aside in a cool place for an hour, then start kneading again. Chill again, covered in a closed container, overnight.

The next day, roll out the dough with a rolling pin. You can fold it into 3 and then roll it out again, then rotate it to roll it out again and fold it. This is a sort of "puff pastry" method, which adds a very delicious touch to the brioche.

The shape is up to you: Braided (3 strands or more if you're ambitious); Parisian, long...

Leave to rise for an hour at room temperature, then bake for 35 to 45 minutes at 160°. Keep an eye on the cooking time (depending on your oven, it may be quicker or... slower).

Enjoy!

About Terres d'Uzès : Catherine and Pascal Roger grow fruit, vegetables and herbs organically, all adapted to the Mediterranean climate. They're also chefs, and big fans of local produce. They combine beauty, goodness and creativity to give you a taste of the excellent local produce. Their products? Jams, syrups, sorbets, apérô-tartines, confits and chutney are cooked from their harvest.

Many thanks to Catherine Roger for her collaboration to the Recipes section of the blog.

The right address: Terres d'Uzès, Serre de la Cabane, Arpaillargues. Tel: 06 79 21 64 31. Contact: terresduzes@orange.fr.