Brioche des Rois

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I’ve been meaning to put this recipe on my website for ages, and now it’s finally here! This brioche is also known as “gâteau des Rois”, “couronne des Rois”, “galette provençale”, “gâteau de Limoux” etc. There will of course be regional and even national variations, as it is also found in Spain and Portugal. But the general idea is the same. A good brioche well flavored with orange blossom (and sometimes a little rum) and enriched with candied fruit. Ideal for anyone who wants a change from the flaky pastry galette des Rois!

For a brioche about 30cm in diameter:

• 150g candied fruit
• amber rum for soaking candied fruit
• 400g of flour T55
• 4g dried baker’s yeast (or 10g fresh)
• 80g of sugar
• 3g of salt
• 50g orange blossom water
• 30g water
• 160g egg
• 100g soft butter at room temperature
• the zest of an untreated lemon
• zest of half an untreated orange

Gilding :

• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• chouquette granulated sugar
• candied fruit for decoration

Start by cutting the candied fruit into pieces. I’ve taken what I could find, but feel free to add what you like.

Pour into a container and cover with amber rum for as long as possible (the day before is fine). You can do without the rum if you like!

Pour the flour, dried yeast, sugar and salt into the bowl of your food processor or into a large salad bowl.

Pour in the orange blossom water, the water and the 160g of eggs (break 3-4 eggs into a bowl and beat to form an omelette, then pour the amount into the bowl). Keep the remaining beaten egg for gilding.

Start kneading with the hook for a good ten minutes.

At this point, add the butter and knead again until perfectly incorporated.

When the butter is incorporated, pour in the drained candied fruit (without the rum, which you can save for a grog).

Add the zest of the lemon and half-orange.

Just knead to homogenize everything.

Grow at 40°C for 1h30, or at room temperature until doubled in volume. Deaerate the dough by pressing it down, then cover with cling film. Place in the fridge for 3 hours, or overnight.

After fermentation, add a bean to the dough, flour and roll into a ball.

I’ve taken a wooden spoon here. Push it into the center.

Extend the hole, flouring if necessary, to make a crown.

You’ll need to let the dough rise again for 1? to 2 hours. But to prevent the hole from disappearing, I placed a pastry ring 8cm in diameter and 4 to 5cm high. Take care to grease it well with oil before placing it in the middle.

To prevent the dough from drying out, spray a small amount of water over the surface with a spray bottle.

When the dough has puffed up, carefully remove the ring and brush on the gilding.

Sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes at 160°C over fan assisted heat. The brioche should be perfectly golden.

When the brioche is cooked, wrap it in one or two clean cloths to keep it soft.

Serve the brioche decorated with candied fruit as desired.

To reheat the brioche, which is so much better when warm, put a nice slice in the microwave for 30 seconds at 900w!