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Pan Brioche with Versilia Oven

17/11/2023

Brioche bread is a sweet leavened bread that can also be baked in the Versilia oven, a kitchen tool used to achieve cooking similar to a traditional oven but on the home stovetop. Here is a basic recipe that you can customize to your liking.

Ingredients

  • 500 g of 00 flour
  • 100 g of sugar
  • 250 ml of lukewarm milk
  • 1 packet of dry brewer’s yeast (7g) or 25g of fresh brewer’s yeast
  • 100 g of soft butter
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon or orange (optional)
  • 1 egg yolk and a little milk for brushing (optional)
  • Powdered sugar for decoration (optional)

Preparation

  1. Dissolve the brewer’s yeast in the lukewarm milk with a teaspoon of sugar and let it rest for a few minutes until small bubbles form on the surface.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the remaining sugar and, if desired, the grated lemon or orange zest.
  3. Add the milk and yeast mixture to the flour and start kneading. Incorporate the eggs one at a time, and the soft butter in pieces. Add the salt.
  4. Work the dough on a floured surface until it becomes smooth and homogeneous, then form a ball and let it rise in a bowl covered with a damp cloth for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume.
  5. Once risen, take the dough and shape it into loaves or balls, according to the desired shape, and arrange them inside the Versilia oven previously buttered and floured.
  6. Let the dough rise again inside the closed oven for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the stovetop.
  7. Place the oven on the stovetop over medium-low heat and cook for about 45-50 minutes, or until the brioche bread is golden and well cooked inside (you can check by inserting a toothpick in the center, which should come out clean).
  8. If desired, before baking you can brush the surface of the brioche bread with an egg yolk beaten with a little milk for extra browning.
  9. Remove the brioche bread from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack. Once cool, you can dust it with powdered sugar for decoration.

Trivia

The brioche bread, originally from France, has now entered the traditions of many countries, including Italy, where it is often used as a base for rich breakfasts or snacks, but can also accompany cheeses and cured meats. With the Versilia oven the cooking is more direct and less energy-consuming than a traditional oven, but the result will be just as soft and delicious.