Christmas Sunflower Brioche

It's up to you.

9 detailed steps, from preparation to service.

1. Prepare the ingredients

   Take out 80 g of butter so that it is soft. Gentle 180 ml of milk: on the finger it should look barely hot, about 30 ° C. Wash the orange and take its zest, without the white skin.

2. Gather the dough

   Mix 450 g flour, 70 g sugar and 7 g instant dry yeast. Add the 2 eggs broken separately in a bowl, warm milk, zest and 6 g of salt. Mix until there is no more dry flour.

3. Knead

   Kneaded 5 minutes by hand by stretching and then folding the dough. Add the soft butter in 4 times, then knead for another 10 minutes. The dough should become supple and slightly sticky; do not add flour in large quantities.

4. Let it swell

   Cover the bowl with a cloth and let grow 1 hour 30 to 2 hours in a warm room, without contact with a radiator. The dough must almost double. Press gently to chase away the big bubbles.

5. Spreading two discs

   Divide the dough into two equal parts. Spread each part in a 28-30 cm disc on baking paper. Put the first one on the plate. Mix 180 g of spread with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and spread on the disc leaving 1 cm free at the edge. Cover with the second disc and press the edge.

6. Cut twelve petals

   Place an 8 cm bowl in the center without sinking. Cut the outer crown into 12 radial bands of near width, like the hours of a clock, stopping against the bowl. Remove the bowl. Turn each strip twice on itself, always in the same direction, then round its end by folding it slightly below.

7. Doing the second push

   Leave the 12 petals flat, spaced about 1 cm apart, on their paper. Cover slightly and leaves to swell 40 to 50 minutes. Preheat the oven to 170°C rotating heat for the last 15 minutes.

8. The Sunflower

   Beat the last egg with a fork and gently brush the brioche. Spread 15 g of black sesame only on the central disc to form the dark heart of the flower.

9. Cook and share

   Bake 22 to 25 minutes: the brioche should be well golden without blackening. Cover the center with a piece of baking paper if necessary. Leave to cool for 20 minutes before pulling out the petals; the chocolate is very hot at the exit of the oven.