Apple and Date Brioche

{Weekend Herb Blogging}

I cannot wait for the holidays to start. We don’t really celebrate Christmas around here, but a few days of rest are so welcomed at this stage. I know we will try to organise our place, which has been in a disgraceful mess for a while now. More boxes to be sorted, study (and studio) room to be organized. Not to mention the kitchen and my (shamefully large and still growing) collection of baking items.

Hopefully the weather will be nicer, too. It’s been a weird summer here in Melbourne – like today, it’s actually cold. I cannot believe that I’m still wearing my thick jumper at this time of the year.

At the market there are plenty of nice summer fruits around. But today I’ve chosen to feature a nice good all year round fruit – Granny Smith Apples. The fruits are thinly sliced, tossed through some lemon juice and baked on a lovely buttery golden brioche. I adore this combination – fruity and buttery. If only a brioche a day would do me good as an apple does!

This entry is prepared for Weekend Herb Blogging. This week edition is hosted by the lovely Haalo from Cook (almost) anything at least once. Please drop by her blog for the round up!

Apple and Date Brioche

Recipe adapted from Gourmet Traveller
Printable recipe

Ingredients
7 gm dried yeast (about 1 sachet)
2 tbsp warm milk
275 gm plain flour, plus extra for dusting
40 gm caster sugar
3 eggs
175 gm softened butter, coarsely chopped
For brushing: eggwash
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
80 gm pitted dates, chopped
110 gm (½ cup) raw sugar
Juice of one lemon
Method
Combine yeast and milk in a small bowl, stir to dissolve yeast and set aside until foamy (5-7 minutes).

Combine yeast mixture, flour, sugar, eggs and 1 tsp fine sea salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix until dough is smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes).

Add butter a little at a time, allowing each addition to be incorporated before adding the next, and beat until dough is smooth and glossy (2-3 minutes), then cover dough with a tea towel and stand in a warm place until doubled in size (1-2 hours).

Knock back the dough, cover and let it rest overnight in the fridge.
The next day bring the dough out of the fridge and let rest until the dough is at room temperature.
Preheat oven to 220C.
Place on a lightly buttered and floured baking tray and shape into a 25cm-diameter circle.
Toss the sliced apples through lemon juice, some of the sugar.
Brush top of brioche with eggwash, scatter with apples and dates, then sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden (35-40 minutes).