A pastry chef makes her braided brioche without sugar or butter: it's lighter and just as soft
With its soft, stringy crumb, rich buttery flavor, and beautifully golden crust, brioche didn't earn its place on the breakfast table by playing the austerity card. Its traditional recipe relies on a leavened dough enriched with eggs and butter, to which a generous amount of sugar is usually added.
Does this mean brioche is only for Sunday breakfasts? Adèle, aka @adele_vedel, who shares recipes for pastries without added sugar on Instagram, offers a much lighter alternative, with no butter or added sugar in the dough. Her secret to keeping it soft and fluffy? Skyr. This thick dairy product adds moisture to the dough while significantly reducing the amount of fat. This version also takes a serious shortcut on the traditional recipe. No baker's yeast, so no need to wait several hours for the dough to rise: Adèle uses baking powder and goes straight from the bowl to the oven. Quite handy when a sudden craving for brioche strikes you first thing in the morning.
To make it, mix together in a bowl 250g of flour, 220g of skyr, half a packet of baking powder, 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of neutral oil. Work the mixture until you can form a ball, then stir in some chocolate chips and mix again.
Next, divide the dough into three strips, then braid them before placing the braid in a greased loaf pan. Sprinkle a few more chocolate chips on top, then brush the braid with beaten egg, optionally thinned with a little milk to promote a nice color. Bake for 25 minutes at 180°C (350°F). The result is a braided brioche, golden on the outside and soft on the inside, without using a single gram of butter or adding any sugar to the dough. The chocolate chips provide just the right touch of sweetness.
A quick and easy recipe that takes some liberties with the traditional brioche, but not with the enjoyment. A perfect way to add a touch of sweetness to your breakfast without breaking the bank first thing in the morning!
