Brioche from Normandy
Known in French as a “Fallue”, this old-fashion brioche from Normandy is a staple of regional French baking. Traditionally made with “crème fraîche”, it is known for its thorny top and scrumptiously creamy crumb. Brioche comes is so many variations in France, and this one is the most treasured ones of Normandy. And I just couldn’t share any other recipe than the one from French baker Philippe Gouley – awarded several gold medals for his “fallue” recipe, by the official “fallue and teurgoule brotherhood”. Needless to say, this recipe…
- Prep time
- 3 hr 30 min
- Cook time
- 25 min
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- EASY
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 cups bread flour (ideally French-Style T55 flour) (500g)½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (113g)¼ cup + 1 tablespoon crème fraiche (or sour cream) (100g)
- 5 eggs
- ¼ cup white sugar (50g)
- 10g salt
- 18g fresh yeast
Instructions
- 1
Add in all the ingredients - except for 1 egg and the yeast - in your mixing bowl. Mix (with the paddle attachment or by hand) for 30 seconds. Add in the yeast and mix for 10 minutes. At the end, Knead the dough by hand – if it is too sticky, sprinkle a pinch of flour; if it is too thick, add in a little bit of cream. The dough should be soft and shouldn’t stick to your fingers.
- 2
Shape the dough in a big ball and wrap it with a clean cloth (in which you sprinkled a bit of flour in – so the dough doesn’t stick to it). Let the dough rise for 2 hours, ideally at 22C/71.6F.
- 3
After 2 hours, flatten the dough and fold it in half, length wise, to obtain a big oval log. Seal the dough with your fingers, and place it (seal down) on a greased baking tray. Cover with a cloth, and let rise again for 1hour and 20 minutes.
- 4
Preheat your oven to 375F. Break the remaining egg, whisk it with a pinch of salt and brush it all over the dough. With scissors, make small cuts all around the top half of the dough, to create a “hat”.
- 5
Bake for 25 minutes, until the brioche is golden.
- 6
Enjoy it warm or at room temperature.