Orange and Anise Sugared Easter Brioche (Mouna)
Making brioche for Easter morning is a dear French tradition that I follow religiously every year – even in Canada (although you’ll know that I am partial to brioche all year round). And for this year’s Easter holiday, I am excited to be sharing with you my recipe for this Orange and Anise Sugared Easter Brioche, also known as a “Mouna”. This plump and fragrant Mouna brioche hails from the Pied-Noir (“black-foot” in French) and Oran Cuisine, from Algeria. If you don’t know, Pied-Noirs was the name given to the…
- Prep time
- 3 hr 30 min
- Cook time
- 40 min
- Yield
- 1 serving
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- ¾ cup (180ml) milk (whole or 2%).1 ½ tsp anise seeds
- 2 tbsp (17g) instant yeast (such as Saf Instant Yeast)
- 2 tbsp (25g) sugar
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp (95g) unsalted butter, melted (and cooled down to room temperature)¾ cup (150g) sugar
- ½ lemon zest
- ½ orange zest
- 4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp orange juice (about 1 medium orange)
- 1 tbsp (13ml) orange blossom (or vanilla extract)
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp milk (for the egg wash)
- 2-3 tbsp pearl sugar (or coarsely chopped sugar cubes)
Instructions
- 1
Step 1 – In a small saucepan, warm up the milk with the anise seeds. Turn off the heat as soon as the milk simmers and let infuse for about 20 minutes, until the milk has cooled to lukewarm temperature. Stir in 2 tablespoons of sugar and the instant yeast, and set aside.
- 2
Step 2 – In a large mixing bowl (or bowl of stand mixer with a paddle attachment) combine the sugar, lemon zest and orange zest. Rub the mixture with your fingers so the zest releases moisture and the sugar becomes lumpy. Stir in the flour and salt. Make a well in the middle and add the orange juice and orange blossom (or vanilla extract ). Add the eggs, one by one, mixing well between each addition. Add the melted butter and mix until combined. Slowly pour in the milk (with sugar and yeast) and mix until combined. Knead the dough for 10 minutes until homogeneous. The dough should be quite thick and slightly sticky, but still manageable (if too sticky, slowly sprinkle with extra flour and keep kneading). Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature for 2h. The dough should triple in size.
- 3
Step 3 – When the dough has tripled in size, punch it to deflate it. Shape it into a ball and gently place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen cloth and let rise at room temperature for 1h. The dough should double in size.
- 4
Step 4 – Preheat your oven to 320°F (160°C) with a rack in the middle. Whisk together in a small bowl the egg yolk and milk, and brush this egg wash generously all over the brioche. Sprinkle with pearl sugar (or coarsely chopped sugar cubes). With a very sharp knife or razor blade, cut a cross pattern on the top of the brioche.
- 5
Bake for 40 minutes, until golden-brown.
- 6
Enjoy warm or cool. Best enjoyed within 2 days (keep in a bread box or wrapped in a cloth).