In this challenging time for Italy, since the coronavirus drama began, the watchword is to stay home as much as possible, unless absolutely necessary. In this immense turmoil, we have had to reinvent our days by finding new spaces and rhythms within our homes. I, for example, have rediscovered the pleasure of reading. I have dusted off my beloved cookbooks, an endless collection accumulated over the years, browsing here and there among second-hand stalls or at various fair events, and I must say it has been very constructive. Among these, in fact, I resumed reading a book that was a gift from my husband last year at a fair here in Catania dedicated to good food and organic products. When I spotted it among many, probably intrigued by the title on the cover*, I must have been so absorbed that while I was reading the preface, my husband had already bought it without me noticing. Once home, I couldn’t wait to let myself be enveloped by the practical advice of this pastry chef and macrobiotic cooking teacher, the result of his thirty-year experience in the field. In short, a brief excursus of incredibly delicious recipes, but made starting from a natural pastry, where eggs, butter, milk, and sugar are replaced with qualitatively better ingredients. I couldn’t believe it until I tried it myself. And here are my brioche pastry bundles made with a dough based on rice syrup instead of sugar and a few other ingredients. Simply put, the dough is fabulous and, without even realizing it, also vegan! The nice thing is that it does not require rising, except for a 20-minute rest before baking. I then enriched them with mandarin jam and dark chocolate flakes. A perfect delight for your healthy breakfasts or snacks. With this base, you can create a lot of other recipes, which I hope to gradually share with you.
*[For those interested, the book is titled “Natural Pastry” by Pasquale Boscarello]
TO LEARN MORE: Did you know that rice syrup is a natural sweetener resulting from the germination of cereal and it is rich in maltose and essential minerals? It is excellent for replacing sugar because it is less caloric and ideal in vegan and gluten-free recipes. It is important not to confuse syrup with rice malt, as malt is obtained from the combination of barley with another cereal, while syrups are derived from a single cereal. In this specific case, rice syrup, not containing barley, is gluten-free and can be consumed even by celiacs. Moreover, it has another ace up its sleeve: its glycemic index is comparable to sugar, but compared to the latter, it is excellent in low-calorie diets because it contains fewer calories and especially less fructose.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 25 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 6 rolls
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for about 450 grams of dough
⚠ IN THIS RECIPE THERE ARE ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same I use in my recipes; buying them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it won’t cost you anything more!
- 2 cups flour type 1
- 2.3 oz rice syrup
- 1/3 cup water (lukewarm)
- 0.25 oz fresh yeast
- 1/4 cup peanut oil
- 1 tsp lemon zest (untreated)
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 0.25 oz salt
- 3.5 oz mandarin marmalade
- to taste 85% dark chocolate
- 3 tsps rice syrup
- 1 tsp Water
- to taste powdered sugar
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Dough Scraper
- 1 Baking Tray
- 1 Baking Mat
- 1 Sieve
Preparation
In a jug, dissolve the fresh yeast in lukewarm water. Meanwhile, place the dry ingredients: flour, salt, cinnamon, and grated lemon zest in a large bowl (fig. 1).
Mix and immediately pour the oil, incorporating it with hand movements starting from the bottom of the bowl and lifting the flour in a rain-like fashion, rubbing it (fig. 2).
Then add the rice syrup* (fig. 3).
And lastly, the water with the yeast (fig. 4).
Knead the dough with your hands until it becomes more consistent (fig. 5).
Then transfer it to a floured work surface (fig. 6).
Until forming a smooth ball (fig. 7).
Flatten the ball, then take the dough from the outside and fold it towards the center, making four folds, one for each side (fig. 8).
Let it rest for 5 minutes, then roll it out with a well-floured rolling pin (fig. 9).
Form a rectangle 1/4 inch high, not forgetting to flour often (fig. 10).
Prepare the glaze, mixing the rice syrup with water, then brush 3/4 inch of the edge of the dough (fig. 11).
Spread the mandarin marmalade** over the entire surface except the brushed edges (fig. 12).
Finish with the chocolate flakes (fig. 13).
Roll up the dough from the longer side until forming a cylinder (fig. 14).
With a knife, proceed to portion the dough, obtaining 6 parts. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or recyclable Teflon as I did, and let them rise for 20 minutes (fig. 15).
After this time, bake them at 375°F for 18-20 minutes. Once baked, brush them with the remaining glaze (fig. 16).
Let them dry for a few minutes and garnish with powdered sugar.
And voilà… the mandarin and chocolate brioche pastry bundles are ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appétit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉 Mandarin and chocolate brioche pastry bundles can be stored at room temperature under a glass dome or inside airtight containers for up to 4-5 days.
Tips, notes, variations, and suggestions
🟣* The choice of rice syrup: as already explained above, this sweetener, even though its glycemic index is comparable to sugar, is more suitable for low-calorie diets and for those following a vegan diet. However, it can be well replaced with agave syrup with a more tolerable glycemic index or acacia honey, but in this case, only for those who do not have any vegan dietary needs.
🟣** The filling: the choice of citrus marmalade like mandarins does not exclude the possibility of varying with whatever you desire or have available in the pantry, so feel free to use spreadable creams or other types of marmalade or jam.
