I live in Reggio Calabria and our pastry tradition is heavily influenced by the Sicilian one.
In fact, in our pastry shops, the brioche with tuppo is never missing, this soft delight that I am in love with.
It can be enjoyed alone at breakfast dipped in coffee or cappuccino or accompanied by granitas and ice creams. The shape resembles the typical hairstyle of Sicilian women, where the long hair is wrapped in a perfect low or semi-high “tuppo” and pinned with hairpins.
It seems that the “brioscia” was born in S.Teresa di Riva, in the province of Messina: legend has it that the “brioscia” was made by a pastry chef who worked in a noble Sicilian family with many daughters, and something soft was thought for them to spread butter and jam on during breakfast or snack.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 12
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer, Fall
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (flour for brioche)
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 tbsp compressed yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 whole egg
- 2 tbsp butter (or lard)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- vanilla
- orange flavor
Tools
- 1 Stand Mixer
- 1 Baking Tray
- 1 Parchment Paper
- 1 Dough Scraper
Preparation
To prepare the brioche with tuppo, start by weighing all the ingredients.
If it’s summer and very hot, it’s best if they’re all cold from the fridge.
Place the milk with the compressed yeast, sugar, and egg in the bowl of the stand mixer with the paddle attachment or hook.
Mix on low speed for a few minutes so that everything is well dissolved.
Add all the flour with the butter and mix in the stand mixer at medium speed until a smooth ball is formed.
Now incorporate the flavors and salt, and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Keep in mind that sometimes it takes at least 10 to 20 minutes to achieve a perfect dough.
Once the dough is ready, let it rest for about 15 minutes on the work surface covered with a clean cloth or a larger bowl on top.
We want the dough to rest and start rising.
At this point, take your dough and divide it into balls weighing about 70/80 g (about 2.5/3 oz) each. Leave a portion for making the tuppi, which will weigh about 20 g (less than 1 oz).
Take each ball and, rotating it in your hand on the table, make it smooth and elastic and place it on the baking tray.
Do the same for the other balls, making sure to place them on the parchment-lined baking tray spaced apart (they need space to rise).
Place them in the oven with the light on or somewhere around 82°F (28°C).
Do not cover them with a cloth or anything else in contact.
When the balls have started rising, make the smaller balls for the tuppi and insert them into the center of the larger ones with a firm motion, piercing them.
At this point, our brioches need to rise.
They will almost double in volume.
This may take about 2 hours…but it depends on the temperatures.
When they are well-risen (meaning they have doubled in volume), preheat the oven to about 340°F (170°C).
Gently brush the surface of the brioches with a beaten egg and a drop of milk and bake for about 13/15 minutes until golden.
The Brioches can be perfectly stored in a plastic food bag. Over time they lose their softness, so it is useful to freeze them and keep them at room temperature a few minutes before consuming.
Can they be frozen?
They can be frozen both after baking and before the final rise and baking.
