The BRIOCHE WITH TOPKNOT is an icon of Sicilian pastry: soft and fragrant, beloved by people of all ages.
The curious name comes from the characteristic “topknot”, the small ball of dough placed on top of the brioche that recalls the traditional chignon of Sicilian women.
Prepared with a dough rich in butter, eggs and aromatics like orange and lemon zest, the brioche with topknot is very soft, golden and slightly sweet.
It is enjoyed at breakfast or as an afternoon treat, often accompanied by a granita (almond, lemon or coffee) or filled with artisan ice cream — an irresistible pairing.
A symbol of togetherness and a leisurely pace, every bite of this brioche tells the story of Sicilian summer and its intense aromas.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 18 Hours
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 10 pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 334.19 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 47.53 (g) of which sugars 15.47 (g)
- Proteins 9.23 (g)
- Fat 12.15 (g) of which saturated 7.05 (g)of which unsaturated 4.53 (g)
- Fibers 1.27 (g)
- Sodium 313.53 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 90 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 4 cups Manitoba flour (strong bread flour)
- 2/3 cup milk
- 0.9 oz fresh baker's yeast (compressed)
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp honey
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 2 eggs (medium, at room temperature)
- 2 egg yolks
- orange zest
- lemon zest
- 1 1/3 tsp salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 tbsp milk
For the brioche with topknot you will need
- 1 Stand mixer
- 1 Bowl
- Plastic wrap
- 1 Work surface
- 1 Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- 1 Brush
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 Kitchen scale
Preparation of the brioche with topknot
The first thing to do when preparing the brioche with topknot is to take the butter out of the fridge 1 hour before you start mixing, as it needs to be soft.
Warm slightly a portion of the milk and dissolve the yeast in it with two teaspoons of sugar taken from the total.
In the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the spiral hook, or in a large bowl if you are kneading by hand, place the remaining cold milk, the milk with the dissolved yeast and the sifted flour.
Begin to combine all the ingredients, working them for 5 minutes on low speed. If the mixture seems dry, don’t worry: that’s the consistency it should have.
Add the whole eggs and the yolks one at a time, incorporating the next only when the previous one has been well absorbed by the dough.
Add the untreated orange and lemon zest and knead for another 2 minutes.
Add the honey and incorporate it well. Then add the sugar in two additions and allow the dough to absorb it completely.
At this point add the softened butter little by little and let it be fully absorbed. This will take about 15 minutes. You should obtain a smooth, elastic and well-knit dough.
Finally add the salt and work for another 2 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a work surface, perform a few folds and place it into a large floured bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour and a half.
Then place the dough in the fridge and let it rest for 14 hours.
After the fridge rest, take the dough out and leave it at room temperature for 1 hour.
Then transfer it to the work surface and divide into 10 pieces of 3 oz each. Work each piece vigorously, rolling it on the surface until you form a smooth ball.
Watch the demonstration video for how to shape the rounds.
Place the balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Form another 10 small balls of about 1/2 oz each with an elongated base. Make a hole in each of the larger balls and fill it with the smaller ball to create the topknot.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a switched-off oven with the light on for 2 hours.
Once the final rise is complete, brush each brioche with a mixture of egg yolk and milk.
Bake in a preheated static oven at 338°F for 25 minutes.
Once nicely golden, remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Storage: brioche with topknot
The brioche with topknot stays soft for 2–3 days if stored in a food bag.
They can be frozen once cold and then gently reheated in the microwave or oven before serving.
