Preparation

• After refreshing your sourdough starter according to your usual routine, take 100 grams of it and transfer it directly into a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer (we will knead with the dough hook at low speed). We will use it immediately, without waiting for it to rise. If, however, you are not sure about the strength of your starter because it may be “young” or not refreshed often, after refreshing it let it ferment before using it in the dough to give it more strength.

  In the bowl, add both sifted flours, the salt, the water, the liqueur (optional), the sugar, the vegetable oil and the grated zest of the whole lemon. Then cut the lemon in half and use the juice of only one half (about 30 ml, approximately 1 tablespoon of juice) and add it to the other ingredients. Knead for about 10 minutes, until you obtain a smooth, very soft dough.

  Turn it out onto the work surface and work it by hand for another minute, rolling it onto itself gently several times.

  Place it in a large bowl, seal with plastic wrap and let it double in volume. You can choose to let it rise in the refrigerator, in the coldest part, for a long maturation (which I recommend doing overnight for convenience); or leave it at room temperature.

  If the day is warm and dry, as today, and if your sourdough starter is strong and active, it will take about 5–7 hours, also because this is a simple leavened dough that contains no animal fats or eggs, which by themselves tend to slow down the leavening. In winter times are considerably longer, almost double, but, again, it always depends on the home temperature and the strength of the starter.

  After the dough has doubled, shape it. Gently turn the dough out onto the work surface (you won’t need to add flour because it is soft but not sticky), roll it into a cylinder and stretch it as much as possible without tearing the dough.

  From this “snake” cut small pieces, preferably of the same weight. My dough, for example, weighed exactly 730 grams and I made 8 small brioches of 65 grams each and two smaller ones of 40 grams each. You can, of course, make them larger or smaller for a buffet.

  Each piece should be rolled on itself to form a small cylinder which you will place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them about a finger or a little more apart.

  Cover them and let them double (3–5 hours) at room temperature, away from drafts or sudden air currents.

  When they are nicely puffed, place the baking sheet in the switched-off oven (no preheating), halfway up, and turn the oven on to 320°F, letting them bake for about 20–25 minutes. They are ready when golden. If the surface looks too pale for your taste, you can place the brioches under the grill for 60 seconds, rotating the tray occasionally, being careful they brown but don’t burn on the surface.

  Remove them immediately to prevent residual oven heat from drying them out. Let them cool completely and enjoy them plain or filled with creams of your choice.

  For the filling (which can also be prepared the day before and kept in the fridge).

  In a bowl, thoroughly mix the cream cheese, the lemon (or orange) zest and the sugar.

  Whip the chilled cream with the beaters. As soon as the beaters start to leave tracks in the cream, add the cream cheese mixture and continue whipping until you obtain a fluffy yet firm cream (about one more minute).

  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Wash the strawberries, remove the hulls and cut them into cubes. Fold them, raw, into the cream cheese and cream mixture, combine everything and fill your sourdough brioches without lactose or eggs.