Recipe for the Kingdom or vegan kings’ brioche

Preparation of the brioche: Heat the milk and cream until warm (maximum 35°, definitely not boiling or hot!) and dissolve the yeast in it, then let it rest for 10/15 minutes. In the bowl of your mixer or in a container (if you are making this recipe by hand), place in this order: salt, sugar, flour, orange blossom water, zest, then the milk/cream/yeast mixture. Knead the dough by hand or with the mixer using the dough hook on low speed for 5 minutes. Once the first 5 minutes of kneading are over, incorporate the margarine cut into pieces and continue kneading for an additional 10 to 20 minutes at medium speed (at the end of kneading, the dough should pull away from the sides). Scrape the edges to gather the dough and then flour the surface. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth.

Then, two options are available to you: either you want your brioche to be baked and enjoyed the same day, in which case, let the dough rise at room temperature until it doubles in volume (the rising time can vary between 1.5 to 3 hours depending on the ambient temperature; the warmer it is, the faster the dough will rise). Or the second option, if you would rather bake and enjoy it the next day, let it rise overnight in the refrigerator.

When the rising time is over, degas the dough (remove the air) by kneading it until it returns to its original volume, then add a bean into the dough and shape it into a ball. Press a finger into the center to create a hole, then gently stretch it by turning it between your hands to widen it and form a ring (the hole in the center of the ring should be about 15 cm in diameter; no smaller, or it may close up when the ring rises). Transfer your shaped ring onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Cover with a clean cloth and let it rise for 1.5 to 2 hours (at this stage, do not let the dough rise any further as it may rise too much and ultimately deflate).

Once the rising is complete, gently brush the dough with sweetened milk using a brush. Then place it in the unpreheated oven (cold) and turn it on to 160°C, baking the dough for 25 to 35 minutes (it is ready when it is just golden).

While the bread is baking, prepare the glaze syrup: In a small saucepan, boil the water and sugar for 5 to 10 minutes (the mixture should thicken). Add the tablespoon of orange blossom and, using a brush, coat the bread (as soon as it comes out of the oven) with this syrup.

To finish, move on to the decoration: Sprinkle the entire edge with granulated sugar and arrange the candied fruits harmoniously on the surface. Let the brioche cool completely before enjoying it.