Piece of life
This brioche is my entire childhood. A recipe from my great grandmother, cooked by my grandmother, then my mother and now me. It is a family recipe that always brings back beautiful memories when I smell its perfume coming from the oven.
We call it “glass cake” in the family. But what a funny name you will say… I agree it’s strange. I tried to find the origin but without success. On the internet, nothing, and nobody in the family seems to know. My grandmother thinks it might be because she used to prepare it with glass but without much conviction. So it will remain a mystery.
About the Alsatian brioche
This brioche is similar to the Kouglof [the most famous Alsatian brioche], filled with raisins soaked in a bit of rum and orange blossom water [my great grandmother didn’t do that, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she put a little mirabelle plum alcohol]. The brioche is exceptionally moist, generous and its little sugar/cinnamon crust is entirely addictive.
We traditionally make it in a large rectangular dish, but you can shape it as you’d like.
Traditional Alsatian brioche
Ingredients
- 750 g flour
- 60 g sugar
- 250 ml milk lukewarm
- 4 eggs
- 20 g fresh baker's yeast
- 10 g salt
- 150 g butter diced, soft
- 200 g of raisins
- 2 tbsp of orange blossom water
- 2 tbsp rum facultatif
- lukewarm water (to soak the raisins)
Pour la finition
- 50 g butter melted
- sugar
- cinnamon
Instructions
- Mix the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of the stand mixer, fitted with the hook.
- Dilute the yeast in a little warm milk, then pour over the flour mixture. Start mixing, gradually adding the rest of the milk.
- Stir in the eggs one at a time.
- Add the butter gradually.
- Knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides.
- Cover with a dry cloth and let stand in a warm place for about 2 hours.
- Meanwhile, soak the raisins in the mixture orange blossom water/rum/water mixture.
- Once the dough has grown, drain the raisins and fold them into the dough.
- Put the dough in the mould you want (traditionally we put it in a rectangular dish) and let it grow again for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Bake for about 40 minutes.
- As soon as you remove from the oven, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon mixture.
