Halloween Brioche

Method

• step 1

  Warm milk, and dilute the yeast in part of it. Add a tbsp of strong flour, and leave this dough until it has duplicated its volume

• step 2

  Put this ferment and the rest of the ingredients excepting the butter in a food processor, and work until the dough is smooth and shiny (around 10 minutes at medium speed). Add the creamed butter and work the dough until it is elastic and comes away from the sides of the bowl. If you don't have a food processor the dough can also be worked manually.

• step 3

  Cover with a cloth and leave to rise in a warm place (no more tha 37ÃÂú C) until it has doubled its volume (it takes about 1 hour)

• step 4

  Flatten the douhg lightly, fill the mould and leave it until it has doubled in volume once again (about 1 hour)

• step 5

  Preheat oven and bake at 170 ÃÂú for around 50 minutes. Leave to cool, cut off any excess dough overhanging the mould, and turn out the brioche. To decorate on this occasion, I have used Maltesers and powdered sugar