Olive Oil Brie-Oche With Roasted Grapes, Honey And Thyme

Olive Oil Brie-Oche With Roasted Grapes, Honey And Thyme

For this brie-oche, I’ve cut down on the sugar and swapped in honey. It also has a slightly higher proportion of fat, split between rich butter and olive oil. Although the oil doesn’t hydrate the dough, it can make it feel looser and extra squishy to work with.

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MAKES 9-10 BUNS

Total: 3 hrs 40 mins

30 mins - Mix brioche

1 hr - Proof brioche & roast grapes

1 hr 30 mins - Shape & proof

30 mins - Add toppings & bake

10 mins - Cool & serve

Techniques

Gluten development pg.14

Fermentation pg.76

Sugar swaps pg.31

Roasted grapes

150g seedless red grapes

1 tbsp olive oil

1g flaky sea salt (about ¼ tsp)

1 tsp balsamic, red wine or white wine vinegar

2-3 sprigs of thyme

2 tsp fennel seeds (optional)

Brioche dough

50g whole eggs (about 1)

110g whole milk

230g strong bread flour

4g dry yeast (about 1 ½ tsp)

5g fine salt (about ¾ tsp)

20g butter, softened

50g olive oil

30g honey

Plus

Egg wash (see page 343)

150g brie, sliced

Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle

5-10 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked

Honey, to drizzle

Flaky sea salt

1. To make the roasted grapes, preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan.
2. Toss the grapes with the olive oil, salt, vinegar, thyme sprigs and fennel seeds, if using, on a small baking tray.
3. Roast for 15-20 minutes - the grapes will burst and have blistered skin. Leave to cool.
4. To make the brioche dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer, first add the egg and milk, followed by the dry ingredients (put the yeast on the opposite side of the bowl to the salt!). Mix, using the dough hook, on a medium speed for about 6-8 minutes until medium gluten development is reached - this is when you can pull on the dough and it stays together, but it is still quite fragile. You can take it further than this, but this is the minimum requirement before adding the fat.
5. Add in the soft butter, a teaspoon at a time, with the mixer running, followed by the olive oil and honey. Mix on a medium-high speed until very smooth - another 10-12 minutes - and full gluten development is reached. This is when you can pull a thin, almost translucent layer with the dough. If you haven't reached it in the time frame, rest for 5 minutes, then mix for 5 minutes. Continue this until it is developed. Remove the dough from the bowl and use your hands or a bench scraper to form it into a round shape. Use the bench to help create some surface tension, so it has a smooth surface.
6. Leave to rest/rise in a bowl, covered, for 1 hour. It should noticeably puff and almost double in size. This may take less/more time, depending on your environment.
7. Divide the dough into 55-60g portions. Shape into balls using a cupped hand. Place on a baking paper-lined tray, leaving some space between. Cover lightly with clingfilm and leave to proof until very puffy for 1-2 hours.
8. Preheat the oven to 195°C/175°C fan.
9. Brush the buns carefully with egg wash. They rise quite a lot in the oven, so try to get all the way around the edges. Top each bun with 15g brie and 15g roasted grapes. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and finish with 5-10 thyme leaves (about ¼-½ tsp per bun).
10. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden. The cheese should be golden and crispy. Finish with a drizzle of honey, extra virgin olive oil and some flaky salt.
11. These buns are best enjoyed on the same day, slightly warm. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge and reheated at 180°C/160°C fan for 10 minutes.

Extracted from SIFT by Nicola Lamb (Ebury Press, £30), Photography by Sam A Harris.