Festive-Filled Brioche Centerpiece with Baked Camembert
A stunning brioche centerpiece with festive fillings and a warm baked Camembert, perfect for holiday gatherings!
Equipment
- baking sheet
- Kitchen mixer with dough hook
- foil
- Baking parchment
- Cling film
Ingredients
Brioche Dough
- 4 large eggs
- 20 ml milk
- 350 g strong white bread flour
- 7 g sachet fast-action dried yeast
- 30 g caster sugar
- ½ tsp mixed spice
- 200 g unsalted butter cubed and softened
Camembert
- 1 whole 250g vegetarian Camembert in a wooden stapled carton
- 2-3 sprigs thyme
- 1 egg beaten with a pinch of salt
- Poppy seeds for scattering
Fillings
- 1 garlic bulb
- 1 tbsp quince paste membrillo, mashed
- 5 cooked chestnut halves
- ½ tbsp dried chopped cranberries mixed with 1/2 tbsp cranberry sauce
- 1 tbsp mushroom pâté
Decoration
- Fresh rosemary sprigs or bay leaves
- 30 g fresh cranberries
Instructions
- The Day Before: In a jug, whisk together the eggs and milk.
- In the bowl of a kitchen mixer with a dough hook, combine bread flour, yeast, caster sugar, salt, and mixed spice.
- On a medium setting, slowly pour in the egg mixture to form a very soft, wet dough.
- Add the butter and increase the speed, kneading for 8-10 minutes until the dough clings to the dough hook.
- Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight.
- Prepare the Garlic: Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.
- Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Cut off the top of the garlic bulb, drizzle with olive oil, and season.
- Wrap the garlic in foil to create a sealed parcel and bake for 35-45 minutes until softened.
- Remove from the oven, cool, and squeeze out the cloves, mashing them with a fork.
- On the Day: Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Remove the Camembert from its wooden carton and place the carton in the center of the tray.
- Divide the Dough: Tip the chilled dough onto a floured surface and divide it into 5 equal pieces.
- Make Filled Brioche Buns: Take one piece of dough and divide it into 5 smaller pieces.
- Roll each piece into a ball, make a small indent, fill with 1/2 tsp of the roasted garlic, and pinch the dough to seal.
- Place the sealed side down on a floured surface, cupping and rotating to form a round shape.
- Repeat Step 5 for each filling (quince paste, chestnut, cranberry mixture, and mushroom pâté) to create 25 filled buns in total.
- Arrange the filled buns around the wooden Camembert carton on the baking tray, placing 10 in the inner ring and 15 in the outer ring with 0.
- 5cm space between each for rising.
- Cover with oiled cling film and let rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes or until almost doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5.
- Cut a small circle of rind from the top of the Camembert, sprinkle with thyme leaves, and place the cheese in the carton, cut side up.
- Brush the buns with beaten egg and scatter with poppy seeds.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until the buns are golden brown.
- Decorate with rosemary or bay leaves and fresh cranberries before serving.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Wine Advice
Serve with a light, fruity wine such as Beaujolais or a chilled Chardonnay to complement the richness of the cheese and the buttery brioche.
Nutritional Information
Calories: 516 kcal | Carbohydrates: 32 g | Protein: 18 g | Fat: 51 g | Fiber: 7 g | Sugar: 12 g | Salt: 0.5 mg