Buongiorno amici! This is a post that I am thrilled to write today. For the past month, I've been baking every day at my local Neapolitan bakery with Luciana, the owner. She has kindly allowed me to share her family's recipes with you!
Today is lesson one: Pasta Brioche, Brioche Dough.
Pssttt... I'm starting a baking club! This is going to be a fun group of like-minded women who are looking to bring a little bit of joy into their lives each week through baking classic Italian recipes together! Sounds like fun? Click here to learn more.
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Before we jump into the recipe for brioche dough, let me share a little background on this very special Italian bakery:
For the past year, I've been living in a small and cute zone of Naples, Italy. Every day when I go for my morning stroll, I pass by the forno, which literally translates to oven, but is actually the term that we use to call the local bread bakery. This forno is historical and was started by Luciana's father about 70 years ago! To add to it's charm, it's a little hole-in-the-wall joint, tucked away in a tiny alley, as in a romantic movie scene.
The forno is open 365 days a year, and run by a hard-working and lovely little team. In the day time you can find Luciana, the owner, and Luigi, the pasticciere.
Pasticciere: pa·stic·ciè·re- an Italian pastry chef
From the night until the wee hours of the morning, you can find two panattieres, Giuseppe and Antonio, fueled by espresso and pizza, working diligently to make over 1,500 pieces of bread EVERY NIGHT. This bread is then served the next day to happy local customers, and is also delivered to cafes, hotels, and other establishments across Naples, Italy.
Panattiere: pa·net·tiè·re- an Italian bread baker
Fun fact: this tiny forno produces many of the bread products for the restaurants of elite hotels in Naples, Italy.
How I became friends with Luciana:
One morning, when passing by the bakery, I was seduced by an aroma that was so mouthwatering, that like a dog, I followed the scent and wound up inside the bakery. I smiled and greeted the owner, who was waiting behind the counter. She asked me what I would like to order, and as I went to pick out a freshly baked croissant, I realized that I didn't have any cash on me! All I had was my cell phone, house keys, and airpods, as I had left my home for a morning walk and had no prior intention of entering a bakery.
"Oh no! Non ho contanti, lasciami andare a casa a prendere il portafoglio e tornare," I said.
Oh no! I don't have any cash, let me go home and get my wallet and come back.
"Stiamo per chiudere, prendi quello che vuoi e mi pagherai domani," explained Luciana.
We're about to close, take whatever you want and you can pay me tomorrow.
Being from California, I was used to paying for overpriced lattes and then being asked for an additional 20% tip on top of said overpriced latte. I had never had this kind of interaction before and wasn't used to store owners being so generous. I was hesitant, as I felt I would have been rude or taking advantage of the sweet lady by agreeing to take the baked goods and paying her at a later date. However, she insisted, and I was sent home with a treccia (braided brioche) and cornetto (croissant) in hand.
But when I got home, I still felt uncomfortable at not having paid her, so I quickly grabbed 2 euro (yup, that's all it cost!) and ran back to the bakery to pay her just as she was closing.
"Daiii..." Luciana said, rolling her eyes and smiling.
Oh, come on...
Feeling happy and at ease once again, I returned home, and proceeded to eat the best croissant of my life. The crust was flaky, there were sugary crystals on top, and it was filled with crema de amarena, black cherry cream. It rocked my world. I thought: I would love how to learn how to bake like this...
I got an idea. In the book Heat, by Bill Buford (great read btw) the author goes to Italy, where he befriends a sweet old lady and learns how to make fresh pasta under her wing. Could I be like Bill? Would Luciana take me under her wing?
The next day, I passed by the forno and shyly asked Luciana if I could observe her baking in the kitchen or potentially take a lesson from her one day. To my utter delight, she said yes!
"Certo, vieni questo pomeriggio," she said, smiling.
Sure, come by this afternoon.
Since then, I've been going to the forno every day and baking with Luciana and Luigi. After Marco (my soon-to-be hubby), it's the thing that has been bringing me the most joy in my life abroad!
I worry that this classic style of Italian baking is a dying art, that the majority of my generation isn't very interested in learning these recipes, nor in the time and labor that takes to run a forno, which I can understand. I'm concerned about what will happen to the forno when Luciana retires- who will run it?! Will the bakery close after 70 years of serving the community? I hope not :(
That's what makes this time that I have with Luciana, and these recipes, even more special. So it is with great pleasure that I present to you... drumroll please... Luciana's recipe for Pasta Brioche, Brioche Dough!
Why have I chosen brioche dough as the first recipe to share of this series?
The brioche dough is the backbone of many of the recipes that I will share with you. Speaking of which, now is a great time to get on the list so that you can get these recipes!
The brioche dough is part-bread, part-cake, and combines the essentials (flour, sugar, salt, eggs, butter, yeast, and water.) Luigi makes it every morning in huge quantities, and it is slowly used throughout the day to make delicious treats (brioche croissants, la treccia aka braided brioche, palline aka little sweet bread balls, etc.)
A word of warning: This recipe is made with Italian ingredients in a bakery with large professional mixing devices. There is literally a hose that they use to slowly add water into the mega pot of dough. I have done my best to adapt this recipe for the casual home baker and to list ingredients that you can readily find at US grocery stores. Think of this as us learning together! If you try this brioche dough recipe at home, please let me know by sending an email to me at hello@travelwithamby.com. I would really love to hear your experience, thoughts, and if you have any suggestions for improving it!
How to Make Pasta Brioche: Brioche Dough Recipe
Ingredients:
500g all-purpose flour
75g sugar
7g salt
2 eggs
75g butter (room-temperature)
10g fresh brewer's yeast or 5g active dry yeast or 3g instant yeast
200ml water
Directions:
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, salt, egg, butter, and yeast. Slowly pour in the water while mixing. Mix until smooth.
Switch to the dough hook, and knead with the hook for about 15-20 minutes at low-medium speed until the dough pulls away from sides of bowl and is smooth and elastic.
Form a large ball with the brioche dough, transfer it to a floured bowl. The bowl needs to be big enough for the dough to double in size. Clear bowls are great so that you can easily see the growth of the dough.
Cover the bowl with a damp towel and place in the oven with the oven off and the light on. The warm and humid environment will encourage the yeast to activate and the dough to rise.
If your home is cold, you can pre-heat the oven to 22-25 degrees Celsius/ 72-77 degrees Fahrenheit before placing the bowl inside the oven. Make sure to turn the oven off before placing the dough & damp towel inside to avoid fires.
Once your dough has risen, with lightly floured hands, shape the dough again, and form a dough ball with a smooth surface.
Then, your dough is ready to use!
If you are not ready to use the dough, you can transfer the dough back into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. This will develop the flavor of the dough and make it easier to handle when shaping. This dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Note:
Use or freeze the brioche dough within 5 days.
To use the brioche dough, sprinkle the surface and your hands with flour. Grab and cut off as much dough as you need. Dust the dough with a little more flour, and shape into a ball, stretching the gluten tight as you go. Follow according to that recipe (brioche dough recipes to come!)
To freeze, form the brioche dough into a ball the size you plan to eventually use it for, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and place in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 weeks. To use frozen, pull out a dough ball, and allow to thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Then follow the recipe as usual.
Ok... but what do I do with my brioche dough now?
Click below to sign up for Amby's Baking Club! You will be notified when I publish the next recipe, and I'll also be hosting a free live baking class where we can develop our skills as pasticcieres together, If playing with dough, making "Wow!" desserts for your loved ones, and making new friends sounds fun to you, click here to learn more.
Un bacio,
Amby
P.S. Want my free 17pg 2 Week Southern Italy itinerary? Get the guide here.