First prepare the caramelised apples. Chop the prepared apples into rough dice (about 1cm)
Heat the butter in a frying pan until it begins to turn brown, then add the apple and toss well to coat. Add the sugar and cook, moving the pieces around until they take on a little colour.
Pour in the calvados and carefully light it using a match. When the flame has died down, add the crème fraiche and allow to simmer for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
To make the dough, out the milk and eggs into the bowl of a food mixer, then add the flour. Break up the fresh yeast and add to one side of the bowl. Add the sugar and salt on the other side of the bowl to the yeast. Break up the butter on top. Mix on a slow speed for 4 minutes, then turn up the speed to a medium for about 10-12 minutes until the dough comes away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
Lightly flour the work surface and also a clean bowl. Use your scraper to turn the dough onto the work surface.
Form the dough into a ball. Gather each “corner” of the dough and fold into the centre, pressing down lightly with your thumb. Use your other hand to rotate the dough anti-clockwise before folding in the next “corner”. Repeat the folding and rotating sequence another six times to strengthen the dough.
Finally turn the dough over so your top is back on top and smooth and shape it into a round.
Use a scraper to help you lift the dough into your floured bowl.
Cover the bowl with a baking cloth or a large freezer bag and leave to rest for about an hour until just under double in size.
Grease a 21-22cm diameter cake tin with butter.
Lightly flour your work surface again and turn out the dough. Press and prod it into a rectangle about the size of an A3 sheet of paper.
Spread the caramelised apples evenly over the dough and roll up lengthways – not too tightly – to form a long log, then coil this into the tin.
Cover with a baking cloth or large freezer bag and allow to prove for at least an hour, until the dough has come to just above the rim of the tin.
While the brioche is proving, pre-heat the oven to 190c and beat the eggs with the salt in a small bowl for the glaze.
Brush the top of the coiled brioche with the egg glaze and decorate with the slices of apple, then sprinkle with the nibbed sugar.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, then turn down to 180c for a further 30-40 minutes until the brioche pulls away slightly from the edges of the tin and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out hot and clean. To colour the top a little more, turn down the heat to 150c for a few more minutes.
Leave to stand for about 10-15 minutes then turn out of the tin and cool on a wire rack. If you wish, dust with some icing sugar before serving.
First prepare the caramelised apples. Chop the prepared apples into rough dice (about 1cm)
Heat the butter in a frying pan until it begins to turn brown, then add the apple and toss well to coat. Add the sugar and cook, moving the pieces around until they take on a little colour.
Pour in the calvados and carefully light it using a match. When the flame has died down, add the crème fraiche and allow to simmer for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
To make the dough, out the milk and eggs into the bowl of a food mixer, then add the flour. Break up the fresh yeast and add to one side of the bowl. Add the sugar and salt on the other side of the bowl to the yeast. Break up the butter on top. Mix on a slow speed for 4 minutes, then turn up the speed to a medium for about 10-12 minutes until the dough comes away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
Lightly flour the work surface and also a clean bowl. Use your scraper to turn the dough onto the work surface.
Form the dough into a ball. Gather each “corner” of the dough and fold into the centre, pressing down lightly with your thumb. Use your other hand to rotate the dough anti-clockwise before folding in the next “corner”. Repeat the folding and rotating sequence another six times to strengthen the dough.
Finally turn the dough over so your top is back on top and smooth and shape it into a round.
Use a scraper to help you lift the dough into your floured bowl.
Cover the bowl with a baking cloth or a large freezer bag and leave to rest for about an hour until just under double in size.
Grease a 21-22cm diameter cake tin with butter.
Lightly flour your work surface again and turn out the dough. Press and prod it into a rectangle about the size of an A3 sheet of paper.
Spread the caramelised apples evenly over the dough and roll up lengthways – not too tightly – to form a long log, then coil this into the tin.
Cover with a baking cloth or large freezer bag and allow to prove for at least an hour, until the dough has come to just above the rim of the tin.
While the brioche is proving, pre-heat the oven to 190c and beat the eggs with the salt in a small bowl for the glaze.
Brush the top of the coiled brioche with the egg glaze and decorate with the slices of apple, then sprinkle with the nibbed sugar.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, then turn down to 180c for a further 30-40 minutes until the brioche pulls away slightly from the edges of the tin and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out hot and clean. To colour the top a little more, turn down the heat to 150c for a few more minutes.
Leave to stand for about 10-15 minutes then turn out of the tin and cool on a wire rack. If you wish, dust with some icing sugar before serving.
