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Mark Moriarty’s brioche garlic bread: a recipe that will repay the time and effort

Brioche garlic bread, from Flavour: Everyday Food Made Exceptional, by Mark Moriarty. Photograph: Cliodhna Prendergast

Mark Moriarty
Sun Sep 24 2023 - 04:00
Makes: 1
Course: Side
Ingredients
  • For the brioche dough:
  • 400g strong plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 40g sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp fast-action dried yeast (1 sachet)
  • 100ml milk
  • 4 eggs
  • 100g soft butter
  • a little oil, for greasing
  • For the butter:
  • 100g butter
  • 6 garlic cloves, grated
  • 20g Parmesan, grated
  • 1 handful of parsley, chopped
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • For the glaze:
  • 1 egg yolk
  • a handful of chives, snipped

I won’t lie, this recipe is complicated but, my goodness, is it delicious! Just plan your day around it as it will repay the time and effort.

  1. Start by making the butter. Mix the butter in a bowl with the garlic, Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper until it is nicely blended. Roll into small balls around the size of a €2 coin and chill in the fridge.
  2. Now to make the dough, put the flour, sugar, salt and fast-action yeast in a mixer bowl with a dough hook. Mix together so the dry goods are all evenly distributed.
  3. Warm the milk to just above hand temperature in a small saucepan, then add it to the dough. Mix this together for 3 seconds on medium speed.
  4. Add the eggs one by one and mix on medium speed for 5 minutes until the dough starts to come together and hug the hook.
  5. Add the butter and mix for a further 8 minutes until the dough is shiny and glossy and just falling away from the dough hook when you lift it up.
  6. Place in a greased bowl and allow to prove for an hour to double in size, but ideally leave it overnight in the fridge to slow prove.
  7. Roll the dough on a floured surface into a sausage shape and cut into 8 x 60g chunks.
  8. Brush a large baking tray with softened butter to stop the bread from sticking and preheat the oven to 185°C.
  9. To assemble the doughballs, stuff the dough with the butter balls and shape into smooth balls using a small amount of flour. Place these on the baking tray, don’t worry about the gaps. Cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place for about 45 minutes to double in size.
  10. Once they’ve risen, mix together the egg yolk and cream for the glaze and brush the top of the bread using a pastry brush.
  11. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until golden brown all over.
  12. Finish by brushing with more butter and sprinkling with salt and chives. Serve warm.
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