The aroma of this brioche while mixing, baking and eating is intoxicating — a warm blend of orange and cinnamon that evokes summer evenings in Morocco. Fresh from the oven it’s hard to resist; the crumb continues to mature as it cools and the flavors deepen.

I discovered the recipe by chance after meeting Carla Tomasi on Twitter. Carla, a former chef and restaurateur based in Rome, generously shared this brioche recipe that has become a favourite among her friends. The recipe originally came from a Swede living in Spain, making it a delightful international creation.

This brioche is delicious sliced on its own, with butter, or lightly toasted. Unlike many brioche recipes that use large quantities of butter, this version is lighter while still rich in flavor.

The quantities below yield about 2kg of dough — enough for two 1kg loaf tins or three slightly smaller loaves. Weigh the divided dough for even loaves. Line your tins with greaseproof paper or use tin liners. A stand mixer with a dough hook makes this much easier, but it can be made by hand with more effort.

You’ll also need a large bowl for proving the dough and oiled cling film or an opened plastic bag to prevent drying. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Avoid using a fan oven because the sugar in the dough can cause the exterior to brown before the center is fully baked.

Ingredients:

For the dough

Either use:
25g dried yeast
1 tsp sugar
60g warm water — mix and leave until frothy (about 15 minutes)

Or use:
2 sachets easy-bake yeast — add the 60g warm water to the orange juice below

250g tepid full-fat milk

250g fresh orange juice (about 5 oranges or use smooth carton juice)

100g sugar (granulated or brown caster for a richer color)

50g unsalted butter, soft

110g eggs, beaten (about 2 eggs)

Grated zest of 1 orange

1.2kg very strong white bread flour

For the cinnamon sugar filling

120g sugar (granulated or brown caster)
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
50g unsalted butter, melted

Method

This dough is easiest in a stand mixer with a dough hook, but can be made by hand. In the mixer bowl or a large mixing bowl, combine the milk, orange juice and zest, sugar, soft butter, and beaten eggs. Add 400g of the flour and mix until combined (use the paddle attachment if available).

Add the yeast and another 400g of flour, mixing until combined. Switch to the dough hook if using a mixer. Gradually add the remaining flour, ensuring each addition is fully incorporated before adding more. Stop adding flour when the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic and springs back when pressed. A good test is to stretch a small piece until it forms a thin translucent “window” — if it tears, knead longer. Kneading in a machine may take around 12 minutes at a slow speed, then 5 minutes faster; by hand will take significantly longer.

Oil a large bowl (or dust with flour), place the dough inside, and cover with oiled plastic. Allow to rise in a warm place until roughly doubled in size, which may take 45 minutes or more depending on room temperature.

Divide the dough into two or more portions, handling gently. Flatten each portion into a rectangle: the short side should be slightly shorter than your loaf tin length and the long side about one and a half times that.

Combine the sugar and cinnamon for the filling. Brush each rectangle with some melted butter and sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon sugar. Starting from the short side, roll the dough up tightly and place it seam-side down in the lined loaf tin. Cover with oiled plastic and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes depending on temperature. Repeat with remaining portions.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes until golden. For an even bake, remove the loaves from the tins, turn them upside down, and return to the oven for another 5 minutes or so until firm all around.

When baked, transfer the brioche to a rack to cool. For best texture, allow the loaf to cool thoroughly so the crumb sets before slicing. Brioche freezes well — wrap and bag tightly before freezing. Slice larger loaves before freezing if desired.

Grazie mille to Carla for the recipe — enjoy your orange cinnamon swirl brioche!