Fruit Brioche With Brown Sugar Labne

FRUIT BRIOCHE WITH BROWN SUGAR LABNE

adapted from Gourmet Traveller October 2012

A rich buttery sweet bread topped with creamy brown sugar yogurt and topped with strawberries and mandarin zest.

Ingredients

for the brioche

1/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons dried yeast
150g softened butter
70g brown sugar
1 egg
400g plain flour
juice of 1/2 blood orange
zest of 1 blood orange
8 large strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 egg, lightly beaten for eggwash
2 tablespoons raw sugar

for the brown sugar labne

600g plain thick yogurt
120g brown sugar

Method

For the brown sugar labne, place a sieve inside a bowl making sure there is some gap between the two to allow water to collect. Place a cheese cloth inside the sieve, hanging over the edges. Spoon yogurt on to the cheese cloth. Top with some brown sugar. Spoon some yogurt and continue layering till all yogurt and brown sugar is used up. Tie the ends of the cheese cloth, gather and press down. Place a heavy weight on top of the prepared parcel and set aside.

Heat milk in a saucepan to lukewarm. Remove from heat, stir in the yeast and stand in a warm place until foaming (about 3 to 4 minutes).

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine and process butter, brown sugar, egg, blood orange juice and half of the orange zest. Add yeast micture and flour. Process to form a soft cake like dough. Turn onto a well floyred surface and form into a smooth ball. Place in a lightly buttered bowl, cover with tea towel and set aside to rise for an hour.

Preheat oven to 180C. Turn dough onto a piece of baking paper dusted with flour. Pat the dough into a 25cm diamter round shape with the edges slightly raised. Make sure your hands are dusted with flour. Spread one third of labne over dough leaving a 2cm border. Scatter with strawberries and brush edges with eggwash. Scatter raw sugar and remaining orange zest over the brioche and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and cooked through.

Serve warm with extra labne.