St-Nicholas’ Mannele Brioches
- 4 3/4 cups plain flour
- 1 active dry yeast sachet, about 10g/0.35 oz.
- 1 3/8 cups milk warm
- 4 3/8 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 1/4 tablespoons softened butter
- 1 egg
- chocolate chips
- sultanas
- pine nuts
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon milk
- Cut the butter into pieces and leave to soften at room temperature.
- Warm the milk and sprinkle the yeast over it. Be careful, the milk shouldn't be hot or it will kill the yeast.
- In a big bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Rub in the butter until you get a crumb-like consistency.
- Mix in the egg, using a hard spatula.
- Slowly add the milk and knead until the dough is smooth, soft and no longer sticky.
- Cover with Clingfilm and allow to rest for about 1h30, or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Once your dough has risen, tip it onto your working surface and knock the air out.
- To shape the Mannele, you can use of the 2 following methods:
- 1. divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and shape them into logs. Cut one third and roll it to form the head. Using a pair of scissors or a sharp knife, make two oblique cuts into the cylinder, for the arms, and a vertical one at the bottom to cut the legs. Place the head over the shoulders;
- 2. roll out the dough with a rolling pin and use a gingerbread man cookie cutter. I used a 14cm/5.5 in. cookie cutter.
- Place the Mannele on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Do not put more than 6 Mannele per sheet or they'll stick together during the second rise.
- Cover with a towel and let rise for about an hour.
- Preheat your oven to 180u0b0C/350u0b0F.
- Beat the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon milk and brush over the Mannele.
- Pin the chocolate chips/sultanas/pine nuts onto the dough for the eyes, buttons and/or other decorations.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
- Cool on a wire rack before eating them with a mug of hot chocolate
flour, active dry yeast sachet, milk, sugar, salt, butter, egg, chocolate chips, sultanas, nuts, egg yolk, milk
Taken from www.yummly.com/recipe/St-Nicholas-Mannele-brioches-1673947 (may not work)