Breakfast brioche

Method

1. Mix the yeast, sugar, flour and salt in a mixing bowl, make a well in the centre, then pour in the milk and eggs. Mix with a palette knife (or dough hook in a stand mixer) to form a soft dough.
2. Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes until smooth and elastic. If doing this by hand, you might need a dough scraper. Tip the dough into a greased bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rise until doubled in size (about 2 hours).
3. Add the 200g butter, a piece at a time, using the pull-and-slap technique . Put the dough on an unfloured surface, pull half of it up, then bury a piece of butter in the dough on the table. Slap the pulled dough down, then pull up a new section and slap this down. Repeat pulling and slapping until the butter is incorporated, then add another piece of butter. Don’t add it too quickly or it won’t incorporate. The dough will turn shiny and very soft. (Alternatively, do this in a stand mixer, still adding the butter a bit at a time.)
4. Put the dough to the bowl and leave to double in size again. Don’t leave it anywhere too warm, or the butter may melt and make the dough greasy.
5. Knock back the dough to distribute the air, then roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a rough 30cm x 45cm rectangle. Brush the top with melted butter, scatter with a little salt, then spread jam all over. Using a sharp knife, halve the dough, then cut each half into 3 strips. Cut each strip into 4 rough squares. Put them in the tin to fill it haphazardly. Cover with oiled cling film and leave to prove for 40 minutes.
6. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Once the dough is puffed, brush with milk, then bake for 45-50 minutes until golden and cooked – cover with foil once the top is golden (after about 25 minutes). Cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then run a knife around the edge and carefully invert from the tin. Leave until lukewarm, glaze with more jam, then sprinkle with sugar and pull apart to eat.