Nicola Lamb’s olive oil brioche with brie, roasted grapes, honey and thyme

Method

1. Start by making the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attached, mix together the 50g egg and the milk. Add the flour, theput the yeast on one side of the bowl and the salt on the other. Mix at a medium speed for 6-8 minutes until medium gluten development is reached (see tips).
2. Add the softened butter, a teaspoon at a time, with the mixer running, followed by the olive oil and honey. Mix until very smooth – another 10-12 minutes – until full gluten development is reached (see Tips). If you haven’t reached it in the timeframe, rest for 5 minutes, then mix for another 5 minutes.
3. Remove the dough from the bowl and use your hands or a bench scraper to form it into a round shape. Use your unfloured work surface to help create some tension across the top – move it towards you a few centimetres, using the edges of your hands or the scraper so the dough grips the work surface, then turn slightly and repeat a couple of times until it has a smooth, tight surface. Put the dough back in the bowl, cover and leave to rise for 1 hour. It should noticeably puff and almost double in size – it may take a little more or less time depending on your environment.
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4. While the dough rests, heat the oven to 200°C fan/gas 7. To make the grapes, add all the ingredients to a baking tray and toss to combine. Roast for 15-20 minutes until the grapes burst and have blistered skin, then leave to cool.
5. Divide the risen dough into 10 equal portions, roughly 50g each. Shape each one into a ball using a cupped hand, then line a large baking tray (or 2 smaller trays) with baking paper and arrange the dough balls on it, leaving 5-6cm between each one. Cover lightly and leave to prove for 1-2 hours until very puffy.
6. Heat the oven to 175°C fan/gas 5½. Brush the risen buns carefully with the beaten egg. They rise quite a lot in the oven, so try to brush all the way around the edges. Top each bun with a slice of brie and 15g of the roasted grapes. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of thyme leaves (about ½ tsp per bun).
7. Bake the buns for 12-14 minutes or until golden. The cheese should be golden and crisp. Finish with a drizzle of honey, more extra-virgin olive oil and some salt flakes. The buns are best enjoyed the same day, slightly warm, but they can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated in a 160°C fan/gas 4 oven for 10 minutes.