Citrus Season Brioche

Fluffy olive oil brioche loaves & bright lemon cardamom sweet rolls

Swirly cardamom-scented brioche buns topped with tangy cream cheese frosting

It’s peak citrus season, and lemon pairs perfectly with the grassy, savory notes of my vegan olive oil brioche dough. These buns are rich, but also bright, thanks to a liberal amount of lemon zest and vanilla paste in the filling, and slightly spicy, due to a generous hit of cardamom. Tangy vegan cream cheese frosting is the only way to top these off. I highly recommend either the Kite Hill or Trader Joe's brands here, as they resemble dairy cream cheese to the point where you won't even know this isn't "real" cream cheese frosting. This recipe is available for paid subscribers below!

And if you are craving a simpler yeasted treat, the recipe for my vegan olive oil brioche loaves is available for all subscribers. Not only are they fluffy and soft like traditional brioche, but also they showcase the rich, slightly bitter edge of extra virgin olive oil. Loosely braided, the loaves are baked until airy, with a golden crumb and burnished crust. Cut thick slices for French toast and sandwiches, or just toast and slather with toppings; try a drizzle of olive oil, apricot jam, fresh rosemary, and a sprinkle of flaky salt for a delightfully different breakfast treat.

Beautifully burnished brioche braids…say that five times fast!

Vegan Olive Oil Brioche Loaves

Makes one 4” x 4” x 9” loaf

30 mins active time, 3 hours total time (excludes time to make the dough)

Ingredients

1 recipe Vegan Olive Oil Brioche Dough

Egg Wash

30 g (2 tbsp) liquid vegan egg substitute (JUST egg recommended)

10 g (2 tsp) soy milk

Instructions

Pre-shape and rest the dough

1. Generously spray a 4" x 4" x 9" Pullman loaf pan with cooking spray

2. Turn the dough top side down onto a lightly floured countertop and press lightly to de-gas

3. Divide the dough into 3 roughly rectangular pieces, each about 355 g

4. Working with one piece at a time, stretch the dough at the top center and bottom corners so that it more closely resembles a triangle

5. Fold the top point of the triangle about 1/3 of the way down the piece of dough, pressing firmly to seal it in place

6. Now fold the two top corners of dough about 1/3 of the way down, and press those to seal

7. Repeat Steps 5 & 6 once again, stretching and folding from the middle, then the edges, as the dough becomes more of a baguette shape

8. Now, start at one end of the baguette and bring the top edge of the dough down all the way to the bottom edge and press down with the heel of your hand to seal them together; continue along the length of the dough until you have a baguette roughly 8 - 10 inches in length

9. Repeat Steps 4 - 8 with the remaining pieces of dough, then cover with plastic and let rest for 20 mins

Braid and proof the loaf

1. Roll each baguette into a smooth rope roughly 12 inches in length

2. Pinch the ropes together and align them so they are arrayed in front of you, with the pinched end farthest from you

3. Begin the braid by bringing the right rope over the center rope, into the center position, and moving the previous center rope to the right position

4. Now, bring the left rope over the new center rope, into the center position, and move the previous center rope to the left position

5. Repeat Steps 3 & 4 until you have a braided loaf roughly 9 -10 inches in length; pinch the ends of the ropes to seal and tuck the pinched portion of dough underneath

6. Place the loaf into the prepared pan; cover loosely with plastic and proof at 82 F until the loaf has risen about 1/2 inch above the top of the mold, about 1.5 hours

Bake and finish the loaf

1. While the loaf is rising, preheat the oven to 350 F and position a rack in the center

2. Combine the ingredients for the Egg Wash and brush the top of the loaf with a very thin coating

3. Bake the loaf until it is deep golden brown and registers 195 F in the center, about 45 mins

4. Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 10 mins, then turn it onto a wire rack to cool for at least one hour before slicing and enjoying; I know it's tempting, but do not slice into the loaf sooner, otherwise, the texture will be gummy

5. Brioche loaves keep for about 3 days at room temperature unsliced. Alternatively, I recommend slicing and freezing whatever is left of the loaves after 24 hours, then toasting them off as needed, for maximum freshness

Making vegan olive oil brioche loaves: (1) dough ready for first proof, (2) divided in 3 baguettes, (3) braided, and (4) baked

Notes & Variations

Using a Countertop Proofer

1. I highly recommend a countertop proofing box for this recipe and for any home bread baking; without it, it is much more difficult to achieve the accuracy in temperature and humidity levels that are necessary to properly proof bread

2. I use this Brød & Taylor proofer, and I cannot recommend it enough

Things I Used

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Ingredients

JUST Egg vegan liquid egg substitute

Equipment

4" x 4" x 9" Pullman loaf pan

Pastry brush

Brød & Taylor countertop proofer

Bench scraper

Olive oil lends this bread a plush yet open crumb

The recipe for my lemon cardamom sweet rolls, made with the same olive oil brioche dough as the loaves above, is available below for paid subscribers!

Is there such a thing as too much frosting?? Not here