Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons (15 g) active dry yeast
- 1 additional egg for egg wash, lightly beaten
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon fleur d'oranger (orange flower water)
- 1 pound (500 g) flour, divided, plus more for kneading
- 1/2 cup (115 ml) milk, warmed to body temperature
- 1 ounce small juice or wine glass of rum, about 3 (90 ml)
- 2 pinches of salt
- 1/4 cup of sugar (you may use less than this)
- 7 tablespoons (100 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
Instructions:
- Place 1 cup (125 g) of the flour in a medium-sized mixing bowl with the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar.
- Add the warm milk and stir briefly just to wet all of the dry ingredients.
- Allow to proof for 20 – 40 minutes or until doubled in size, puffy and bubbly.
- While the yeast mixture is proofing, place the rest of the flour into a large mixing bowl with a large pinch of salt (about ½ teaspoon), the remaining sugar, the softened butter, the glass of rum, the fleur d’oranger and the 4 lightly beaten eggs.
- Stir with a wooden spoon until all of the dry ingredients have been moistened and the mixture is well blended.
- Add the proofed yeast mixture and stir the together until well blended. It will be very sticky, too sticky to handle.
- Scrape the dough onto a well-floured work surface.
- Knead the dough, adding enough extra flour until the dough is no longer sticky and it is soft, smooth and homogenous.
- Carefully divide the dough into 5 or 6 equal parts, form into balls and place one in the center of a parchment-lined baking/cookie tray. Place the other balls of dough around the outside of the center ball to form a star shape. Don’t worry if there are gaps between the balls of dough.
- Cover lightly with a piece of plastic wrap then a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise until doubled in size, 1 ½ to 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Brush the dough with the beaten egg and bake for 40 minutes. The fouace will have risen and be a deep golden brown. The “branches” of the star will have started to pull away from the center ball of brioche.
- Now pop the cork on that chilled bottle of Muscadet and enjoy!
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