Brioche braid filled with custard

INGREDIENTS

•  500 g of 00 flour;
• 4 tablespoons sugar;
• 1 teaspoon salt;
• 2 eggs;
• 60 g butter;
• 180 ml of warm milk;
• Half a cube of brewer’s yeast;
• Lemon or orange peel;
• Sugar granules to taste
• For the custard:
• 300 ml of semi-skimmed milk;
• 3 egg yolks;
• 60 g corn starch;
• 100 g of sugar;
• The grated zest of half a lemon.

STEP

1. First prepare the custard:
2. Place a saucepan with the milk on the heat, pour in the zest of a lemon and bring to the boil;
3. Take a bowl, pour in the egg yolks, add the sugar and whisk;
4. Add the starch and mix, then pour in two ladles of boiling milk and mix everything together:
5. Then pour the egg mixture into the remaining milk and whisk until the cream is thick;
6. Turn off, pour into a bowl, cover with cling film and leave to cool;
7. Let’s prepare the dough:
8. Melt the butter in a bain-marie and warm the milk;
9. On the work surface, arrange the flour in a fountain shape and add: the sugar, the crumbled yeast, the eggs, the melted butter and the lukewarm milk. Add the salt to the sides (be careful not to touch the yeast);
10. Using a fork, begin to mix all the ingredients;
11. Knead vigorously for about 15 minutes, using the flour as a support, until you obtain a smooth, homogeneous dough (you can also use a planetary mixer);
12. Form a loaf, cover with a cloth and let it rise for about 2 hours, it should double in volume, in the oven turned off with only the light on;
13. Once ready, deflate it and divide it into 3 well-rolled cylinders, each approximately 18 cm long;
14. Shape the braid, seal the sides well, place on a baking tray lined with baking paper, cover and leave to rise for another hour;
15. Brush the surface with the egg yolk, now fill the folds of the braid with the help of a piping bag, with the custard, add the sugar grains and cook at 180 (pre-heated oven) degrees for 25/30 minutes;
16. Bake, let cool and enjoy!
17. AMAZING!