Swirl Brioche Bread with Blackberry Jam

I’m currently finding any and all excuses to make this brioche bread. As I’ve said before, baking is something I’ve far from mastered (unlike cooking, which feels mostly intuitive to me). Step by step directions with photos and clear tips are super helpful to making sure it’s done right, which is why I loved this recipe and directions by @zoebakes and #betterbakingacademy. Their post is full of videos/pictures and FAQs (like how do I know if it’s been mixed enough? What about under or over proofed?), so I felt more confident during the process while also learning about baking bread in general.

So far I’ve done this with a strawberry rhubarb jam and a blackberry one. What jam would you want to make this with?

Find the recipe here on Zoe Bakes. I’ve copied this recipe down below because you have to go through a lot of links to get the instructions and ingredients. If you go to her instagram page, you can also find some videos that show the steps. The only thing I’ve found doing this a few times that wasn’t mentioned was…

1. Use jam that is well pureed. Otherwise the layer of jam will be uneven and clumpy.

2. When rolling the bread, try to keep it quite tight without making the jam spurt out. I found I had to pick up the dough a bit when rolling.

Swirl Brioche Bread with Blackberry Jam
From Zoe Bakes (see link above- this is not my recipe, I’ve just copied it below)

• 3¾ cups (469 grams) Bob’s Red Mill Organic All-Purpose Flour, divided

• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom

• zest of 1 orange

• 2 tablespoons (24 grams) granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon (9 grams) kosher salt

• 1 (0.25-ounce) package (7 grams) active dry yeast

• ½ cup (120 grams) whole milk

• ½ cup (105 grams) water

• ⅓ cup (76 grams) unsalted butter

• 1 large egg (50 grams), room temperature

• 2/3 cup jam of your choice

• 2 tablespoons coarse sugar, for topping

Directions are from Baked from Scratch. See pictures of the steps here.

1. Combine 1½ cups (188 grams) flour, cardamom, orange zest, sugar, salt, and yeast in a standing mixer with paddle attachment.

2. Place milk, ½ cup (120 grams) water, and butter in a small sauce pot. Heat over medium heat until 120-130°F.

3. Add milk to flour mixture. Beat at medium speed until combined. Add egg and beat until combined. Gradually add 2 cups (250 grams) flour while mixer runs on a low speed. Beat until a shaggy dough comes together.

4. Switch to the dough hook attachment. Beat at low speed until a soft, somewhat sticky dough forms, 6 to 7 minutes, stopping to scrape dough hook and sides of bowl. Add up to remaining ¼ cup (31 grams) flour, a few tablespoons at a time, if dough is too sticky. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and shape into a smooth round.

   1. Windowpane test: To see if you kneaded enough, tear off a small piece of dough and stretch it- you should be able to stretch it so it is thin and translucent. If it breaks when you stretch it, you need to knead more. If it is too hard to stretch, you overkneaded.

5. Lightly oil a large bowl. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft- free place (75°F/24°C) until doubled in size, 40 minutes to 1 hour.

   1. Dent test: When you poke the dough, the dough should slowly come back so there is no dent.

6. Roll dough into a 20×15 inch rectangle using a rolling pin.

7. Spread jam into one even layer across the dough- be sure to go far out to the edge!

   *The next steps are best with visuals- see Zoe Bake’s instagram stories for videos of this. I found them super helpful. Ma

8. Roll dough up into a cylinder lengthwise.

9. Cut the dough in half lengthwise so you have two long strands.

10. Because to create a twisted braid, moving one strand on top of another until fully twisted. Keep cut side up.

11. Shape twisted braid into a circle.

12. Place on a baking sheet or circular baking dish lined with parchment paper.

13. Let dough sit at room temperature for 90 minutes to rise.

14. Preheat oven to 350. Sprinkle bread with coarse sugar on top.

15. Bake for 45-55 minutes. The top will be golden. Cool before slicing.