Sicilian Brioche

Make your own authentic Sicilian Brioche with the tuppo, just like the ones you enjoyed in Sicily, at home! Serve these fluffy brioche with gelato, granita or as is for the perfect breakfast or snack any time of day.

Please note that the original recipe for Sicilian Brioche was posted in 2016 and was modified and improved in 2021 to create brioche with a fluffier texture and made with ingredients that are accessible to all.

My first Sicilian Brioche

Picture it. Sicily 1991. A young woman visits her parents’ hometown in Sicily for the first time. She is at her nonna’s home in the outskirts of a tiny medieval village located high on a hilltop.

The young woman is sleeping in her nonna’s bedroom with the shutters drawn tight to keep out the morning sun. Suddenly, she is awakened by the sounds of a man shouting unintelligible words into a megaphone in a heavy Sicilian accent. This was the brioche man making his morning deliveries.

That morning, she has her first taste of brioche for breakfast and falls in love. My dear friends, that young woman was me!

Fast forward 25 years later. I am back in Sicily once again enjoying my brioche, this time with my husband and children. Since we are not staying up in the hilltop village as last time, I’m not sure if the morning brioche man is still making his rounds. I obtain the recipe for brioche by a local cook. When I return home, I finally attempt to make them for the first time.

This is how my love of brioche began and I’m thrilled to finally share this recipe with you!

What makes these brioche Sicilian?

I am frequently asked what makes these brioche distinctly Sicilian. That is because they originated in Sicily. They are found in all cafés and bars and are called brioche col tuppo. The tuppo on top (meaning bun as in a bun in a woman’s hair) is characteristic of these brioche.

How to eat brioche

Now let’s talk about how you eat brioche when you’re in Sicily. You can have one for breakfast; at snack time around 10:00 am sitting at the bar with your friends; or as a late night snack sitting at the bar with your friends! So basically, all day long.

The first step is to remove the tuppo, the cute little bun on top, and pop it into your mouth.

You do not eat one on it’s own. A brioche is often accompanied by granita available in various flavors such as traditional lemon, coffee, strawberry, pistachio, or blueberry. You can also top your granita with fresh whipped cream. Are you drooling now?

The other way to eat brioche, which I learned from my cousin, is cut in half and stuffed with gelato. But unfortunately we are not in Sicily and do not visit the bar on a daily basis with friends on a hot blistery day. Therefore, we (particularly my children) enjoy them cut in half and spread with Nutella. Oh well, we gotta make do!

 

The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe.

Step by Step Instructions:

Proof the yeast:  place a packet of active dry yeast and 1 tsp sugar in a bowl. Warm milk until lukewarm and pour over the yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes until foamy.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix eggs and sugar until smooth. Add honey, vanilla extract and freshly grated zest of 1 orange. Mix well and pour in the yeast mixture. Then add cubed softened butter. Mix all ingredients. Note that the butter will not dissolve into the mixture at this point. This is normal.

Remove the paddle attachment and replace with a dough hook. With the mixer running on low speed, begin adding flour 1/2 cup at a time as well as the salt. When all the flour has been added, increase to the next speed and knead the dough for 10 minutes. It will be very sticky and will wrap itself around the hook.

Use a spatula to scrape the dough into a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise in warm place for 3 hours until doubled in bulk. I place my dough in my unlit oven with the light on.

To shape:

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a kitchen scale to separate the dough into 12 -90 gram pieces and shape into a ball. Remove a 15 gram piece of dough from each ball and shape into a ball for the tuppo.

Use your thumb to make a deep indentation in the center of each 75 gram ball. Use your fingers to spread the dough open and place the smaller ball in the center, as shown.

Let rise for 2 hours until doubled in size. Brush each brioche with egg/milk mixture.Bake for 15 minutes in a 350 degrees F preheated oven until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips and suggestions:

• For best results, use a kitchen scale to weigh the base and the tuppo of the brioche in order to have equally shaped brioche.
• After the brioche have risen you may notice some of the tuppo may be off centered and lopsided. Resist the urge to nudge them back in the center of the brioche as they will deflate. Trust me, I know. You will simply have a brioche with an off center tuppo and that is ok.
• I was advised to place the brioche in the oven with the light on while they rise. The heat from the light helps them to rise. It does make a difference!

Can brioche be made without a stand mixer?

Yes they can! Whisk the ingredients together in a large bowl (steps 1-4). Switch to a wooden spoon to stir in the flour. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. The dough will be tacky to the touch, this is normal. Add just a tiny bit of flour in order to knead it. You want to maintain a soft and slightly sticky dough. 

Can brioche be frozen?

• As a matter of fact, I strongly recommend that you freeze extra brioche. Brioche are best eaten the same day as they tend to dry out and become harder as of the next day. If you don’t plan to eat them the same day, or at most the next morning, I suggest you freeze the brioche immediately once cooled. Take them out of the freezer the night before you plan to eat them. In Sicily, they are only eaten the day that they are purchased, you will never have leftover brioche the next day. That’s why you have the delivery man making his morning rounds!

If you try out this recipe, please tag me with your lovely photos with @mangiabedda or #mangiabedda on Facebook or Instagram.  Feel free to share this recipe with your friends by clicking on the social media buttons on this page.  Buon appetito! 

Here are a few other Sicilian favorites inspired by my travels:

• Trapani  Style Potatoes Vastase
• Sicilian Involtini with Maccaruna
• Blueberry Granita
• Sicilian Rosticceria Small Bites
• Panelle (Sicilian Chickpea Fritters)
• Sicilian Pasta with Anchovies and Breadcrumbs
• Baked Sicilian Iris with Ricotta

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