Olive Brie-oche With Roasted Grapes, Honey, & Thyme Recipe

How to make Olive Brie-oche With Roasted Grapes, Honey, & Thyme

1. To make the roasted grapes, preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan.
2. Toss the grapes with the olive oil, salt, vinegar, thyme sprigs and fennel seeds, if using, on a small baking tray.
3. Roast for 15–20 minutes – the grapes will burst and have blistered skin. Leave to cool.
4. To make the brioche dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer, first add the egg and milk, followed by the dry ingredients (put the yeast on the opposite side of the bowl to the salt!). Mix, using the dough hook, on a medium speed for about 6–8 minutes until medium gluten development is reached – this is when you can pull on the dough and it stays together, but it is still quite fragile. You can take it further than this, but this is the minimum requirement before adding the fat.
5. Add in the soft butter, a teaspoon at a time, with the mixer running, followed by the olive oil and honey. Mix on a medium-high speed until very smooth – another 10–12 minutes – and full gluten development is reached. This is when you can pull a thin, almost translucent layer with the dough. If you haven’t reached it in the time frame, rest for 5 minutes, then mix for 5 minutes. Continue this until it is developed. Remove the dough from the bowl and use your hands or a bench scraper to form it into a round shape. Use the bench to help create some surface tension, so it has a smooth surface.
6. Leave to rest/rise in a bowl, covered, for 1 hour. It should noticeably puff and almost double in size. This may take less/more time, depending on your environment.
7. Divide the dough into 55–60g portions. Shape into balls using a cupped hand. Place on a baking paper-lined tray, leaving some space between. Cover lightly with clingfilm and leave to proof until very puffy for 1–2 hours.
8. Preheat the oven to 195°C/175°C fan.
9. Brush the buns carefully with egg wash. They rise quite a lot in the oven, so try to get all the way around the edges. Top each bun with 15g brie and 15g roasted grapes. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and finish with 5–10 thyme leaves (about ¼–½ tsp per bun).
10. Bake for 12–14 minutes or until golden. The cheese should be golden and crispy.
11. Finish with a drizzle of honey, extra virgin olive oil and some flaky salt.
12. These buns are best enjoyed on the same day, slightly warm. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge and reheated at 180°C/160°C fan for 10 minutes.