Braided Baklava Brioche
You know that phrase, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”? Can we just agree that those words are completely, 100% untrue? At 31 years old, I feel pretty old some days, and if you tell me I’ve grown and learned as much life-changing newness as I will be in my lifetime, I give up now. That would be the worst. I don’t want to exist in a world where the curtain has closed on new possibilities.
I think the statement about the dog and his tricks is useful in some scenarios. Like changing people? We just can’t do that. Or becoming a prima ballerina for the NYC Ballet at age 92? Not going to happen. But I do believe that when it comes to ourselves- our own talents, our hopes, our pursuits, our whatever- we can be some old as dirt humans who are still be capable of achieving. The possibility all rests within our resolve and the willingness to work our fanny off.
My kids have been useful in teaching me a few new tricks. Motherhood constantly stretches me beyond what I previously believed I was capable of, and there are days where I reflect on what I’ve accomplished and beam with pride. Baking and managing this business do the same thing. Yes, there are some skills and experiences that feel a lot like standing at the base of Mt. Everest, but I think we can completely void the notion that we’ve missed our opportunity for greatness just by strapping on our boots and tiptoeing onto the mountain. Sometimes we need to just go for it.
So let this be your motivational speech for the week: don’t be afraid to try. Let’s be a people that are constantly evolving, always learning, and never afraid to step into something new. Let’s go after both the things within our reach and the stuff that feels way too far up the side of the mountain. We can be a bunch of old dogs learning tricks.
Braided Baklava Brioche
This braided baklava brioche is not for the faint of heart. Yeast breads like this can be an animal for beginners, and the filling and braiding of this kind of loaf can be super tricky as well. But the reward, a sweetened and lightly spiced bread filled with nuts, honey, and loads of flavor, is totally worth it in every respect.
I’m sharing today’s recipe for this baklava brioche with my friends at Kerrygold! I always reserve their top-notch butter for my favorite, most worthy recipes, and this baklava bread is no exception. Unsalted sweet cream butter helps to transform this bread into a tender, flaky loaf that is full of uncompromised flavor.
Making the Brioche
To make this baklava brioche, we start with the dough. Yeast is dissolved in a bit of warm milk and brown sugar before eggs and honey are added. The dry ingredients, flour, cinnamon, and salt, come next, and are followed up by an incorporating of softened butter. The dough is extremely moist, kinda stretchy, and so delicious that you may end up nibbling on little raw bits before it’s baked. No judgment.
Once the dough for this baklava brioche has risen for the first time, we can prepare the filling. The rolled-out dough is slathered in butter and coated in a sprinkle of sugar, spices, pistachios, and walnuts. Roll the covered dough tightly, cut the log lengthwise to expose the filled innards, and spiral the two pieces together to create and braided wreath of dough. Allow the dough to rest in a warm spot of your kitchen while it rises for a final time.
Fresh from the oven, this baklava bread boasts all of the nutty, spiced flavors of traditional baklava. I love to serve this baklava brioche as a warm breakfast slice, but I think you’d find it to be a suitable dessert or snack as well. This recipe yields a massive loaf of bread, so if someone gets the gumption to test it out as two smaller loaves, I’d love to hear your results! Either way, give this baklava brioche a try and let me know what you think! Many thanks to Kerrygold for sponsoring this baklava brioche post, and many thanks to you all for supporting brands that make Wood & Spoon possible. Happy baking!
If you like this baklava bread you should check out:
PrintBraided Baklava Brioche
This braided baklava brioche is loaded with pistachios, walnuts, honey, and cinnamon- all the flavors of traditional baklava!
- Prep Time: 45
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 360
- Yield: 1 Loaf
- Category: Bread
Ingredients
For the dough:
- ½ cup (120 gm) whole milk, lukewarm
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2–1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1–1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (290 gm) all-purpose flour, plus more
- ½ cup (115 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
For the filling:
- ½ cup (115 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup (100 gm) brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ½ cup shelled pistachios, finely chopped
- ½ cup shelled walnuts, finely chopped
For the syrup:
- ¼ cup (60 gm) water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions
- Pour the milk into the bowl of a stand mixer and stir in the brown sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over top and allow it to dissolve completely, about 5 minutes. Stir as needed to get some of the yeast on top dry.
- Once dissolved, stir in the honey, eggs, salt, cinnamon, and 1 cup of flour. Once combined, put the flat beater on the stand mixer and stir in the remaining flour. With the mixer on medium speed begin to add the butter a tablespoon at a time until it is combined, and then continue to beat for 4-5 more minutes until the dough becomes slightly stringy/ stretchy on the beater. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Place the finished bowl in a large lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise and double in size in a warm spot of your kitchen ( I let mine rise by the oven) for about an hour and a half.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, prepare the filling. Stir together the softened butter with the brown sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest. Roll the dough out on a floured surface into a 12”x15” rectangle. Spread the mixture evenly over the dough and sprinkle both varieties of nuts on top. Starting with one of the long ends, tightly roll the dough and pinch the final edge together to seal. Flip the dough log over so the seam is on the bottom and use a large sharp knife (like a chef’s knife) to slice down the center of the length of the dough leaving 1” piece of dough uncut up top. This top piece of dough will hold the two halves of dough together. Twist the two dough tails so the innards are facing upwards and then twist around each other to the ends. Bring the tail to meet the head and wrap one on top of another so that you make and O-shaped wreath of dough. Place the wreath into a lightly greased 10” dish or skillet and cover with plastic wrap to rise a second time while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Once puffed (about 35-40 minutes) remove the plastic wrap and bake in the preheated oven for about 30 or so minutes. In the meantime, make the syrup.
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a bubble, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Once the top of the bread has tanned, the dough in the center looks dry, and the internal temp reads 180 degrees, remove the pan from the oven and immediately pour the syrup on top of the hot bread. Set aside to cool some prior to eating.
