Brioche con Gelato

Directions

Make the pistachio paste

1. Place the pistachios in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Leave to soak for 5 minutes.

2. Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring just to a simmer, then strain and rinse pistachios under cold water.
3. Place pistachios in a clean tea towel and wrap up to enclose, then rub vigorously back and forth to help the skins come away from pistachios. Shake off skins and remove any left on pistachios by hand.
4. Transfer blanched pistachios to a small food processor and process for 5-8 minutes, scraping down the sides occasionally, until it becomes a paste.
5. Add icing sugar, salt and orange blossom water and process again until smooth.

Make the gelato base

1. Place half the milk, sugar and the cream in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring just to a simmer, whisking until sugar dissolves.

2. Mix cornflour with a little of the remaining milk to make a slurry, then whisk this into the saucepan and cook for 2-3 minutes until mixture thickens.

3. Remove from the heat and whisk in pistachio paste and remaining milk, then strain through a fine sieve into a large jug. Allow to cool in the fridge, then freeze in an ice cream machine tub or follow your ice cream makers instructions (don’t put hot custard in the freezer).

Prep the dough

1. Mix the milk, yeast and 1 tbsp of the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and let sit for 10 minutes until it becomes foamy.

2. Add the remaining sugar, honey, vanilla, salt, eggs and zest to the milk mixture and fit the dough hook attachment.
3. Mix on low speed to incorporate, then gradually add the flour until a shaggy dough forms.
4. Add the butter a few cubes at a time, allowing to incorporate before adding more.

5. Increase the speed to medium, and mix for 5 minutes, until the dough is pulling away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.

6. Transfer dough to a lightly floured bench and form into a ball. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm draft free place for 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Shape the buns

1. Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.

2. Punch down the dough, transfer to a lightly floured bench and divide into 12 equal pieces.

3. Remove a 15 gram portion from each piece of dough for the top or "tuppo".

4. Shape this into a ball then make an indentation in the larger ball and place the “tuppo” in the top.
5. Place the brioche on the prepared baking sheets and continue with the remaining dough.
6. Allow to rise again for 1½ -2 hours, until doubled size.

Bake and serve

1. Preheat oven to 170°C fan forced (340°F). Brush each brioche with the extra egg (beat to turn into an egg wash).

2. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool rolls completely on a wire rack, then slice in half.

3. Process (churn) the gelato base until smooth and creamy in texture. Scoop some gelato and place on the base of the rolls then sandwich together with the top.