Skip to content
Open menu Close menu

Feed your appetite for cooking with Penguin’s expert authors

penguin logo

Nadiya Hussain’s Cranberry and Chilli Brioche Wreath

Nadiya Hussain's brioche wreath, as seen on her BBC2 series Nadiya Bakes, is studded with cranberries and served with camembert for dipping. The perfect Christmas tear and share bread.

From the book

Nadiya Hussain

Introduction

Any recipe where there is bread and cheese involved, I am there! Every time my tummy rumbles, I hear it say ‘bread and cheese, please’. I don’t ask for much, so usually it’s just a very thick slice of brown bread all smothered in butter, too cold out of the fridge, covered by an unevenly sliced slab of cheese. But occasionally I like to fancy things up and, my goodness, is this recipe worth the time! A beautiful wreath of chilli-laced brioche balls surround a baked Camembert that’s topped with a dollop of marmalade. Expect a flavour explosion of sweet and savoury, all soft and oozy, and impossible not to love.

Read more Read less

Ingredients

4 large eggs
20ml whole milk
350g strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting
7g fast-action yeast
30g caster sugar
5g salt
2 tsp chilli flakes
200g dried cranberries, chopped
200g unsalted butter, softened and cubed
1 x 250g Camembert with a wooden casing
To finish:
1 egg, lightly beaten
a good pinch of sea salt
2 tbsp fine-shred marmalade

Essential kit

You will need: a free-standing mixer with a dough hook attached.

Method

Prep time: 40 minutes, plus overnight proving. Cook time: 20 minutes.

Whisk the eggs and milk to incorporate.

Add the flour, yeast, sugar and salt to another bowl and mix until well combined. Add the chilli flakes and the cranberries and mix through. Make a well in the centre, add the milk mixture and bring the dough roughly together. The mixture will look quite wet and more like a very thick cake batter, but don’t worry. Using a free-standing mixer with a dough hook attached, slowly add the butter a little at a time until you have used it all up, then knead the dough on a fast setting for 10 minutes. Cover, pop into the fridge and leave to prove overnight.

Next day, line a large baking tray with some baking paper. Take the bottom half of the wooden casing the cheese comes in and put it in the centre of the baking tray. Put the cheese back in the fridge.

Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knock the air back. Roll out into a sausage shape and divide into 5 equal pieces. Divide each one into 5, so you have 25 little dough balls. Pinch each ball into the centre, turn seam-side down and roll around in your hand to create a smooth ball. Arrange the first 10 around the wooden cheese case and then the following 15 around them, leaving small gaps to allow them to prove. Cover with some greased clingfilm and leave until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5. Take the cheese out of the wrapper and pop into the wooden casing. Brush the dough balls with the beaten egg and sprinkle all over with a generous helping of salt. Bake for 20 minutes.

Add spoonfuls of marmalade to the hot cheese and you are ready to eat.

Reviews

5 out of 5 stars

2 Ratings

Have you tried this recipe? Let us know how it went by leaving a comment below.

Thank you for your rating. Our team will get back to any queries as soon as possible.

Please note: Moderation is enabled and may delay your comment being posted. There is no need to resubmit your comment. By posting a comment you are agreeing to the website Terms of Use.

2 Comments

    default user avatar Johanna Petersen

    This is a show stopping crowd pleaser! I’ve made this 3 times to rave reviews. This brioche wreath makes a dramatic entrance but is so delicious it makes just as dramatic a disappearance !

    See more

    default user avatar Johanna Petersen

    This “tear and share” is a true show stopper in presentation and flavor. Fun to make and worth every step!

    See more

newsletter

Subscribe to The Happy Foodie email newsletter

Get our latest recipes, features, book news and ebook deals straight to your inbox every week

From the book: Nadiya Bakes

Close menu