Chai Brioche Rolls
Two dozen rolls
One recipe “Professor Butter Beard’s Brioche”
For the filling:
1 ½ cups dark brown sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp ground cardamom
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp fine sea salt
12 Tbsp unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks), melted and slightly cooled
1 Tbsp water
For the glaze:
½ cup water
½ cup honey
1 cinnamon stick
1) Prepare the brioche dough – complete the next steps when the dough is halfway through its first rise.
2) For the filling: whisk together the brown sugar, the spices, salt and pepper. Add the melted butter and the water and stir until well combined and rather pasty.
3) Line two muffin tins with paper liners.
4) One the dough is fully risen, turn it out onto a clean surface and divide in half. Roll the first half into a 12x20 inch rectangle. Spread half the filling on the dough all the way to the edge of three sides, leaving a 1-inch border on one long side. Roll the dough, jelly-roll fashion, and seal the edges. Score the dough roll into twelve portions and then slice into rounds using dental floss. (Believe me – it is the cleanest way!)
5) Please each roll into a liner in the muffin tin. Cover the tins loosely with plastic wrap and let rise again while your oven heats to 350 degrees.
6) Bake one tin at a time for 20-25 minutes until the tops are golden and firm to the touch.
7) While the rolls bake, make the glaze. In a small saucepan, whisk together the water and honey. Add the cinnamon stick. Bring to a simmer over a low heat and let cook/reduce for 5 minutes to slightly thicken.
8) When you remove the rolls from the oven, let them cool for five minutes and then brush the tops with the glaze. Let the rolls cool another ten minutes before removing them from their pans.
