Serves 6
Brioche
Mix the sugar with lukewarm milk, then sprinkle the yeast on top. Ensure the kitchen is nice and warm; within 10 minutes the yeast should foam.
Place the yeast mixture into a food processor with the kneading hook attached. On medium speed, add the eggs and egg yolk.
Mix in the flour and salt, then start kneading until the dough comes together.
Slowly start to add the room-temperature (soft) butter chunks, piece by piece, then continue kneading the dough for another 10 minutes on medium–high speed until the dough becomes elastic and shiny and stops sticking to the sides of the mixing bowl.
Move the dough into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel, and let it rest and rise at room temperature for 1–2 hours.
After the dough has risen, knock the air out by gently kneading the dough for 1 minute, then shape it into a loaf to fit the baking tin.
Spray and line your baking tin with baking paper, then place the loaf in the tin.
Let the loaf rest in a warm spot for 1–2 hours, or until it doubles in size.
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Brush the loaf with egg yolk for a deep amber colour and shiny finish, then bake uncovered for 15 minutes.
Cover the tin with aluminium foil and bake for a further 20 minutes.
Immediately after baking, turn the loaf out onto a wire rack to prevent overcooking, and allow it to rest for 45 minutes before storing.
Crème Anglaise
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar while heating the milk and cream in a saucepan.
Once the milk is boiling, pour half of the hot milk over the egg yolk and sugar mixture and whisk together; once combined, add the rest of the milk.
Return to the saucepan and place over low heat. Cook the mixture until it reaches 80°C, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat, strain, and cool over an ice bath.
Cover the mixture until ready to use.
Pain Perdu
Remove the brioche loaf from the fridge and portion into rectangles – 7cm length × 3cm width × 2cm height (approx.).
Thirty to forty minutes before serving, soak the brioche fingers in the anglaise for 12 minutes.
Remove the soaked fingers and rest on a wire rack for 5 minutes to drain excess anglaise.
Pan-fry the fingers in clarified butter until golden brown on all sides, then rest on the wire rack.
Toss the crisp fingers in caster sugar and place them back on the wire rack.
Caramelise with a blowtorch until the sugar is caramelised and the fingers are a deep amber colour and crispy.
To serve
Per person, place one piece of brioche on a warm plate, set the cheese on the brioche, and shave the truffle over the top.
Tip
Yesterday’s brioche is best!
Sommelier notes
The Marble Angel Cabernet Sauvignon is a wine that exhibits wonderful earthy and umami notes, touches of spice, and fantastic, intense fruit weight. The pairing of pain perdu with Brillat-Savarin provides the perfect foil to every detail in the wine. The sweet, caramelised pain perdu is balanced by the wine’s detailed spice notes and freshness of acidity, while the savoury herbal notes of tomato leaf and black olive match the earthiness of truffle. Brillat-Savarin is creamy and rich when young and develops very earthy characteristics as it ages. The Marble Angel’s lifted acidity and concentrated fruit pair perfectly if the cheese is fresher, while the savoury characteristics of the wine work well when the cheese is more mature.
