Brioche (Almond Paste Bread or Marzipan Bread)
Yield: one coffee cake
Ingredients
- 1 package dry yeast
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 4 eggs
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup almond paste
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 cup fine chopped roasted almonds
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- Cream butter with 1/4 cup sugar and salt; dissolve yeast in warm water. Add a pinch of sugar; let stand until bubbly.
- Add milk, yeast, eggs and flour to creamed mixture; mix well. Cover and let rise in warm place for 2 hours or until mixture doubles.
- Meanwhile, combine almond paste and almond extract and remaining 1/2 cup of sugar; set aside.
- Generously butter a tube pan; sprinkle with chopped almonds and 1 tablespoon sugar.
- Stir dough down and place 1/3 into prepared tube pan, building up around tube.
- Sprinkle with 1/2 of almond mixture.
- Repeat, ending with dough.
- Seal edges of dough to pan with floured hands.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for 40 minutes. Remove from pan; cool.
