Jam & Streusel Brioche Coffee Cake

Instructions

• 1The yeast should stand in the milk undisturbed for at least 5 minutes to hydrate. This will help the fermentation and rise. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally as you mix to ensure you have a homogenous dough. Flattening the dough in the roasting pan before chilling will make it easier to handle and roll out.
• 2This mix does not need to be smooth. You can use a spoon or a stand mixer or a hand mixer. Lightly mixing the cream cheese first before adding the jam will help make the mix easier to spread on the dough. Use whatever jam you like (or try a blend of two flavors)!
• 3This will be brushed on the dough later to help make a good seal when rolling and twisting.
• 4This is a standard streusel. Upgrade it with cinnamon or other spices you like (such as mace, dried ginger, or vanilla bean).
• 5Warming the milk first will help to make a smooth icing. (20 seconds in the microwave is enough to warm it up, but you can also do this on the stove.)
• 6Depending on your pan, parchment is optional. We’ve used it here because the Breville deep dish pan is made of carbon steel, which reacts with acids (like those in the jam). This reaction can cause pitting or peeling in the seasoned layer, so the parchment protects the pan and the cake.
• 7Using egg wash on the top edge will help make a good seal when you roll up the pastry. Rolling up the filling, then slicing and twisting ensures that every bite has dough, jammy filling, streusel, and glaze. Once the twist is in the pan, you may notice some gaps but these will fill as the pastry proofs.
• 8This allows enough room for the cake to rise up during proofing, and to get a perfectly toasty top that will tease your morning hunger.
• 9The oven will seamlessly transition from proofing to baking.
• 10Glazing the cake while it’s fresh from the oven will help the glaze to spread throughout the entire cake, including any nooks and crannies.
• 11This cake is best served warm. Brew some coffee and grab a fork, it’s time to dig in.
• 12From breads to pastries, learn how to make incredible savory and sweet baked goods at chefsteps.com