Freshly Milled Spelt Brioche Bunnies – Soft & Creamy
Freshly milled whole grain Spelt brioche bunnies are the perfect bread for Easter breakfast! Whole grain brioche can be a bit of a challenge but we have not only one, but two aces up our sleeves: Tangzhong and lemon juice! They make these treats soft and creamy and as close to a traditional brioche as you’ll ever get with using whole grains. Enjoy the melt-in-your-mouth texture while you also get the taste and health benefits of freshly milled grains. (Bonus: if you add candy eyes your kids will never stop giggling. Just saying.)
I admit that sweet breads and buns are the one area I struggled to make fresh flour baking work. I loved the taste but whenever I tried to adjust recipes to using freshly milled flour, the texture was always dense and bready. Then I remembered: Mehlkochstück! It’s the German equivalent to the tangzhong method. It creates an extra soft and fluffy texture by cooking part of the flour and milk into a loose, pudding-like paste. That little portion of flour pudding will trap moisture in the dough and provide a tender crust and bouncy crumb.
Why you’ll love this recipe
A Twist on a Classic I love a classic braided brioche but it feels good to switch things up every once in a while. The smaller bun(nie)s are also a fun way to set the table for a family breakfast. Placed on a pretty paper napkin on everyone’s plates makes for a speedy, hassle-free table setting.
A grounding base Holidays are often occasions where we tend to indulge a little more than we normally would. Making sure that the base vessel for your jams and sweet spreads is something that will actually fill you up and keep your blood sugar stable is always a win in my book.
A cute gift Wrapped up individually in small cellophane bags and cute ribbon, these bunnies make a thoughtful gift to hand out to friends and neighbors.
What makes this Recipe Work
Tangzhong Adding a roux cooked from flour and milk helps the dough retain moisture and bake up with a melt-in-your-mouth crumb (you can read more about it here!).
Lemon Juice Lemon juice helps the gluten structure develop and is a simple trick to give freshly milled flour bakes a fluffy lift.
Ingredients
Freshly Milled Whole Grain Spelt Flour Freshly milled flour makes these bunnies extra flavorful. Grind whole Spelt berries as finely as your mill will allow for best results. If you don’t own a grain mill you can substitute store-bought whole grain/dark Spelt flour. The recipe also works with white cake flour if you don’t want to go the whole grain way. You can skip the autolyse step with store-bought flour and go straight to mixing and kneading.
Vanilla Sugar It’s the traditional vanilla in German baking. If you can’t find it, scrape the seeds from one vanilla bean pod and rub it into a couple tablespoons of the sugar. The sugar will draw out all the flavors and distribute them evenly throughout the dough. Vanilla extract can be used in a pinch though.
Milk Whole milk is best, we want all the fat we can get to soften the dough. For a dairy-free version, choose a whole milk style oat milk or unsweetened soy milk for best results.
Instant Dry Yeast Instant yeast can be mixed with the dry ingredients and used right away without the need to bloom it first. You can use half a block (21g) fresh yeast instead.
Raisins, Mini Chocolate Chips or Candy Eyes These can be used to make either tails or eyes for your bunnies. Soak raisins in boiling water while the bunnies proof so they don’t burn in the oven. Cut bigger raisins in half if needed. I prefer the minimalist bunny tail look but my kids are heavily partial to the candy eyes. Whatever floats your boat!
Tools You May Need
Kitchen Scale
Kitchen Shears
Stand Mixer (optional)
How to Make Freshly Milled Spelt Brioche Bunnies
Make the dough:
Start by milling whole Spelt berries on the finest setting of your grain mill.
Autolyse Add fresh flour, butter, milk, lemon juice, sugar, vanilla sugar and salt to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Knead into a shaggy dough until no dry spots remain. It might seem dry and crumbly at this point – that’s okay! Cover the bowl and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
Tangzhong While the dough rests, combine flour and milk in a small sauce pan and cook until it reaches 65°C (149°F) and thickens noticeably. Take it off the heat, cover with a lid or clingfilm and let it cool to room temperature.
Once the autolyse is finished and the tangzhong has cooled, add instant yeast and tangzhong to the dough and knead until it is smooth and elastic. If you use a stand mixer, the dough should pass the window pane test after 10-15 minutes of kneading. Cover again and proof for 45 minutes.
Shape and bake the bunnies:
After 45 minutes the dough should have risen nicely and feel puffy when turned out onto the counter. Punch it down and use a bench scraper or sharp knife to divide the dough into 16 equally sized pieces.
Divide each piece in half and then divide one half into quarters. Roll the larger piece into a tight ball. This will be the bunny belly. Roll one of the smaller pieces into another tight dough ball and tuck it under the larger one a little to form the head. Roll the last piece into a loose ball and then into a longer log. This will be the ears. Tuck them under the head piece.
Place the shaped bunnies on a parchment-lined baking tray and repeat with the remaining 15 portions of dough. Cover with cling film and let rise again for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).
Once the bunnies have risen, use a pair of kitchen shears to cut the logs into bunny ears. Whisk together the egg and water and egg wash the bunnies. Add raisins or mini chocolate chips as tails or eyes. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until browned.
Tips
- Cook the tangzhong paste just until it starts thickening. The longer it cooks, the more water evaporates, resulting in a dryer dough. If you think you cooked it longer than you should have, weigh it out when adding it to the dough. Add as much water back in as it needs to reach 150g.
- Try to divide the dough as equally as you can manage so that the bunnies finish baking at the same time.
- Consider covering the rest of your portioned out dough during shaping. It will take a little while until all bunnies are shaped and you don’t want the dough to dry out.
- Make sure you push the bunny ears well apart after cutting them with the kitchen shears. They will expand and puff up quite a bit and you wouldn’t want them to stick together during baking. Also: Variation is fun, so make the bunny ears point into different directions. They’ll get a lot of character that way!
- Don’t let the bunnies bake too long. The longer they bake the more they’ll dry out. We’re aiming for bronzed, not burnt.
- Spelt Bunnies will keep for 2-3 days. Store leftovers in a plastic freezer bag or other airtight container to prevent drying out.
Recipe FAQs
Variations
- If you’re not in the mood for a vanilla scented dough, use grated orange or lemon zest instead for a bright flavor that pairs equally well with the trimmings of an extended Easter brunch.
- My kids’ favorite variation is the chocolate bunny: While shaping the bunny bellies, press a small piece of milk chocolate into the middle. Pinch the dough together underneath and roll back into a ball. Chocolate lasts us a long while and any Easter recipe that uses up leftover Christmas chocolates is a win in our house.
How to Serve Freshly Milled Spelt Brioche Bunnies
- They’re small and sturdy enough to be handed out to small children without a big mess. That way they also make for a great breakfast on the go.
- I like to serve these little brioche bun(nie)s in a basket as part of a bigger Easter brunch spread. It’s an easier way for everyone to serve themselves as you don’t have to find a place to put down your plate and wield a bread knife to slice a full size braided brioche.
- The classic vanilla scented bunnies are great for jams, curds and chocolate spreads. Citrus scented bunnies go well with everything from cheese to jams to eggs.
Did you love these freshly milled spelt brioche bunnies? Rate the recipe, leave a comment below, and share it with your fellow bakers and bunny enthusiasts! Happy Easter!
Freshly Milled Spelt Brioche Bunnies
Equipment
- stand mixer - optional
Ingredients
Tangzhong
- 25 g whole grain Spelt flour* - freshly milled or store-bought
- 125 ml whole milk
Dough
- 100 g butter - at room temperature
- 125 g milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 10 g vanilla sugar*
- 50 g raw cane sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 425 g whole grain spelt flour* - freshly milled or store-bought
- 7 g instant dry yeast
Egg wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp water
- raisins or mini chocolate chips - optional
Instructions
- Start by milling whole Spelt berries on the finest setting of your grain mill.
- Add fresh flour, butter, milk, lemon juice, sugar, vanilla sugar and salt to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Knead into a shaggy dough until no dry spots remain. It might seem dry and crumbly at this point – that’s okay! Cover the bowl and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
- While the dough rests, combine flour and milk in a small sauce pan and cook until it reaches 65°C (149°F) and thickens noticeably. Take it off the heat, cover with a lid or clingfilm and let it cool to room temperature.
- Once the autolyse is finished and the tangzhong has cooled, add instant yeast and tangzhong to the dough and knead until it is smooth and elastic. If you use a stand mixer, the dough should pass the window pane test after 10-15 minutes of kneading. Cover again and proof for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes the dough should have risen nicely and feel puffy when turned out onto the counter. Punch it down and use a bench scraper or sharp knife to divide the dough into 16 equally sized pieces.
- Divide each piece in half and then divide one half into quarters. Roll the larger piece into a tight ball. This will be the bunny belly. Roll one of the smaller pieces into another tight dough ball and tuck it under the larger one a little to form the head. Roll the last piece into a loose ball and then into a longer log. This will be the ears. Tuck them under the head piece.
- Place the shaped bunnies on a parchment-lined baking tray and repeat with the remaining 15 portions of dough. Cover with cling film and let rise again for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).
- Once the bunnies have risen, use a pair of kitchen shears to cut the logs into bunny ears. Whisk together the egg and water and egg wash the bunnies. Add raisins or mini chocolate chips as tails or eyes. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until browned.
Notes
- Cook the tangzhong paste just until it starts thickening. If you think you cooked it longer than you should have, weigh it out when adding it to the dough. Add as much water back in as it needs to reach 150g.
- Try to divide the dough as equally as you can manage so that the bunnies finish baking at the same time.
- Don’t let the bunnies bake too long. The longer they bake the more they’ll dry out. We’re aiming for bronzed, not burnt.
