Vanilla Cream-Filled Brioche

Known in France as Tarte Tropézienne, these buttery brioche buns are sliced and generously filled with a creamy vanilla custard, creating a pastry that’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.

Directions

Preparation Tip: Keep your screen awake while following the steps.

Making the Dough:
Measure your flour accurately—either weigh it or gently spoon it into a measuring cup and level off any excess. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a bread machine on a manual/dough setting, combine all the ingredients in the order listed to form a smooth, glossy dough. Initially sticky, it will develop a silky texture as it kneads. Expect kneading to take 15–20 minutes in a stand mixer; hand kneading is not recommended. If using a bread machine, let it complete the kneading cycle and then proceed as instructed.

Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a greased bowl, cover, and allow it to rise for 1 hour. Chill the dough for several hours or overnight to slow fermentation and firm up the butter, making shaping easier.

Preparing the Filling:
In a medium saucepan, combine 2 1/2 cups milk, sugar, and salt. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves.

In a separate heatproof bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, flour, and egg yolks with the remaining 1/2 cup milk. Gradually whisk half of the hot milk into the yolk mixture to temper the eggs.

Return the yolk mixture to the saucepan through a strainer to prevent lumps. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly with a whisk until thickened. Use a heatproof spatula to scrape the sides and bottom to avoid sticking.

Once thickened, remove from heat, strain into a bowl, and stir in vanilla extract and butter. Place a piece of parchment or wax paper directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until ready to use.

Shaping the Brioche:
Remove the dough from the fridge and divide into 16 pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball.

If you have individual brioche molds, butter them, place them on a baking tray, and put one dough ball in each mold. Otherwise, place the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until puffy, about 2–2 1/2 hours. Near the end of the rise, position a rack in the lower third of your oven and preheat to 375°F (190°C). Brush the tops of the brioche with beaten egg white and sprinkle with coarse sugar or pearl sugar.

Bake for 20–25 minutes, covering the tops with foil after 15 minutes if they brown too quickly. Use a digital thermometer; brioche is done when the center reaches 190°F (88°C). Let cool completely.

Assembling the Brioche:
Fold whipped cream into the chilled pastry cream. Slice each brioche horizontally. Spoon about 1/4 cup of filling onto the bottom half, then replace the top.

Serve shortly after assembly. Filled brioche can be refrigerated for a few hours; allow to warm slightly before serving.

Baker’s Tips:

To make just 8 filled brioche, prepare the entire dough recipe but reserve half of the buns for sandwiches or dinner rolls. Use half of the pastry cream recipe for filling eight brioche.