Natural Yeast Veneziane alla Crema

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Ingredients: 

For the brioche bread:

300g flour (half strength)
140g Natural Yeast
100g milk
45g butter
45g sugar
grated rind of half a lemon untreated
2 eggs
1tsp salt

For the custard:

250 ml milk
25g flour
3 yolks
75g sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla paste

To decorate:
Pearls Sugar
Icing Sugar

Preparation

We usually start this recipe at night.

Dissolve the yeast in the milk and set aside.

Pour the flour in a bowl (or use a planetary mixer), drill a hole in the centre and pour in the refreshed natural yeast, starting to mix, then the sugar and eggs. Once the dough is formed add the butter and eventually the salt.

Mix well and long, until the dough does not come off on your hands or the sides of the bowl of the mixer (adjust if necessary add a little milk and a little flour depending on whether the mixture is present too dry or too sticky).

Let rise overnight, or until the dough has doubled.

In the morning  form little balls with the dough, about 50g each. Place them on a couple of baking sheets lined with baking paper.

Let the dough rise until doubled in volume (for 4 hours), and prepare the custard in the meantime.

Pour the milk in a pan, add the egg yolks, sugar, flour and vanilla. Blend with a hand blender and then cook it on a low heat until solid, always stirring with a whisk.

Let the custard cool, stirring it once in a while to avoid the formation of lumps. 

Once the cream is cool put it in a icing bag.

With a pair of scissors cut a small cross at the top of each bun and then fill the cross with about a teaspoon of custard cream. Sprinkle all the buns with some pearls sugar and then bake in a preheated oven at 180C for about 15 minutes or until golden.

While still warm distribute the remaining custard in the buns by placing your icing bag where the first layer of custard is and filling the inside of the bun. 

Sprinkle icing sugar and enjoy in the same day of baking.