Honey Butter Toast

To prepare the honey butter toast, start with the brioche dough: in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook, add the flour and sugar 1, then add the crumbled fresh yeast 2 and the lightly beaten eggs 3.

Add the honey 4 and the vanilla extract 5. Turn the mixer to low speed and pour the milk in a thin stream 6.

Continue to work for 5–10 minutes, until the dough is well developed and elastic. Occasionally detach it from the hook and fold it over itself to help it develop. At this point add the salt 7 and knead a bit more. Once absorbed, add the butter in pieces, waiting each time for it to be fully incorporated before adding the next piece 8. This step will take about 15 minutes—don't rush. You should obtain a smooth, homogeneous dough 9.

Transfer the dough to a lightly buttered work surface and give it some slap & fold strengthening folds 10, then shape it into a ball 11. Place the dough in a lightly buttered bowl 12, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for about 4 hours, until doubled in volume.

After the rising time 13, turn the dough out onto the work surface, shape it into a cylinder and divide it into portions of about 3.5 oz (100 g) each 14. You should obtain 6 pieces 15.

Work one piece at a time, first stretching it into a rectangle 16 and then rolling it up on itself 17. Turn the small cylinder 90° and repeat the same operation. Proceed in this way with all the dough portions, giving them a slightly oval shape. Butter and flour 2 loaf pans 6 1/4 x 3 1/2 in, about 2 3/4 in high, and place 3 portions of dough in each, spacing them about 3/8 in (1 cm) apart 18. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 2–3 hours, until they have tripled in volume.

When there are about 30 minutes left of the final rise, brush the surface with the mixture of egg yolks and milk you have beaten together 19. After half an hour the mixture will have dried, so brush again. Bake in a preheated convection (fan) oven at 338°F for 15–18 minutes 20. Once nicely golden, remove from the oven and let cool first in the pan 21 and then on a rack.

Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the butter with a pinch of salt 22, the muscovado sugar 23 and the honey 34.

Mix well to incorporate the ingredients 25. Slice the cooled brioche into pieces about 5/8 in thick, then remove the crust 27.

Brush the slices on all sides with the flavored butter 28. Place the slices on a baking sheet 29 and bake again in a conventional (non-fan) oven at 392°F for 15–18 minutes, until nicely browned 30.

Let warm slightly, then plate and garnish the toasted slices with a scoop of ice cream 31 and a drizzle of honey 32. Your honey butter toast is ready to enjoy 33!