Preparation
Warm the milk for a few minutes until it reaches 37°C, then add the yeast and sugar, stirring to help them dissolve. Pour everything into a mixing bowl or stand mixer.
Carefully add the sifted flour little by little to avoid lumps, then add the eggs, butter, vanilla powder, and a pinch of salt. Knead for a few minutes until you obtain a soft but non-sticky dough. If necessary, add a little more flour.
Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a thin, long, and narrow sheet. Fold it over itself several times, as if folding fabric, to create multiple layers.
Divide the dough into two parts and shape them into rounds: the larger one will become the chick’s body, while the smaller one will form the head. Keep aside some dough scraps to create the feet, wing, and beak.
Place the dough on a tray of the LIFE blast chiller lined with baking paper, remembering to leave about 2 cm of space between the chick’s head and body.
Set the proofing cycle:
PROOVING > IMMEDIATE at 28°C for 2 hours and 30 minutes, then press START.
If you would like the dough to be perfectly proofed up to 24 hours later, set the same temperature and duration parameters and choose your desired baking time.
At the end of the proofing cycle with LIFE, brush the brioche chick with the egg yolk, milk, and sugar mixture. Add a dried blueberry or a raisin to create the eye, then bake for 15 minutes at 175°C.
