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Mouna
Mouna: Oran's tall domed brioche with orange-flower water, lemon zest and a sugar crust
AlgerianOran's mouna came over with Spanish settlers as the Easter mona, and it is still baked for spring outings, recalling the Easter Monday picnics once held at the Santa Cruz chapel above the city. It is a tall, light, golden brioche with a crackly sugar crust, softly flavoured with orange-flower water and lemon zest rather than butter-heavy, and it tears into long, feathery strands. Eat it with coffee or hot chocolate, plain or with jam. The dough is slow and sticky, so give it time. Chef's tip: let the dough rise slowly overnight in the fridge after the first knead; it becomes easier to shape and the flavour deepens.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour
- ¼ oz instant dried yeast
- 3 ½ oz caster sugar
- ¾ tsp salt
- 3 eggsat room temperature
- ½ cup whole milklukewarm
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 ⅛ oz unsalted buttersoftened
- 2 tbsp orange-flower water
- 1 lemonzest only
- 1 orangezest only
To finish
- 1 egg yolkbeaten with 1 tbsp milk
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour, ¼ oz instant dried yeast, 3 ½ oz caster sugar and ¾ tsp salt in a large bowl or stand mixer. Add 3 eggs, ½ cup whole milk, ¼ cup vegetable oil, 2 tbsp orange-flower water, 1 lemon and 1 orange and knead for 10 minutes into a soft, sticky dough.
10 minStep 2: Add 2 ⅛ oz unsalted butter a little at a time and knead for another 8–10 minutes, until the dough is glossy, elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. A common mistake is adding extra flour because it feels sticky; brioche dough should be tacky, and more flour makes it heavy.
10 minStep 3: Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 1½–2 hours, until doubled. Or let it rise slowly in the fridge overnight.
Step 4: Knock back the dough, divide into 2 and shape each into a tight, smooth ball by tucking the edges underneath. Set on a lined tray, well apart.
Step 5: Cover loosely and prove for 1–1½ hours, until risen by about half and a finger pressed in leaves a slow-filling dent.
Step 6: Heat the oven to 350°F (fan 325°F). Brush the domes with 1 egg yolk, snip a cross in the top with scissors and scatter with 3 tbsp pearl sugar or crushed sugar cubes.
Step 7: Bake for 30–35 minutes, until deep golden brown and hollow-sounding underneath; cover loosely with foil if they brown too fast. A skewer pushed into the centre should come out clean.
33 minStep 8: Cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before tearing into it.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mouna take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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