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Pogne de Romans
Orange blossom brioche crown
Pogne de Romans: orange-blossom brioche crown from the Drôme for Easter
The pogne is the Easter brioche of Romans-sur-Isère and Valence in the Drôme, a high crown of soft dough fragrant with orange-blossom water, traditionally made for Easter and eaten with the local ravioles, or at breakfast with butter. Its name comes from "poigne", the fistful of dough the baker grabs. The common mistake is underproving; it needs a long, slow rise to be light. Chef's tip: make the starter the night before; it gives the pogne its gentle, rich flavour.
- Total time
- 635 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the starter
- 3 ½ oz strong white bread flour
- ⅛ oz instant dried yeast
- ¼ cup water
For the dough
- 14 oz strong white bread flour
- 3 ⅛ oz caster sugar
- ¼ oz salt
- ⅛ oz instant dried yeast
- 4 eggs
- 3 tbsp orange-blossom water
- 4 oz unsalted buttersoft
- 1 eggbeaten, to glaze
- 2 tbsp pearl sugar
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: The night before, mix the 3 ½ oz strong white bread flour, ⅛ oz instant dried yeast and ¼ cup water into a firm dough, cover and leave at room temperature overnight.
5 minStep 2: Knead the starter with the 14 oz strong white bread flour, 3 ⅛ oz caster sugar, ¼ oz salt, ⅛ oz instant dried yeast, 4 eggs and 3 tbsp orange-blossom water for 10 minutes, then add the 4 oz unsalted butter bit by bit and knead until silky.
15 minStep 3: Cover and rise for 3 hours until doubled.
180 minStep 4: Shape into a ball, push your thumbs through the centre and gently widen into a 25 cm crown on a lined tray.
10 minStep 5: Prove for 2 hours until very puffy. Heat the oven to 350°F (300°F fan).
120 minStep 6: Brush with 1 egg, snip the top all round with scissors and scatter with 2 tbsp pearl sugar. Bake for 30–35 minutes until deep golden and hollow-sounding.
35 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pogne de Romans take?
- About 635 minutes in total: 600 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 strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
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