The Incredibly Edible Bacon Brioche

Bacon Brioche Loaves

Confession time: I did not learn how to properly bake bread until I was well past the age of 20. At the time, the most I could do was cookies - and those weren't exactly the same calibre as the ones I bake these days.

It was around this time that I discovered Nigella Lawson and her book How to be a Domestic Goddess. Spendthrift that I am, I actually saved up to buy that book and I did get it. The paperback British edition, it's true, and daunting to one who cooked to the imperial measures; but I figured out the schnecken recipe from the Bread chapter - and it was a recipe that changed my life.

The schnecken dough has been part of my baking repertoire since the early Noughties, evolving from the hardish cinnamon buns we used to tote along to the seminary for my brother on Visiting Sundays to today's fluffy, puffy, and moreish loaves and rolls of all sorts.

Ain't that a beauty?

My Bacon Cheese Brioche is one direction in which my schnecken dough has evolved. Unlike Madame Lawson's original which relied solely on around 50 grams of granulated white sugar for feeding the yeast and boosting the flavour of the finished product, I add about a tablespoon of runny honey or - especially when I'm making bacon bread - maple syrup to the liquid ingredients. This makes the finished bread softer and imparts a subtle hint of sweetness.

Other add-ins are a couple tablespoons of Crunchsters Beyond Bacon, a munchy mung bean snack that I refer to as Western furikake; or a single-serving packet of actual furikake - usually tamago or nori-shio - to add an umami nuance that makes my bread extra-delectable. Good bacon chopped up and crisped up is rolled in, the drippings replacing part of the butter in the recipe. A mix of cheddar and mozzarella cheeses also goes in.

The end result: a beautifully savoury loaf that can be savoured on its own, slice by smoky-salty slice, or with just a faint schmear of butter. This bread is also perfect for making exceptional grilled cheese sandwiches, mushroom panini, and possibly the best patty melts you can make at home. 

Oh, if you want the recipe, give me a shout-out in the comments. 😉

Midge's Ingredient Shopping Guide

• For the Crunchsters, these are worth looking for at your nearest branch of Healthy Options;
• Furikake can be ordered online or at local Japanese / Korean groceries;
• Make sure you get good bacon: my personal favourites are the double-smoked bacon from Earle's Delicatessen and the saltier but just as tasty smoked bacon from Excelente (yes, the baked ham shop) in Quiapo, Manila.