TWD rewind and forward: Parmesan Sablés and Golden Brioche Loaf

Only 14 more days to go until Easter sunday, and then I will be back on the actual TWD-recipe rotation!! I am already so much looking forward to it...

For the weekend I had a huge programme: Parmesan Sablés, what I wanted to try since I made the pure Sablés back in December. And because I was a bit ill last week and stayed at home Friday I thought that would be a good occasion to take all my guts and try the Golden Brioche Loaf, as I had enough time. (a recipe that has not yet been on the recipe rotation - is it possible??)

Time is really needed to make the Brioche. But in the end it's oh so worth it.... You need time and patience, because first the dough needs to rest and rise for about an hour. Then you have to regularily deflate it every 30 mins for another two hours. Then it has to rest over night in the fridge. Then you shape it, and then, yes, exactly - it has to rest and rise some more. If you think, well ok, but finally then it is over - not quite. After the appropriate baking time you have to wait for 15 mins before you can take the Brioche out of the pans and molds. And then comes the hard part, that needs not only patience but also self-restraint. Because then you have to wait for at least one hour before you are allowed to taste it. Baking can be so cruel...
But afterwards, believe me, you will be glad you invested all this time and effort and self-restriction. I had some the day I made them, and some more the next day, re-warmed for Sunday breakfast. And I put almost the entire loaf in the fridge and will be making Bostock of it on Easter weekend.

Brioche has always been my favourite escape from my Lenten promise, because it is not really a sweet but definitely a treat. But self-made brioche is even better. I made it without any sugar, and missed nothing.

The Parmesan Sablés turned out pretty good. I love baking savory treats! They turned out a lot like the first Sablés I made in autumn, despite this time they didn't spread (what I suppose they shouldn't, so don't ask me what went wrong in December). And I became a little better at shaping them into logs and get them round. Somehow, I still do have too much wholes in the dough. So I have to re-shape them heavily and cut them very carefully, so they don't break due to the holes in the middle of the circles. Don't know what is wrong. The first and the second rack I made where lovely, just the second got almost burned. The problem might have been that I didn't wait long enough to let the baking-rack and the paper cool down completely. So already after about 8 mins baking time they were dark, dark brown. 

I am eager to do both of them again, but when I see how many new recipes I still have to try out, I doubt if I will find the time. Especially as in 10 days I will start a new, very stressy, but also very exciting job...