Raspberry and lemon frangipane slice single

It should have been a sign.  Typically undisturbed in the kitchen while taking photographs of my baking, on this occasion, I had a little intruder.

Mr Mélanger is usually patient with taste testing.  So in this instance, my assumption was he wanted to tease me while I attempted to focus on something serious.  He threw his hand into a shot, in a mock “I am about to take a piece of this warm slice” type of way.  (See photograph set below – top right.)

The reality was he simply wanted some of the slice.  It seemed that no sooner had the photographs been completed and the memory card inserted into the laptop, that two slices were practically devoured.  Then three.  Then five.  Insert a small amount of time here, and when I turn around next, virtually half the original slice was gone!

Now I am not saying this is the world’s best slice, but it very well could be for Mr Mélanger.  The sweet bread dough base is much lighter than its tart dough or biscuit base counterparts, making it a more delicate sweet indulgence.  The flavours of raspberry and lemon are a classic.  The subtle almond flavoured frangipane helps retains a level of richness and moistness.  The arrangement altogether, is one very easy to eat treat.

I wanted to use my basic sweet bread dough recipe in a new way.  To memory, I have never eaten a sweet bread based slice.  Rolled out incredibly thin, this bread dough makes a wonderful base for an array of toppings.  I adore the classic frangipane and fruit combination of a traditional sweet tart, and was curious how it would hold up to such a fine and delicate bread base.

Top marks, according to Mr Mélanger.

Raspberry and lemon frangipane slice set

{ Basic sweet dough recipe } Original recipe by Julia @ Mélanger

This recipe takes around four hours from beginning to end.  You will need to plan accordingly but the taste will be worth the effort.

* Ingredients *
1 cup milk
¼ cup water (110F/45C)
3.5g / ½ package dried yeast
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4½ to 5 cups of plain, all purpose flour
¼ cup / ½ stick of butter, melted
Glaze:
1 egg, lightly beaten

* Directions *
Warm the milk in a saucepan until bubbles appear around the edge.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool to 110F/45C.  In the meantime, dissolve the yeast in the warm water.  Allow to sit for 5 minutes.   Stir in the milk, sugar, salt, beaten eggs, and 1 cup of the flour.  Beat the mixture until smooth.  Add 2 more cups of flour and continue to beat.  Continue until the dough is glossy.  Add the melted butter and stir well.  Add a further 1 ½ cups of flour and continue to beat well.  Stir in the remaining ½ cup of flour bit by bit until the dough is stiff – you may not need to add it all.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, cover and let rest for 15 minutes.  Then knead the dough lightly until it is smooth and glossy.  Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, lightly spraying the top of the dough with oil to prevent drying.  Allow to double in size, about 1½ to 2 hours.  Punch down, and let rise again until almost doubled, about 1 hour.  Turn out onto a floured surface.  You should have roughly have between 2.4-2.6lb / 1.1-1.2kg of dough in total.  The quantity of dough should be sufficient for three small loaves.  Once you have shaped your final dough, let rise for 20-30 minutes.  In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350F/180C.  Brush lightly with egg and then bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on size.

{ Raspberry & Lemon Frangipane Slice variation }

1. 1/2 batch of above dough recipe will yield a 13” x 9” / 32 x 22 cm slice.
2. After the third rise, roll out the dough to fit a lightly greased baking sheet.
3. Allow-to proof for 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make the frangipane.  Mix 3 oz / 90g of equal quantities of butter, sugar and almond meal into a bowl.  Add the zest of one lemon and 1 egg.  Mix well until combined.
5. Spread the frangipane across the proofed dough.  Sprinkle across raspberries (or berries of your choice).
6. Bake in a preheated 350F/180F oven for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.

:: Yeastspotting ::
I am submitting this Raspberry & Lemon Frangipane Slice to Yeastspotting.