Tarte Tropézienne: Brioche with Cream from Saint-Tropez

Prepare the Brioche Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 300g flour, 50g granulated sugar, 7g instant yeast, and 5g salt. Add 3 large eggs and 100ml whole milk. Knead with the dough hook on low speed for 5 minutes until a shaggy dough forms. Gradually add 100g softened unsalted butter, piece by piece, continuing to knead for 10-15 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

First Rise and Shaping: Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size. Gently deflate the dough, then shape it into a round disc, about 20-22 cm in diameter. Place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Second Rise and Baking: Cover the shaped brioche loosely with plastic wrap and let it rise again for 45-60 minutes, until visibly puffy. Preheat your oven to 170°C. Brush the brioche with an egg wash (remaining egg yolk from the cream, if desired, or a fresh one) and sprinkle with pearl sugar (if using). Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Let it cool completely on a wire rack.

Prepare the Crème Pâtissière: While the brioche cools, split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds. Heat 100ml whole milk with the vanilla bean and seeds in a saucepan until simmering. In a separate bowl, whisk 1 large egg yolk with 50g granulated sugar and 20g cornstarch until pale and smooth. Temper the egg mixture by slowly pouring the hot milk into it, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously, until it thickens into a pastry cream. Remove from heat, stir in 50g unsalted butter until melted and smooth. Transfer to a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and chill completely in the refrigerator (at least 2 hours).

Finish the Diplomat Cream: Once the crème pâtissière is completely chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and whisk until smooth. In a separate cold bowl, whip 200ml cold heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream until fully combined, creating a light and airy diplomat cream.

Assemble the Tarte Tropézienne: Once the brioche is completely cool, carefully slice it horizontally in half using a serrated knife. Spread the diplomat cream generously over the bottom half of the brioche. Place the top half of the brioche over the cream. You may dust with a little extra granulated sugar or pearl sugar if desired, just before serving. Serve immediately and enjoy, ma chérie!