Tropézienne, Cyril Lignac style

Day before — Brioche dough. Into the clean bowl, add 280 g T45 (or plain) flour, 5 g salt, 30 g sugar and 12 g crumbled fresh yeast (keep yeast away from the salt — break the pinch between two fingers). Mix.

Add the 3 whole eggs. Mix 30 s / speed 3 — not faster: a soft egg-rich dough gets torn at speed 5. Scrape halfway through.

Add 225 g softened butter in small pieces. Run the Dough ("épi") mode for 10 min — the dedicated kneading program alternates on its own, building the gluten network without cutting the dough. Scrape halfway through. It should finish smooth, glossy and release cleanly from the sides.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured bowl, cover and let rise 2 h at room temperature until doubled (manual — a rise cannot be timed at the bowl).

Knock back, roll out to 2 cm thick between two sheets of baking paper. Cut a 20 cm disc with a buttered ring, place on a lined tray. Cover and chill 12 h in the fridge — this slow second rise gives the crumb (manual).

Day of — Egg wash. Take the dough out 1 h before baking. Beat 1 whole egg + 1 yolk + 1 tsp water, brush gently, sprinkle with 50 g pearl sugar (manual).

Bake 25 min at 165 °C fan. Let stand 10 min on the tray, then transfer to a rack and cool completely (manual).

Pastry cream. Split the 2 vanilla pods, scrape out the seeds. Add 440 g whole milk, seeds and pods to the bowl. Heat 4 min / 90 °C / speed 3 / reverse, then infuse lid closed for 30 min.

Soak the 4 g gelatine (2 sheets) in ice-cold water for 10 min (manual — hydration is done off the bowl).

Remove the pods. Add 80 g egg yolks, 80 g caster sugar and 40 g cornflour to the vanilla milk. Mix 20 s / speed 4.

Cook 5 min / 90 °C / speed 3 / reverse until it thickens. The cream should coat the spatula and a first bubble should surface.

Add the drained gelatine and 30 g butter. Mix 20 s / speed 3 / reverse.

Transfer to a dish, film to the surface, chill 1 h in the fridge (manual — the cream must be cold all the way through before folding).

Diplomat cream. Clean, dry and cold bowl (10 min in the freezer), fit the whisk. Pour in 150 g very cold cream. Whip 2 min / speed 3.5 to a soft peak (firm but not grainy — stop as soon as the whisk leaves a clear track). Remove the whisk afterwards (mandatory — it must never be used in reverse or above speed 4).

Transfer the whipped cream to a cold bowl. Rinse the bowl and add the chilled pastry cream. Whisk 15 s / speed 3 to loosen it.

Tip the loosened pastry cream into the bowl of whipped cream. Fold in BY HAND with a spatula in two goes: first half briskly to loosen, then the second half lifting from below (manual — the whisk cannot run in reverse, and the blades at the required speed would knock the air out).

Fill a piping bag with a round nozzle (10–12 mm). Chill 1 h in the fridge — the cream firms up for piping (manual).

Soaking syrup (optional). Clean bowl: add 75 g sugar and 55 g water. Cook 3 min / 100 °C / speed 2. Off the heat, add 1 tbsp rum or orange blossom water. Let cool.

Assembly. Slice the brioche in half through the middle (bread knife, sawing motion). Brush the crumb side of both discs with syrup. Pipe the cream in a spiral on the bottom disc. Place the top back on. Chill at least 1 h before serving (manual).