Smoked Cherry Brioche Donut
Smoked Cherry Pastry Cream, White Chocolate Ganache, Lime Zest
Baker Casey Wentworth of Automat | San Francisco
Yield: 8 doughnuts
Adapted by StarChefs | november 2022
INGREDIENTS:
White Chocolate Ganache:
500 grams white chocolate
250 grams heavy cream
Smoked Cherry Purée:
3 pounds cherries, pitted
Smoked Cherry Pastry Cream:
750 grams milk
1000 grams cherry juice
20 grams cherry syrup
456 grams sugar
5 grams salt
128 grams cornstarch
364 grams egg yolks
230 grams white chocolate
Brioche Dough:
7.5 kilograms high-protein bread flour
3 kilograms eggs
1.8 kilograms whole milk
82 grams yeast
195 grams salt
1.125 kilograms sugar
3.45 kilograms butter
To Assemble and Serve:
Lime zest
METHOD:
For the White Chocolate Ganache:
In a double boiler over medium high heat, combine white chocolate and cream. Whisk until a smooth ganache forms. Remove from heat and let cool at room temperature. Use immediately or refrigerate up to 7 days.
For the Smoked Cherry Purée:
Prepare and heat a smoker to 165°F. Smoke cherries 45 minutes or until desired flavor is achieved. Remove from smoker and transfer to a Vitamix blender. Purée until smooth. Pass through a fine mesh strainer into a nonreactive container, reserving cherry pulp. Set aside.
For the Smoked Cherry Pastry Cream:
In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, cherry juice, 80 grams Smoked Cherry Puree, cherry syrup, salt, and 92 grams sugar; bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together cornstarch, egg yolks, and remaining sugar. Once cherry mixture reaches a simmer, pour a quarter of the mixture into the bowl with eggs; whisk until smooth and eggs temper. Pour the mixture into the remaining half of the cherry mixture in the saucepan; bring to a boil, whisking constantly. After the mixture has thickened, continue to boil 1 minute while whisking. Remove from heat and strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Using an immersion blender or whisk, stir in white chocolate until melted and mixture is completely smooth. Pour into a shallow baking pan and cover with plastic wrap. It should cover the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate.
For the Smoked Cherry Topping:
Heat a dehydrator to 135°F. On a baking sheet, spread a thin layer of reserved smoked cherry pulp. Dehydrate 2 to 3 days. Break the dried pulp into smaller pieces and place in a food processor. Blend until the texture looks like roughly ground coffee. If too gummy, dehydrate the cherries 1 more night. Reserve.
For the Brioche Dough:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment, combine flour, eggs, milk, yeast, and salt on low speed. Increase speed and mix until smooth. Let rest 10 minutes. Mix again on speed 2, adding sugar in 3 batches. Mix until dough has fully developed. Let rest additional 10 minutes. On the lowest speed, mix in butter until smooth. Reserve.
To Assemble and Serve:
Portion Brioche Dough into eight 60-gram pieces. Shape into rounds. Let proof 1 to 2 hours until doubled in size. In a deep fryer, heat oil to 325°F. Fry donuts 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Place on a wire rack to cool at least 30 minutes. Using a wand injector tip, fill each doughnut with approximately 25 grams of the Smoked Cherry Pastry Cream. Dip the top-side of each doughnut in White Chocolate Ganache, carefully pouring off any excess to achieve a smooth, even coating. Sprinkle with lime zest and Smoked Cherry Topping.
