Ingredients

• 2/3 cup (150ml) milk, whole or 2%
• 2 ¼ tsp(8g) active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup (100ml) sugar
• zest of 1/2 orange
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• 2 1/2 cups (312g)all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup (75g) unsalted butter, diced and at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg + 1 tbsp (15ml) milk, for the egg wash
• ¼ cup (80g) orange marmalade
• 3 tbsp pearl sugar (or crushed sugar cubes)
• About 20 candied orange peel sticks
• 12 candied cherries

Instructions

1. Warm up the milk to a warm temperature (not hot!) in a sauce pan or in the microwave. Stir in the yeast and set aside for 10 minutes. Your yeast should foam.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, lemon zest and orange zest, and rub with your fingers so the zest releases moisture and the sugar becomes moist and lumpy. Whisk in the flour and salt.
3. Dig a well in the middle and add the eggs and the milk with yeast. Stir until all the flour is incorporated and you get a very sticky mixture. Add the cubed butter and knead for 10 minutes until all the butter is well incorporated.
4. Transfer the dough to a large, greased bowl. Cover with a cloth and set aside in a draft-free environment for 2-3 hours, until the dough has doubled in size.
5. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. When the dough has doubled in size, punch it in the middle to deflate it. Transfer the dough onto a floured working surface and shape into a ball. Transfer the dough ball onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Poke a whole in the middle of the ball with your index finger, and enlarge the hole to form a crown. Do not hesitate to form a large hole (about 4 inches in width) in the middle as its size will decrease when the crown bakes.
7. If you have a trinket, stick in somewhere underneath the crown.
8. Cover the crown with a cloth and let rise for 1 more hour.
9. Pre-heat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
10. After the one-hour mark, whisk the egg yolk with the milk and brush it all over the crown. Sprinkle evenly with pearl sugar.
11. Bake the brioche for 30 minutes until it looks puffy and golden.
12. Take out of the oven and immediately brush marmalade over top to give it a nice shine. When the brioche has completely cooled down, decorate it with citrus peels and candied cherries.