Ricette di Sicilia
Cibo, cultura e tradizioni siciliane
Sicilian Brioche with Tuppo: A Soft, Golden Treat for Gelato and Granita
Learn how to make authentic Sicilian brioche with tuppo - the soft, fragrant roll enjoyed with gelato or granita all summer long.
📖 What is it
Learn how to make authentic Sicilian brioche with tuppo - the soft, fragrant roll enjoyed with gelato or granita all summer long.
🛒 Ingredients
- ✓ 1 kg Manitoba flour
- ✓ 400 g water
- ✓ 100 g milk
- ✓ 50 g fresh yeast
- ✓ 100 g sugar
- ✓ 20 g salt
- ✓ 70 g butter
- ✓ 3 egg yolks
- ✓ 1 teaspoon milk
📊 Nutritional Information
Few Sicilian delights are as iconic as the brioche with tuppo - soft, fragrant and unmistakably shaped with its little bun perched on top. This golden, enriched dough roll is the soul of Sicilian summer breakfasts, usually served split open and filled with gelato or dipped into an icy granita.
Its name comes from the traditional Sicilian tuppo, a neat chignon worn low on the back of the head - and once you see the brioche, the resemblance is impossible to miss. Warm, comforting and scented with butter and yeast, this brioche brings with it the carefree pleasure of long summer mornings by the sea.
👨🍳 Preparation
- 1
Fit the dough hook to your mixer, then add the flour, sugar and crumbled fresh yeast.
- 2
Mix on low speed, add a little water and the first egg yolk.
- 3
Add the second yolk and keep mixing for a minute.
- 4
Pour in more water and the salt, then add the remaining water.
- 5
When the dough begins to come together, incorporate the butter in small cubes, followed by the milk.
- 6
Once smooth, wrap the dough in cling film and rest for 30 minutes.
- 7
Divide into 75 g portions and shape into smooth balls.
- 8
Place the balls on a lined baking tray, leaving 5 cm between each.
- 9
Press a small indentation in each and place a pea-sized ball of dough on top to form the *tuppo*.
- 10
Leave to rise for 2 hours, until doubled in size.
- 11
Brush with the milk–egg yolk mixture, then bake at 200 °C for 5 minutes.
- 12
Reduce to 190 °C and bake for a further 15 minutes until deep golden.
💡 Tips and Variations
For a more aromatic dough, add grated lemon zest or a touch of vanilla.
For a richer result, replace part of the butter with good-quality olive oil.
📦 Storage
- • Store the brioche at room temperature in a plastic bag for up to 2 days.
- • Freeze baked brioche for up to 1 month.
- • Reheat at 160 °C for 5 minutes to restore softness.
🍷 Pairing
Enjoy with almond granita, lemon granita or a generous scoop of pistachio gelato - the way Sicilians do breakfast in summer.
Thank you for joining me in making this beloved Sicilian brioche. I hope its soft crumb and fragrant sweetness bring a little Sicilian sunshine into your kitchen. Buon appetito!
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