Mannele: brioche men
Mannele is a man-shaped brioche baked by bakers on Saint Nicholas Day. This Germanic tradition, little known on the French-speaking side of the country, is widespread in West and East Flanders. Manneles are soft rolls made from a kind of sandwich dough. They are a delight for well-behaved children, whether at breakfast or as an afternoon snack.
Ingredients (for 10-15 pieces)
- 2 Columbus eggs + 1 extra (for gilding)
- 1 kg flour
- 75 g fresh yeast (or 25 g dry yeast)
- 400 ml milk (warm)
- 100 g butter (at room temperature)
- 100g sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 g salt
Optional:
- Sugar pearls for a crunchy finish
- Raisins or chocolate pieces as a topping
- Cinnamon or speculoos for flavouring
Preparation
Preparing the dough :
- Crumble the yeast and dissolve it in about half the warm milk. Leave to rest for 10 to 15 minutes until the yeast begins to foam. If you’re using dry yeast, mix it directly into the flour.
- Mix the flour and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Sprinkle the salt around the edges of the bowl, taking care not to get any in the flour well.
- Add the dissolved yeast, 2 eggs, softened butter, vanilla extract and remaining warm milk to the well. Mix well. Knead the dough firmly for 20 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough should be soft and supple to the touch.
Raising the dough :
- Form the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for a total of one and a half hours, until doubled in size. Knead it for one minute after 45 minutes.
Making the figurines:
- On a floured work surface, roll out the dough into a layer about 1 to 2 cm thick.
- Using a knife, cut out figurines or large shapes and place them on a baking tray lined with baking parchment.
- Cover again and leave to rise for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200° C.
Cooking :
- Beat an egg with a little milk (or water) and brush over the figurines to give them a nice shine.
- Optional: sprinkle the biscuits with sugar pearls.
- Bake the figurines for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Then leave to cool on a wire rack.
Columbus tip
You can also leave the dough to rise overnight in the fridge. This is called ‘cold rising’. Knead the dough briefly after it has risen overnight, then shape the figurines and leave them to rise at room temperature for a while before baking them.
