Cheese-wine appetizers

Mix the grated cheese blend with the wheat flour. Add the finely chopped dried figs and the white wine, then combine everything into a smooth, uniform mixture.

Cover the mixture and let it rest overnight at 5°C in the refrigerator. The next day, process the mixture in a Stephan mixer until homogeneous and pipeable. Process immediately.

Storage: Keep in the refrigerator at 5°C for up to 2 days, or vacuum-sealed in the freezer at -18°C for up to 1 month.

Dissolve the basic wheat leaven in water. Mix all ingredients thoroughly to remove lumps, place in a tall container and let ferment at room temperature for 12–16 hours. The volume should double, and the pH should be around 4.10. Then process immediately.

Dissolve the sugar and liquid malt in the milk. Then add the wheat flour, baker’s yeast, eggs and liquid sourdough and mix. After 4-5 minutes, add the butter and, towards the end of the mixing time, the salt and knead the dough until a nice gluten structure is formed.

Dough rest: 75–90 minutes

Weigh pieces of butter braid dough at 1’200 g each and round them. Roll each portion to approximately Ø 8 cm, brushing the edges with egg wash. Pipe about 20 g of the prepared cheese-fig-wine filling in the center and carefully seal. Place each piece seam side up in greased brioche molds.

Piece proofing: 10–15 minutes covered at room temperature.

Cover brioche molds with silicone paper and a perforated tray.

Bake in a mild oven with steam. Halfway through baking, remove the trays and silicone paper and finish baking the pastries. Unmold immediately after baking.

Place the sage leaves individually on a silicone-paper-lined tray, keeping them apart. Sprinkle each leaf with about 5 g of cheese. Bake in a gently preheated oven until golden brown and crispy.

Decorate each cooled pastry with one sage-cheese chip.