Campanian 'Danube' savoury brioche

When thinking about this 'Danube' brioche, what immediately springs to mind is the famous sweet version, namely a brioche stuffed with apricot jam. Today we were inspired by the sweet Danube to create its savoury 'cousin'. We are thus going to make a delicately savoury brioche, stuffed with ham and smoked cheese, perfect to be enjoyed at a buffet with friends or as part of a birthday party spread.

To make the dough for this sweet bread, you could just mix everything together in a mixer or food processor. If you make it by hand, dissolve the yeast in some lukewarm milk and add the sugar. Arrange the flour with a well in the middle, pour in the milk and yeast mixture, add the eggs and mix little by little with a fork. Add the butter and salt and mix until it forms a dough. Now cover the dough with a cloth and store in a warm, sheltered place to rise. Meanwhile, dice the ham and cheese. Now take the risen dough and roll it out. Cut it into many squares about 8 x 8 cm. Place a little ham and cheese in the centre of each square, then seal up the squares to form little balls. Arrange all the balls in a baking tin lined with parchment paper, nicely spaced out. Let the dough rise for another half hour, until the balls are just touching one another. Brush the surface of the brioche with some milk, then bake at 170°C for 30 minutes.