In short: A homemade brioche dough, rolled out into a rectangle, topped with ham and raclette cheese, rolled up and baked for 30 minutes in a 180 °C (350 °F) oven. Serve it warm, in slices, as an appetizer or at brunch, while the cheese is still stretchy when you cut it.
📲 The video that inspired this recipe
Chef’s tip
A savory brioche is a bit like raclette that took a pastry class. We keep the ham, we keep the melting cheese, but we swap the potato for a soft, buttery crumb. The result looks like a party cake and eats like a sandwich, which settles the debate about what time cocktail hour starts.
The only real difficulty is patience. Brioche dough needs time to rise, and it knows it. Make it in the morning or the day before, let the yeast do its thing while you tidy the living room, and the rest takes just half an hour. Don’t worry if your roll isn’t perfectly even: once it comes out of the oven, nobody looks at the shape, everybody looks at the cheese.
| Prep time | 30 minutes |
|---|---|
| Resting time | 2 hours (dough rising) |
| Cook time | 30 minutes |
| Total | 3 hours |
| Servings | 4 people (8 to 10 slices) (adjustable) |
| Difficulty | Medium |
Ingredients (for 4 people)
- 250 g all-purpose flour (T45)
- 7 g dry baker’s yeast (or 15 g fresh yeast)
- 80 ml lukewarm milk
- 2 eggs (for the dough)
- 1 egg yolk (for glazing)
- 60 g softened butter
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1 level teaspoon of salt
- 4 slices of cooked ham (about 160 g)
- 200 g thinly sliced raclette cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
- Make the dough: In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Add the lukewarm milk and the 2 eggs, then knead for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth.
- Work in the butter: Add the softened butter in pieces and knead for another 5 minutes, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for 1 hour 30 minutes in a warm place: it should double in volume.
- Roll out the dough: Punch down the dough, then roll it out on a floured surface into a rectangle of about 30 x 25 cm (12 x 10 in) and 5 mm (1/4 in) thick.
- Add the filling: Cover the dough with slices of ham, then with raclette cheese, leaving a 2 cm (3/4 in) border along the far long side. Add pepper.
- Roll it up: Roll the dough up tightly starting from the filled long side, then pinch the seam. Place the roll seam side down in a buttered loaf pan, or cut it into 8 pieces and arrange them in a round pan.
- Let it rise: Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F).
- Glaze and bake: Brush the brioche with egg yolk beaten with a spoonful of water, then bake for 30 minutes, until nicely golden. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper if it browns too quickly.
- Serve: Let rest for 10 minutes out of the oven, turn out of the pan and cut into slices. Serve warm.
Chef’s tips
- Cold dough rolls better: if it sticks, put it in the fridge for 15 minutes before adding the filling.
- Thin slices: cheese cut 2 or 3 mm (1/10 in) thick melts at the same time as the dough bakes. Thick slices stay cold in the center.
- The doneness test: a blade pushed into the center should come out hot and free of raw dough. The melted cheese, on the other hand, is allowed to stick, it’s even encouraged.
- To save time: store-bought brioche dough does the job on a weeknight. Allow 25 to 30 minutes of baking and skip the rising step.
Variations
- Bacon and caramelized onions: replace the ham with 150 g (5 oz) of pan-fried diced bacon and two caramelized onions, for a very Savoyard version.
- Smoked raclette: it brings a wood-fire flavor that pairs very well with a cured ham.
- Vegetarian: pan-fried mushrooms and well-squeezed spinach in place of the ham.
Which wine to serve?
To go with this brioche at cocktail hour, choose a crisp, light white from Savoie, a Jacquère or an Apremont, whose freshness answers the butter in the dough. On the Valais side, a Fendant (Chasselas) works very well too. If you serve it at brunch, a sparkling craft apple juice will please the whole table.
Frequently asked questions
Can you freeze the raclette and ham brioche?
Yes, once baked and cooled, well wrapped. Reheat it for 10 to 15 minutes in a 160 °C (320 °F) oven, and skip the microwave, which softens the crust.
Can you make it the day before?
You can make the dough the day before and let it rise slowly in the fridge overnight. The next day, all you have to do is roll it out, fill it, let it rise for 30 minutes and bake.
What can replace raclette cheese?
A Morbier, a young Comté or a Tomme de Savoie melt well and keep the mountain spirit. Avoid cheeses that are too dry, which won’t stretch.
Read also: Raclette and Ham Brioche: The Stretchy Appetizer Recipe
