Brioche Ice Cream Sandwich

It seems that an Italian version of our beloved Filipino favorite ice cream sandwich on soft monay bun has become very popular here in the US and in Italy. Their ice cream sandwich has gelato on brioche bun which makes the sweet snack super rich.

I baked a half batch of Peter Reinhart's Poor Man's Brioche, formed the dough into 6 large oblong buns, and filled them with caramel cookie crunch gelato. Yummy but I still prefer monay because it's not as cloyingly rich and because I'm more familiar with the combination. I'll make soft monay and cheese ice cream if time and freezer space permit.  

Poor Man's Brioche
adapted from THE BREAD BAKER'S APPRENTICE by Peter Reinhart  

sponge
½ cup unbleached bread flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
½ cup lukewarm whole milk

dough

4 large eggs, slightly beaten
3¼ cups unbleached bread flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons fine sea salt

½ cup butter, room temperature
1 egg, whisked until frothy, for egg wash

• Sponge: Stir together flour and yeast in the bowl of a standing mixer. Stir in milk until well combined; cover with plastic wrap and leave to ferment for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the sponge rises and falls when you tap the bowl. 
• Dough: Add the eggs to the sponge and beat with paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Add to the sponge and egg mixture and mix on low speed for 2 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes. Replace paddle attachment with dough hook and on medium speed, gradually work in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, waiting until each addition of butter assimilates before adding more. Continue mixing the dough on low speed for another 6 minutes or until dough is smooth and clears sides and bottom of bowl. Transfer dough into a lightly oiled container, cover with plastic wrap, and let ferment on the kitchen counter for 90 minutes. Shape into oblong buns or regular brioche à tête. Cover with plastic wrap and proof for 1½ to 2 hours or until they nearly fill the molds. Remove plastic wrap and gently brush tops of dough with egg wash. Continue proofing for another 15 to 30 minutes or until dough fills molds. Preheat oven to 400° F and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from molds and let cool on a wire rack.