Zahra Abdalla's Baklava brioche

Place the active yeast, sugar, milk and 4 tbsp of water to a small bowl. Gently stir, cover with a kitchen towel, then set aside for approx. 8-10 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and combine the ingredients on a medium speed for a couple of minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add 3 eggs one at a time, mixing well between additions. Reduce to a low speed. Add 200g of butter, one tablespoon at a time, until fully incorporated. Finally, increase the speed and knead the dough for an additional 5-7 minutes until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and has a smooth, supple consistency. Bring the dough together.

Coat the sides of a large bowl with butter. Place the dough in the centre. Cover the bowl with cling film. Allow the dough to rise for 2 hours until it has doubled in size. Gently deflate the dough by lifting around the edges and letting it fall back into the bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with cling film and set aside for an additional hour, or ideally overnight.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Place the nuts in a blender and blitz until coarsely ground. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the nuts, brown sugar, cinnamon and cardamom powder.

Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 4. Butter a 23cm springform pan or cast-iron skillet.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 23cm x 30cm rectangle approx. 1cm thick. Spread 115g of butter evenly over the dough, followed by the nut mixture and press down slightly. From the long edge, gently roll the dough into a log. With a serrated knife, cut the log in half lengthways. With the cut sides up, gently braid the two halves together.

Lift the dough gently and place it in a circular shape in the pan. Cover it with a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rest and rise for a further 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes.

Prepare the egg wash by beating the remaining egg and 1tsp of water together. Brush the egg wash over the risen dough.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

Meanwhile, prepare the honey syrup. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the fine-grain white sugar, honey, lemon juice, 180ml of water and cinnamon and bring to a boil over a medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, then reduce to a medium-low heat. Leave to simmer for a further 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Once the baklava brioche has come out of the oven, gently brush the syrup over it. Allow to cool before serving.