Peaches of Prato

Method

1. Prepare the biga: in the stand mixer bowl, add 225g all-purpose flour, 37g sugar, 30g butter, 17g eggs, 17g fresh yeast, and part of 80g water. Knead, adding the remaining water, until a homogeneous dough forms.
2. Shape into a ball and place in a bowl. Cover with 375g medium-strength flour and let rise for at least 1 hour or until tripled in volume.
3. To the risen dough, add 70g sugar, 40g butter at room temperature, part of 250g eggs, 30g acacia honey, 9g salt, 5g orange zest, seeds of 1 vanilla bean. Knead at low speed, adding the remaining eggs.
4. Increase speed and knead until the dough pulls away from the sides, smooth, dry, and elastic, with a temperature of 26-28°C.
5. Shape into a ball and place in a floured bowl. Cover and let rise for 1.5 hours at 26-28°C, until tripled.
6. Prepare the pastry cream: in a saucepan, combine 375g milk, 125g cream, zest of 1 lemon, seeds of 1/2 vanilla bean, 70g sugar. Heat.
7. In another saucepan, combine 70g sugar, 20g all-purpose flour, 20g cornstarch, 1g salt. Mix.
8. When the milk is warm, pour some over the dry mixture and whisk until smooth. Add 120g egg yolks and mix.
9. Remove the lemon zest from the milk and bring to a boil. Pour the boiling milk into the cream, stirring. Cook until boiling, stirring, until thick.
10. Cool the cream over an ice bath, stirring occasionally.
11. Transfer the risen dough to a floured work surface. Weigh a 100g portion, shape into a log and divide into 8 pieces of 12g each. Form balls.
12. Place the balls on a lined baking sheet, flatten slightly. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours or until tripled.
13. Bake in a static oven at 200°C for 7 minutes or until golden.
14. Prepare the Alchermes soak: in a saucepan, combine 500g water, 450g sugar, 50g glucose syrup. Bring to a boil, stir, turn off, and cool to 26°C. Add 175g Alchermes.
15. Reheat the soak to 30-35°C. Poke the base of the balls and dip them to soak, ensuring they absorb 12g of Alchermes.
16. Fill the balls with pastry cream. Add some cream on the base and pair two balls to form a peach.
17. Dip the peach in sugar. Attach a small piece of candied orange peel as the stem.