Drain the cherries from the juice, you should have about 2 cups. Cut the cherries into halves or quarters and let them dry for several hours or overnight. Blot dry with paper towels and toss in about ¼ cup of flour just BEFORE adding to the dough.
Make the Brioche Dough
Proof the yeast by combining ¼ cup warm water with 1 Tablespoon of yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small bowl. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes.
Add 2½ cups of all purpose flour to the bowl of your stand mixer along with ½ teaspoon of fine grind sea salt and the remaining ⅓ cup of sugar (1 teaspoon of the ⅓ cup was used to bloom the yeast). Mix with the dough hook on low speed.
Add 2 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk, reserve the third egg white for later use if needed.
Once the eggs are mixed into the flour, add in the cream, proofed yeast and keep the mixer on low speed. Add in the melted butter, the cherry emulsion and check the consistency of the dough. If it is sticking to the sides (which it most likely is), add ¼ cup of flour and mix on low for a few minutes. Continue adding flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until the dough is no longer sticking to the sides or your hands when you touch it. This usually takes between ¼-½ cup of flour (in addition to the 2½ cups added in the beginning), but it may take more or less. Go by the look of the dough more than anything else. The dough should look shiny and feel very soft and damp, but not stick to your hands.
Once the dough is the right consistency, turn the mixer on medium speed and let it knead the dough for 10 minutes. If you see the dough sticking to the bottom too much, add another 1 Tablespoon of flour and continue to mix. The finished dough should be smooth and very soft.
Once the bread dough is the right consistency and the cherries are tossed in flour, turn the dough out onto a clean and lightly floured work surface and knead the cherries in by hand. If the cherries are adding too much moisture to the dough, add very small amounts of flour as needed. You shouldn't need to add more than 1 Tablespoon.
Place the dough into a large mixing bowl and cover with cling wrap. You want to make sure your bowl is at least twice as big as ball of dough so it has room to double in size. Place the covered bowl in a warm place in your kitchen to rise for about 2-3 hours or until doubled in size. OR, use the Ninja Foodi XL oven or another large dehydrator and use the dehydration function at 105℉/41℃ for about 90 minutes.
Braid the Brioche Bread Loaves
Divide the bead in half and then each half into 3 equal size balls. The most accurate way to do this is to use a kitchen scale, but if you don't have one, just do the best you can to get the balls equal in size. You will have a total of 6 balls for 2 loaves of bread.
Lightly flour your work surface and roll each ball into about 12-14" ropes or logs. Don't worry that the logs are picking up flour, they might end up looking horrible and cracky like mine, but that will fix itself during the second rise.
Line 3 of the ropes beside each other and crimp the top together. If the flour is preventing the ends from holding together, brush a little of the egg white mixed with 2 tablespoon of water on the ends and this will help hold them together.
Braid the strands of dough by grabbing the rope on the right and placing it over the middle rope. The left side rope then gets placed over the one that is now in the middle (used to be the right side rope) and this process is repeated until the dough is braided. Secure the ends and place the braided loaf on a parchment lined sheet pan. Loosely cover with cling wrap. Repeat the process for the second set of dough balls.
Once the two loaves are braided and placed on parchment lined trays and loosely covered with cling wrap (so they have room to rise), you can either proof them on the counter for a few hours or use the dehydration method for 90 minutes.OR, you can now place them in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours for a slower rise.
Baking the Bread
Preheat the oven on 350°F/165°C for non convection and 325°F/162°C.
Bake the two loaves on the parchment lined tray for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. If you want to check the internal temperature to make sure the bread is done, you can and it should read between 195-200°F
Remove from oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack at least 30 minutes before applying icing.
Almond Icing
Combine 1 cup confectioner sugar (powdered sugar in the US & icing sugar in the UK) with ¼ cup of heavy cream and 1 teaspoon of almond emulsion or extract in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.
Add in 2 Tablespoons of room temperature butter (salted or unsalted is fine) and whisk to combine. The mixture will thicken as the butter is whipped in.
Decorating the Cherry Brioche Bread
Spread the icing over the top and add on any toppings you like. I used toasted sliced almonds and pastel M&M's.