Making Brioche

As you've probably surmised from the number of brioche entries on my blog (just go to the right, under categories and click on brioche), it is one of my favorite breads to make.  Brioche is bread, and they say that bread is life.  And this bread is enriched with a healthy dose of butter and eggs, which is why I love it so much. 

When I got together with my girlfriends over the holidays they asked me for a brioche recipe, and then they asked for a French toast recipe (the subject of the previous video blog).  The recipe and technique provided here are my favorites.  This particular brioche contains just the right amount of butter and eggs to create a rich and velvety texture, while staying light at the same time. 

The first video demonstration is all about making the brioche dough.  You begin by making a sponge and letting the sponge ferment for about 30 to 40 minutes.  Then you add the rest of the ingredients to the sponge to make the dough.  The dough is covered and allowed to rise until it is double in volume.  Then you deflate it and put it in the refrigerator overnight to retard the dough.  (This helps to develop the flavor of the bread).

The second video demonstrates how to shape and bake the brioche.  The dough is removed from the refrigerator and divided in half.  The first half is shaped into a loaf, while the second is divided into balls, which are rolled into brioches à tête.  Both the loaf and the rolls are then proofed and baked.

                   

                    Making the Brioche Dough

               

                 Shaping & Baking the Brioche

Brioche

Makes 2 ½ pounds dough

Sponge:

2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast

½ cup whole milk, lukewarm

¼ cup granulated sugar

½ cup bread flour

Begin by making the sponge.  In the bowl of a mixer, whisk together the lukewarm milk and the yeast and let the mixture stand for 5 minutes to dissolve the yeast.  Then, whisk in the granulated sugar and bread flour.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the sponge stand in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes until bubbles begin to form.  The bubbles will look like they have popped and left holes in their place. 

Dough:

Sponge

3 cups bread flour

1 ½ teaspoons sea salt

4 large eggs

8 ounces unsalted butter (2 sticks), cool and softened

To the sponge add the bread flour, sea salt and eggs.  With the paddle attachment, mix on low speed until the ingredients are combined and a dough begins to come together, about two to three minutes.  Switch to the dough hook and turn the mixer speed up to medium to knead the dough to develop its gluten.  Mix on medium speed for about five minutes.  Turn the mixer off, switch back over to the paddle attachment and then turn the mixer to medium speed.  Add the butter a few cubes at a time.  Let the butter incorporate into the dough before adding more cubes.  The butter should be soft enough so that it incorporates into the dough rather quickly.  Then continue to add more butter in the same manner until all of the butter is incorporated. 

Next, place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.  Let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

Deflate the dough with your hands, reshaping it very gently into a mound.  Then cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator overnight, no longer than 12 hours, to retard. 

The next day, remove the dough onto a lightly floured work surface.  Divide the dough in half.  While working and shaping one piece of dough, wrap the other piece in plastic wrap. 

To make brioche loaves, lightly flour the work surface and roll each dough half into a rectangle, 9 inches long and 10 inches high.  The 9-inch length should be parallel to you.  Begin to roll the rectangle like a jellyroll.  Start with the length that is closest to you and crimp the edge up and over.  Then roll away from you, keeping the loaf tight as you go.  Place each roll, seam-side down in a buttered 9x5 loaf pan.  Cover with plastic, place in a draft free and warm spot and let rise until doubled, about an hour.   Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 ˚F.

When the loaves have risen and spring back when touched lightly with a fingertip, prepare the egg wash.  Whisk together 1 large egg with a large pinch of salt.  Gently brush the tops of the loaves with the egg wash.  Place the loaves in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until the tops of the loaves are a dark golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped.  The internal temperature should be 180 ˚F. 

Remove the loaves from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then remove the pans and continue cooling on cooling racks.