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Brioche: Place the
flour, yeast, and salt in the bowl of your
electric stand
mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until combined. Add the eggs and
milk and beat until combined. Replace the
paddle attachment with the dough hook, and knead the dough on 1st speed for
four minutes. Increase your mixer speed to 2nd speed, and continue to
knead the dough for another three minutes. Next, with the mixer on 2nd speed, gradually add the sugar
over five minutes.
Place the cold butter between
two sheets of parchment or wax paper. With a rolling pin, pound the
butter until it's pliable but still cold. Cut the butter into pieces and add it to the
dough. Knead the dough, on 2nd speed, for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the
dough cleans the bowl and is smooth (not sticky) and elastic. To check to see if the dough is
fully kneaded, use the 'windowpane' test. To do this, start with a small fistful
of dough. Gently stretch it. For a fully kneaded dough you should be able to
stretch the dough quite thin, without it tearing, so that you can almost see
through it.
Place your dough in a large,
lightly oiled
bowl, cover with plastic
wrap, and let sit at room temperature (73 - 76 degree F) (23 - 24 degree C)
for about 1 hour. After 30 minutes you need to
stretch the dough to equalize its temperature and this also helps to strengthen
the dough. To stretch the dough, gently take one edge of the dough and stretch
it and then fold it onto the top of the dough. Turn your bowl 180 degrees and
stretch the dough in the same way. Then turn your bowl a quarter turn (90
degrees) and stretch the dough in the same way. Then turn your bowl 180 degrees
and repeat the process. After that flip your dough so the bottom is now the top,
and cover. Let proof another 30 minutes and then place the covered dough in the
refrigerator to chill overnight. (This makes the dough much easier to shape and
also improves the flavor of the Brioche.)
Next morning prepare two -
9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm)
loaf pans. Heavily butter or spray the
pans with a non stick vegetable spray.
Then remove the dough from the
refrigerator and
divide into 12 equal-sized pieces
(about 80 grams each). Then, working
with one piece of dough at a time, flatten into a round. (You may want to lightly
flour your hands.) Take the edges of the dough
and fold them into the center and gently seal. Then flip your dough over so the
smooth side is facing up. With the palm of your hand rotate the ball of dough on
your surface to create surface tension and to seal the edges of the dough
completely.
Place six rounds of the dough
in each loaf pan, placing them on a slight angle to each other (this will give
the Brioche a braided look) (see video on how this is done). Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let proof
at room temperature (about 73 - 76 degree F) (23 - 24 degree C) until nice and
puffy and almost
doubled in size (because the dough is very cold, this
could take 2 1/2 to 3 hours).
Next, preheat your oven to 350
degree F (180 degree C).
When ready
to bake, remove the plastic wrap and, with a pastry brush, lightly brush the
tops of the Brioche with the beaten egg. If desired, sprinkle the tops with
Pearl Sugar. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes
or until golden brown and shiny. If you tap the bread it will sound hollow.
About halfway through baking turn your pans front to back to promote even
baking. (Internal temperature of a fully baked Brioche should be about 190
degree F (88 degree C)). Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for
about five minutes. Then remove the breads from their pans, placing the breads
top side up on a wire rack.
Makes
two - 9 inch loaves of Brioche.
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