French Brioche Food

FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar and set aside briefly.
• In a 10-inch or 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk together cinnamon mixture, eggs, milk, and vanilla and pour into a shallow container such as a pie plate. Dip bread in egg mixture. Fry slices until golden brown, then flip to cook the other side. Serve with syrup.

BRIOCHE

Steps:

• Put the milk, yeast, egg and 1 cup of the flour in the bowl of a heavy duty mixer.
• Mix the ingredients together with a rubber spatula, mixing just until everything is blended.
• Sprinkle over the remaining cup of flour to cover the sponge.
• Set the sponge aside to rest uncovered for 30-40 minutes.
• After this resting time, the flour coating will crack, your indication that everything is moving along properly.
• Add the sugar, salt, eggs, and 1 cup of the flour to the sponge.
• Set in the mixer, attach the dough hook, and mix on low speed for a minute or two, just until the ingredients look as if they are about to come together.
• Still mixing, sprinkle in 1/2 cup more flour.
• When the flour is incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for about 15 minutes, stopping to scrape down the hook and bowl as needed.
• During this mixing period, the dough should come together, wrap itself around the hook and slap the sides of the bowl.
• In order to incorporate the butter into the dough, you must work the butter until it is the same consistency as the dough.
• You can bash the butter into submission with a rolling pin or give it kinder and gentler handling by using a dough scraper to smear it bit by bit across a smooth work surface.
• When it is ready, the butter will be smooth, soft, and still cool- not warm, oily or greasy.
• With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter a few tablespoons at a time.
• This is the point at which you'll think you've made a huge mistake, because the dough that you worked so hard to make smooth will fall apart- don't worry, don't panic- carry on.
• When all of the butter has been added, raise the mixer speed to medium-high for a minute, then reduce the speed to medium and beat the dough for about 5 minutes, or until you once again hear the dough slapping against the sides of the bowl.
• Clean the sides of the bowl frequently as you work; if it looks as though the dough is not coming together after 2-3 minutes, add up to 1 tablespoon more flour.
• When you're finished, the dough should feel somewhat cool.
• It will be soft and sill sticky and may cling slightly to the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• FIRST RISE: Transfer the dough to a very large buttered bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let it rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 2- 2 1/2 hours.
• SECOND RISE AND CHILL: Deflate the dough by placing your fingers under it, lifting a section of dough, and then letting it fall back into the bowl.
• Work your way around the circumference of the dough, lifting and releasing.
• Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough overnight, or for at least 4-6 hours, during which time it will continue to rise and may double in size again.
• AFTER THIS LONG CHILL, THE DOUGH IS READY TO USE IN ANY BRIOCHE RECIPE.
• STORING: If you are not going to use or bake the dough after it's second rise, deflate it, wrap it airtight, and store it in the freezer.
• The dough can remain frozen for up to a month.
• Thaw the dough, still wrapped, in the refrigerator overnight and use it directly from the refrigerator.
• TO BAKE IN LOAVES: Divide the dough into thirds.
• Divide each section into 6 equal pieces, and shape each piece into a ball on a lightly floured work-surface.
• Place the balls side-by-side in a greased loaf pan so that you have 3 short rows, each with two balls of dough.
• Do the same with the other two pieces of brioche dough.
• Cover the pans with plastic and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Lightly brush each loaf with egg wash, taking care not to let the glaze dribble into the pan (it will impair the dough's rise in the oven).
• Use the ends of a pair of very sharp scissors to snip a cross in each ball of dough.
• Bake the loaves for about 30 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer reads 200°F.
• Cool to room temperature on a rack.
• NOTE: You could also use this dough to make the very finest sticky-buns you've ever eaten in your entire life, or you can press it out in a deep dish pizza pan, cover it with cream cheese mixed with powdered sugar, the put fruit slices or berries over it for a very upscale"fruit pizza".

BEST BRIOCHE FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Whisk milk, eggs, vanilla extract, sugar, nutmeg, and salt together in a bowl.
• Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, dip each slice of brioche bread in the egg mixture and cook in the hot butter until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side, adding more butter as needed. Transfer French toast to a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until puffed, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Cook and stir 1/4 cup butter in a skillet over medium-low heat until browned and toasty, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer browned butter to a cold dish. Drizzle browned butter over baked French toast and top each slice with 1 tablespoon maple syrup.

BRIOCHE FRENCH TOAST WITH BACON, BANANA & MAPLE SYRUP

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs vigorously, then add the single cream, vanilla and sugar, and whisk again.
• When you're ready to cook, heat the oven to its lowest setting, pop a baking tray inside and pour the cream mixture into a shallow dish or tub that will allow space for the brioche to lay flat. Heat a griddle or a frying pan to a medium heat, and melt the butter and the oil together.
• Place the brioche slices in the cream mixture for 1 min, then turn each slice and gently press all over, allowing them to soak up the liquid for another 1 min or so until fully soaked.
• Remove the brioche from the mixture and place onto the hot griddle or pan (you may need to do this in batches). Cook for a few mins on either side until the inside is tender and moist (but not wet). To check this, make a small cut in the middle with a knife - the inside should be like cooked bread pudding. Keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining slices.
• In the meantime, fry the bacon in a pan for 5 mins until crispy. Serve the French toast topped with bacon, bananas and a drizzle of maple syrup.

FRENCH CANADIAN SAUSAGE IN BRIOCHE

Steps:

• TO MAKE THE BRIOCHE: Measure flour into a bowl. In a separate bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water; add 2 tbsp flour from the bowl and whisk until smooth. Cover and let stand in a warm place for 15 to 20 minutes, or until mixture has doubled in volume. Stir sugar and salt into remaining flour in the bowl.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs well. Pour yeast mixture into eggs, then add softened butter. Add flour mixture in four batches, mixing after each addition. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, or until dough is smooth and sticky.
• Transfer dough to a greased bowl. Cover and let stand in a warm place about 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until dough has tripled in size.
• TO PREPARE THE SAUSAGE: In a 2 quart ovenproof pan, cover the sausage with stock, wine, and minced scallions. Cover and bake on the middle rack of a 375°F oven for 30 minutes. Remove the sausage and let cool, making sure it is straight and the ends do not curve. Reserve 1 cup of pan liquid for sauce. When sausage is cool enough to handle, remove the sausage casing. Allow sausage meat to cool to room temperature, then roll in flour to coat well.
• When brioche dough has risen, remove from the bowl and place on a floured surface. The dough should be soft but firm enough to handle. Sprinkle flour all over the dough and flour a rolling pin. Gently, without pressure, roll the dough to a 10 x 10 inch square. Wrap the sausage in the dough. Place the bundle, seam side down, in a buttered 9 by 5 inch loaf pan. Let brioche rise from about 1 hour, or until it fills most of the pan.
• TO MAKE GLAZE: In a small bowl, mix egg yolk and water. Brush glaze over the brioche. Bake brioche on the middle rack of a 400°F oven for 30 minutes, or until brioche is golden brown. Let the loaf cool in the loaf pan for a few minutes, then remove it from the pan and let it cool on a rack for 30 minutes more.
• While loaf is cooling, prepare mustard sauce. In a bowl, blend the mustard, butter, and cornstarch until mixture is smooth. Skim any grease off the reserved 1 cup of sausage poaching liquid and pour liquid into a small saucepan.
• Add cream and bring to a boil. Whisk the mustard mixture into the boiling liquid. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
• When brioche loaf is cool, slice and serve with warm mustard sauce. Serves 8.
• Back Roads and Country Cooking.

BRIOCHE

Steps:

• Put the flour in a bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook. Add the salt to one side and sugar to the other. Pour in the yeast to the side with the sugar. Mix each side into the flour with your hands, then mix it all together with the dough hook.
• Heat the milk until warm to the touch, but not hot. Mix into the flour mix until combined. With the dough hook on medium, gradually add the eggs and mix for 10 mins.
• Gradually add the softened butter, one or two cubes at a time, until combined. This will take 5-8 mins. Scrape down the sides, the dough will be very soft.
• Scrape the dough into a large bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave for 1 hr 30 mins-2 hrs until doubled in size and well-risen. Once risen, put in the fridge for 1 hr.
• Line the bottom and sides of a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment. Portion the dough into seven equal pieces (the easiest way to do this accurately is to weigh it). Lightly dust a work surface with flour, take a piece of dough and pull each corner into the middle to form a circular shape. With a bit of pressure, push down and roll into ball. Repeat with the six remaining pieces.
• Put the balls into the tin, four on one side and three in the gaps on the other side. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 30-35 mins until almost doubled in size. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly brush the dough with the egg wash and bake for 30-35 mins until golden and risen. Leave to cool in the tin for 20 mins, then remove and cool completely.