The Very Best Brioche Bread Food

BRIOCHE

Steps:

• Combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix on low speed to combine. Add the milk and 6 eggs and mix on low until well combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until the dough starts to pull away from the sides, about 5 minutes.
• Reduce the speed to medium and start adding the butter, a little at a time and waiting until it is completely incorporated to add more, about 5 minutes. Return the mixer to medium-high and continue to mix until the dough is glossy and slightly tacky but not sticky, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, then cover with plastic and refrigerate 8 hours and up to overnight.
• Generously butter two 9-by-5-inch nonstick loaf pans and divide the dough between them. Generously butter two pieces of plastic wrap large enough to cover the pans and place them butter-side down loosely over the pans. Let the dough rise until it comes to 1 inch above the rims of the pans, about 3 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water. Remove the plastic wrap and brush the top of each loaf with the egg wash, then place the pans on the middle rack of the oven. Bake, rotating halfway through, until golden brown and the internal temperature of each loaf is 190 degrees F, about 30 minutes. Remove the pans to a wire rack and let cool 5 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the loaves to loosen and remove the loaves from the pan. Let cool completely on the rack.

BRIOCHE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour sugar and salt. Make a well in center of the bowl and mix in the eggs and yeast mixture. Beat well until the dough has pulled together, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes.
• Flatten the dough and spread it with one third of the butter. Knead this well. Repeat this twice to incorporate the remaining butter. Allow the dough to rest for a few minutes between additions of butter. This process may take 20 minutes or so. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Deflate the dough, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight. It needs time to chill in order to become more workable.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, form into loaves and place into prepared pans. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in volume, about 60 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans (see Cook's Note to make rolls). Beat the egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of water to make a glaze.
• Brush the loaves or rolls with the egg wash. Bake in preheated oven until a deep golden brown. Start checking the loaves for doneness after 25 minutes, and rolls at 10 minutes. Let the loaves cool in the pans for 10 minutes before moving them to wire racks to cool completely.

BRIOCHE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the 1/2 cup sugar and the olive oil. Set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes.
• Whisk the egg yolks into the yeast mixture until well blended. Whisk in 1 cup of the flour, the rest of the 1/2 cup sugar, and the salt. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place for 1 hour.
• Whisk in the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, switching to a wooden spoon when necessary, until too stiff to stir. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes, adding more flour 1 tablespoon at a time as necessary if the dough is sticky.
• Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and turn the dough to coat it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Divide the dough into 12 portions, shaping each into a ball. Place each ball in a muffin cup and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk the egg white and sugar just until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
• Bake the rolls for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven and brush with the egg white mixture while still warm. Let cool in the pan.
• To serve, slice in half and fill with a scoop of sorbetto.

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.

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".