Brioche Gaga Recipes

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 GAGA

Steps:

• Stir together milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon flour in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
• Put remaining flour in a large bowl and stir in salt and sugar. Make a well in flour and add 6 beaten eggs and yeast mixture. Stir with your hands until a sticky dough forms, then turn out onto an unfloured work surface. Knead dough vigorously at least 10 minutes (your hands will be covered in sticky dough), by slapping it against work surface, then stretching it toward you and folding it in half over itself to incorporate air. Turn your hands 90 degrees to scoop dough up again (using pastry scraper to scrape dough together as necessary) and continue kneading dough in this manner until dough starts to come off surface by itself (it will still be sticky). Stretch dough out on work surface and smear softened butter onto it. Pull dough over butter so it is enclosed and continue to work dough, slapping and folding over, until once again dough lifts off surface by itself and is smooth and silky, about 20 minutes.
• Form dough into a ball, pulling surface "skin" taut by stretching dough and tucking it underneath ball, then put dough in a lightly buttered 3- to 4-quart bowl and dust top with a little flour. Cover with a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) or plastic wrap and chill, 10 to 16 hours (so dough rises slowly).
• Bring dough, still covered, to cool room temperature (until dough is softened), about 3 hours. Turn out dough onto a work surface (a thin crust will have formed on top, but underneath the dough will be moist) and gently roll into a fat log (it will deflate), folding in any dry crust from surface of dough. Cut off about one fifth of dough and reserve. Form remaining dough into a ball, again stretching surface of dough taut by pulling it underneath ball. Put ball in buttered brioche mold, then make a hole in center of dough by gently pulling it apart with dampened fingers. Form reserved dough into a smaller ball and put it in the hole, pressing to attach so smaller ball stays firmly placed in larger piece of dough.
• Loosely cover with a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let dough stand in a warm draft-free place until it has risen slightly and surface feels airy and tender, about 2 hours.
• Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Lightly brush brioche with some of egg wash and bake until crust is deep golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center of brioche comes out clean, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
• Gently unmold brioche and transfer to a rack to cool, about 1 hour, before filling.
• Cut off "hat" from brioche and cut out center to make room for gaga filling. Spoon as much filling as possible into brioche and place "hat" on top. Serve any remaining filling and reserved mushrooms on the side.

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.

GAGA FILLING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°F.
• Melt butter in a wide 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, then add mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss mushrooms to coat with butter, then cover surface with a round of parchment or wax paper and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender, about 15 minutes.
• Transfer mushrooms with a slotted spoon to a small baking dish, reserving butter and juices in pot, and keep warm, covered, in oven.
• Whisk together eggs, cream, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth and add to pot, stirring to incorporate pan juices. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring slowly, until small curds form and eggs are creamy (not dry), about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in herbs. Reserve some mushrooms for garnish, if desired, and stir remaining mushrooms into eggs.

BRIOCHE LOAF

Steps:

• Combine warm water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small bowl. Set aside to activate the yeast, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Place 4 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, yeast mixture, warm milk, eggs, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until dough starts to come together. Mix in honey, then little pats of butter, along with remaining flour; knead until it comes together in a soft, tacky dough.
• Dump dough onto a floured work surface and cut into 2 even pieces. Form into balls and place in separate oiled bowls. Cover with plastic wrap and place somewhere warm until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Dump dough onto a work surface. Lightly punch down and knead for a few seconds. Form the balls into loaf shapes and place seam-side down in greased 8x4-inch loaf pans. Lightly cover the pans with a lint-free kitchen towel and let rise until dough comes to the top of the pans, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix egg and milk together to make an egg wash.
• Lightly brush the top of the risen loaves with egg wash and sprinkle with pearl sugar.
• Bake in the preheated oven until deep golden brown, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.