Brioches Recipes

BRIOCHE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, lemon zest and salt. In a small saucepan, heat butter and milk to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat until moistened. Add 4 eggs; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in the remaining flour. Do not knead. , Spoon into a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Stir dough down. Cover and refrigerate overnight. , Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Cover with a bowl; let rest for 15 minutes. Cut one-sixth from the dough; set aside. Shape remaining dough into 12 balls (about 2-1/2 in); place in well-greased muffin cups. , Divide reserved dough into 12 small balls. Make an indentation in the top of each large ball; place a small ball in each indentation. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Beat remaining egg; brush over rolls. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to wire racks to cool.

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".

FLAKY BRIOCHE

Steps:

• Dough: Combine milk and yeast in a small liquid-measuring cup. Set aside until yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine flours, salt, and sugar. Add yeast mixture and 4 eggs; mix on medium speed until dough is smooth, about 6 minutes. Add room-temperature butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition. Continue mixing until dough is smooth and shiny, about 3 minutes more. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently into a ball. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Butter Package: Arrange cold butter in a single layer on a piece of plastic wrap and loosely wrap. On a sturdy work surface, use a rolling pin to beat until butter is slightly softened, then roll out to a 5-by-8-inch rectangle, adjusting plastic as necessary. Refrigerate until chilled, about 20 minutes.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 7-by-18-inch rectangle. Place chilled butter package on bottom half of dough, leaving about a 1-inch border on three of the sides. Fold top half of dough over butter to cover, then pinch edges together to seal. Tuck overhanging dough edges under to form a neat package. Roll out dough once more to a 7-by-18-inch rectangle. Fold top third of dough down towards center, then fold bottom third on top (like a business letter). This completes a single turn. Rotate dough package 90 degrees and repeat rolling and folding process. Wrap well in plastic and refrigerate about 45 minutes. Perform two additional single turns on dough. Wrap well in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
• Brush two standard 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with room-temperature butter. Roll out dough to a 14-by-14-inch square. Lightly brush top 3 inches of dough with water. Starting at opposite long edge, roll dough into a tight spiral, pressing to seal end. Cut log into 6 equal pieces and space evenly in prepared pans, cut-sides up. Lightly brush sides of dough pieces that face each other with water. Loosely cover with plastic and let rise in a warm spot until dough is light and full of air and has expanded to nearly fill pans, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake until loaves are puffed and lightly golden, about 35 minutes. Brush with beaten egg and continue baking until deep golden brown and an instant read thermometer inserted into center reads 205 degrees, 5 to 10 minutes more. Let cool in pans 5 minutes, then unmold onto a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.

BRIOCHES

Steps:

• To make the brioches , start with the dough. Add the flour and sugar 1 to the bowl of a planetary mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Next, add the yeast (crumbled) 2 , the seeds from one vanilla bean 3 ,
• and the zest of one lemon 4 . Turn the planetary mixer on medium speed and pour the water in slowly 5 . Once the water has been fully absorbed, add the salt 6
• and then the egg yolks one at a time, waiting for each one to be absorbed before adding another 7 . Continue working the dough until it clings to the hook 8 . At this point, you'll be able to add the butter, which should be soft but still pliable, adding it one pat at a time 9 . Wait for each pat to be well absorbed before adding another. Don't rush, or else it will be difficult to get the dough to cling to the hook again. During this step, you can stop the mixer several times and use a scraper to remove any dough that's sticking to the sides of the mixer bowl.
• Once the dough is clinging to the hook again 10 , having pulled away from the sides of the bowl, transfer it to a level work surface 11 . If the dough is very sticky, you can work it a little using the slap and fold technique, without beating it. To do this, just lift the dough gently, stretch it and fold it back on itself 12 . If it's still too sticky, wait a couple of minutes and then repeat the slap and fold process.
• Next, round the dough, using a scraper to help remove it from the work surface, shaping it into a ball 13 . Transfer to a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap 14 and leave to rise for an hour and a half at a temperature of between 78°F and 82°F (26°C to 28°C). An ideal place would be in the oven with the oven off but the light turned on and a saucepan of hot water placed on the bottom of the oven. If this isn't possible and you leave the dough at room temperature, protected from air currents, at a temperature lower than indicated, it may need more time to rise. Once the dough has doubled in size 15 ,
• turn it out onto the work surface 16 and divide it into 18 1.75-oz (50 g) pieces 17 . Take the first portion and give strength to the dough by making folds quickly, then lift an outer edge of the dough and bring it toward the center. Repeat this process several times. Round the dough pieces, quickly shaping them into little balls 18 .
• Arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper 19 . Leave to rise again for one hour. Beat the egg yolk with a little cream and use it to brush the surface 20 . Bake in a conventional oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven 21 and serve once cooled.
• Instead of balls, you can also create braids . In this case, you'll have to use more dough; you'll need around ¼ lb (90-100 g) of dough for each braid. Mold the dough into a little loaf shape 22 . Using a knife or scraper, make three cuts in the loaf to form three strands that are still joined at one end, so be sure not to cut all the way to that end 23 . Start to intertwine the ends 24
• to form the braids 25 . Besides braids, you can also make little brioches with topknots . Take around 1½-1¾ oz (40-50 g) of dough and shape it into a little ball 26 . Then, use your index finger to form two balls, one smaller than the other 27 .
• Transfer to a scalloped mold 28 and press the bottom part down lightly 26 . Next, for both shapes, leave the dough to rise for an hour, then brush the surface with the egg yolk and cream glaze and decorate with braids with nib sugar. The braids will need more cooking time (around 25-30 minutes), while 20 minutes will be enough for the topknot brioches. Remove from the oven 27 and serve once cooled.

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 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.

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.