Simplebrioche Recipes

EASY BRIOCHE

Steps:

• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt on low speed until well combined. Add the eggs and the milk and mix on low speed. When the dough starts to clump together, remove the paddle attachment and attach the dough hook. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes until it is firm and elastic, about 2 minutes more.
• With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter, a few pieces at a time. Once all of the butter has been added, increase the mixer speed to medium and mix for 4 minutes. Scrape the dough hook and the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix again until the dough is smooth, soft, and shiny, about 4 minutes more.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead it by hand a few times and then form it into a ball. Cover loosely with plastic and let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Repeat step 3 and let the dough rise again. Cover tightly with plastic. (At this point, you may refrigerate the dough overnight for the best results.) Or let it sit out until doubled in size, about 1 hour. The warmer the room, the faster the brioche will rise, so keep an eye on it.
• Pre-heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and butter a regular muffin pan. (If the dough was refrigerated, let it warm to room temperature, about 2 hours.) Turn the dough out, smooth top down, onto a clean work surface. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Cover the dough to prevent it from drying out. Roll each piece of dough into a tight ball, and then into a rod and moving it in a circular motion to form the shape above.
• In a small bowl, make the egg wash by beating the remaining egg and a pinch of salt. Lightly brush the top of the brioches. Bake until golden-brown, or about 18 minutes. Let cool before turning them out. Serve warm.

EASY BRIOCHE

Steps:

• Mix everything together in your mixer until you get a nice really smooth dough. This can take a while. In my case it took about 15 minutes, scraping down the dough every few minutes from the dough hook in the mixer.
• After it's mixed, place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat (so it won't dry out) then let it rise in a draft-free place until doubled. This might take as much as 2 hours since the large amount of butter will slow the rise. WAIT!
• After rising, de-gas the dough, cut it into about 12 equal pieces, press them fairly flat then add some chocolate chips.
• Roll the dough into a round shape and place on parchment paper to rise, covered for about 45 minutes. If you want, you can instead place the filled dough balls in a lightly greased muffin tin to maintain the round shape. They do come out much prettier that way! Let the dough rise in the tin until they overflow the tops a little to make the traditional 'mushroom' top.
• Pre-heat the oven to 365 F (185 C). Just before placing in the oven, brush gently with a wash of egg white and water. Sprinkle with sesame seed if you want. I think it make them tastier but it's just a matter of taste. Bake for 10 minutes, turn them 180 degrees for even baking, them bake another 10 minutes.

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:

• 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:

• 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.

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.

CLASSIC BRIOCHE

Steps:

• Heat milk in a small pot over medium-low heat until just warm. Add 1/4 cup of the sugar and swirl to dissolve. Add the yeast and transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Let mixture sit a few minutes until you notice a few foamy bubbles start to form on top. (This lets you know the yeast is alive and well.)
• Whisk all-purpose flour, bread flour and remaining sugar together in a medium bowl. Add 8 eggs to the milk mixture, followed by half the flour mixture. With the mixer on low, start to incorporate the dry ingredients into the egg-and-milk mixture. Add remaining half of flour and knead a minute or two, until no dry spots remain.
• Turn the speed up to medium and continue to knead until dough is starting to look smooth, 4 to 6 minutes. Add salt and continue to knead until dough is firm, springy and elastic, another 4 to 6 minutes.
• Add butter, a few pieces at a time, fully incorporating each one before continuing, and scraping down the dough hook and bowl as needed. (It will start to crawl up the hook as you mix.) The first few additions take the longest, but have patience. It will take 30 to 40 minutes to work in all the butter.
• Once all butter is incorporated, continue kneading on medium speed for another 5 to 7 minutes, until the dough is smooth, shiny and elastic. It should look well emulsified and feel a bit sticky.
• Lightly grease a large bowl and transfer dough to the bowl. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dough has doubled in size and firmed up, at least 12 and up to 24 hours. (The slow rise will develop better flavor, and the chilling will make the dough easier to handle and shape.)
• When you're ready to shape and bake the bread, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a dough scraper or chef's knife, divide the dough into two equal portions.
• Working with one piece at a time, flatten the dough into an 8-by-5-inch rectangle, about 1 inch thick. Working from the longer edge at the top, tightly roll the dough, using your thumb and index finger to press the seam to the dough each time it's rolled. Pinch the dough at the last roll, so it is a well sealed, tightly compact log. Tuck the ends under, pinching to seal them as well.
• Transfer the dough to a greased (even better, nonstick and greased) 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan, seam-side down. Repeat with remaining piece of dough.
• Tightly wrap both loaf pans individually with plastic wrap and place them in a warm, draft-free place. Let the dough rise until it's touching the plastic wrap and looks as if it's trying t o break out, about 2 hours. (For very warm kitchens, this might take closer to 1 hour and 45 minutes, for a cooler kitchen, it may be closer to 2 hours and 15 minutes.) A good idea is to write the time on masking tape stuck to the plastic wrap, so you don't lose track of how long it's been.
• Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 375 degrees. Beat remaining egg with 1 teaspoon water (this is your egg wash) and brush it over the tops of the dough.
• Place loaf pans in the oven and bake, rotating halfway through, until the tops and sides are deep golden brown and bread is baked through completely, about 50 to 65 minutes. (If you have a probe thermometer, it should register 200 degrees when inserted into the center of the loaf.) If the loaves seem to be browning too quickly, tent lightly with foil. A good way to tell if the bread is fully baked is to tap the top: It should feel firm and make a light, hollow sound. (This indicates that the bread has lots of air, meaning it has risen properly and is fully baked and not dense and underbaked.)
• Using an oven mitt or kitchen towels, remove brioche from the oven and immediately remove them from their pans (run a knife around the edges if you have trouble dislodging). Place on a wire rack to cool completely. (If left to cool in the loaf pans, the bottoms and sides will steam and become soggy.) Let cool completely before slicing. Brioche, if wrapped tightly in plastic, will keep at room temperature for 5 days, refrigerated for 1 week and frozen for up to 1 month.

BRIOCHE

Steps:

• Put milk in a small saucepan and heat to 130 degrees.
• Put 4 1/4 cups flour, the sugar, salt, yeast, 8 tablespoons butter and 1 cup egg yolks into the container of a food processor. Start blending while gradually adding the milk to produce very stiff dough. If blending slows, stop the machine and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Knead by hand about 5 minutes, adding up to 1/4 cup more flour to produce a spongy dough. Add as little flour as possible. When ready, the dough may be a trifle sticky.
• Lightly butter inside of a mixing bowl and add ball of dough. Cover with clean cloth and let stand 1 hour and 10 minutes or until double in bulk.
• Butter two 8-cup loaf pans. Divide dough in half and shape into 2 oval shapes. Put one oval in each buttered pan and press the dough, making it rounded on top. Place in warm, draft-free place and cover with clean cloth. Let rise about 35 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Using scissors, clip the top lightly and uniformly in several spots up and down the center of each loaf. Beat the one egg yolk with the water and brush the top of each brioche with a little of the mixture.
• Place in the oven and bake 35 minutes to an internal temperature of about 200 degrees.

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.

BASIC BRIOCHE

Steps:

• 1. One day or up to 2 days ahead, make the dough. In the mixer bowl, place the water, sugar, instant yeast, flour, and egg. Whisk by hand until very smooth, to incorporate air, about 3 minutes. The sponge will be the consistency of a very thick batter. (At first the dough may collect inside the whisk, but just shake it out and keep whisking. If it's too thick to whisk, it means you've added too much flour and will need to add a little of the eggs to be added Step 3.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl and set it aside, covered with plastic wrap.
• 2. Combine the ingredients for the flour mixture and add to the sponge. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with the sugar and yeast. Then whisk in the salt (this keeps the yeast from coming in contact with the salt, which would kill it). Sprinkle this mixture on top of the sponge. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let it stand for 1 1/2 to 2 hours at room temperature. (During this time, the sponge will bubble through the flour mixture in places; this is fine.)
• 3. Mix the dough. Add the 2 cold eggs and mix with the dough hook on low (#2 if using a KitchenAid) for about 1 minute or until the flour is moistened. Raise the speed to medium (#4 KitchenAid) and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl with an oiled spatula and continue beating for about 5 minutes longer or until the dough is smooth and shiny but very soft and sticky. It will mass around the dough hook but not pull away from the bowl completely.
• Add the butter by the tablespoon, waiting until each addition is almost completely absorbed before adding the next tablespoon, beating until all the butter is incorporated. The dough will be very soft and elastic and will stick to your fingers unmercifully, but don't be tempted to add more flour at this point; it will firm considerably after chilling. (The dough will weigh about 19 ounces/536 grams.)
• 4. Let the dough rise. Using an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the dough into a 1-quart dough rising container or bowl, greased lightly with cooking spray or oil. Lightly spray or oil the top of the dough and cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap. With a piece of tape, mark the side of the container at approximately where double the height of the dough would be. Allow the dough to rise until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• 5. Chill the dough. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour to firm it; this will prevent the butter from separating.
• Gently deflate the dough by stirring it with a rubber scraper or spatula, and return it to the refrigerator for another hour so that it will be less sticky and easier to handle.
• 6. Deflate the dough and allow it to rest, chilled. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and press or roll it into a rectangle, flouring the surface and dough as needed to keep it from sticking. The exact size of the rectangle is not important. Give the dough a business letter turn, brushing off any excess flour, and again press down or roll it out into a rectangle. Rotate it 90 degrees so that the closed side is facing to your left. Give it a second business letter turn and round the corners. Dust it lightly on all sides with flour. Wrap it loosely but securely in plastic wrap and then place it in a large zip-seal bag. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 2 days to allow the dough to ripen (develop flavor) and firm.
• 7. Shape the dough and let it rise. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and gently press it down to deflate it. Cut the dough into 16 pieces (a scant 1 1/4 ounces/33 grams each). Without a scale, the easiest way to divide the dough evenly is to lightly flour your hands and roll it into a long cylinder. Cut it in half, then continue cutting each piece in half until there are 16 pieces.
• Pinch off a little less than one-quarter of each piece, for the topknot. Roll each larger piece of dough into a ball and press it into a prepared brioche mold. With lightly floured hands, shape each of the dough pieces reserved for the topknots into an elongated pear form. Using your index finger, make a hole in the center of each brioche, going almost to the bottom of the mold, and insert the elongated part of a topknot deeply into the hole. Cover the molds loosely with oiled plastic wrap and let rise (ideally at 75° to 80°F) until the edges of the dough reach the tops of the molds, about 1 hour. (See page 493 for step-by-step illustrations.)
• 8. Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F 1 hour before baking. Have an oven shelf at the lower level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on it before preheating.
• 9. Glaze and bake the brioche. Lightly beat together the egg yolk and cream for the glaze. Brush the top of the brioche with the egg glaze, being careful not to drip any on the side of the pans, or it will impede rising. Allow it to dry for 5 minutes and then brush a second time with the glaze. Use greased scissors or a small sharp knife to make a 1/4-inch-deep cut all around the base of the topknot so it will rise to an attractive shape.
• Set the molds on a baking sheet and place them on the hot stone or hot baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted under a topknot comes out clean (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read about 190°F).
• 10. Cool the brioche. Remove the brioche from the oven and unmold them onto a wire rack. Turn top side up and allow them to cool until barely warm.
• Note The small brioche can be reheated in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes.
• ULTIMATE FULL FLAVOR VARIATION
• For the best flavor development in Step 2, allow the sponge to ferment for 1 hour at room temperature, then refrigerate it for up to 24 hours.
• VARIATIONS
• Black Pepper Brioche When I tasted this brioche, filled with lobster salad, at Larry Forgione's An American Place years ago, I imagined that it would be a great counterpoint to the smokiness of bacon in a BLT. Simply add 1 1/2 teaspoons (4 grams) coarse or butcher's grind black pepper along with the salt. For foie gras, 1 tablespoon (12 grams) green peppercorns in vinegar (drained) can be substituted.
• Sweet Potato Brioche This delightful version was inspired by Julia Carter, who used to be Susan Spicer's pastry chef at Bayona Restaurant in New Orleans. Sweet potato, or yam, adds a beautiful golden color and moister texture to the brioche, without adding the eggy flavor that more egg would produce. The flavor of the sweet potato, however, is so subtle as to be unnoticeable.
• Add 1/2 cup (about 4.5 ounces/126 grams) of sieved baked sweet potato or yam to the dough when adding the cold eggs. The overall sugar can be decreased by 1 tablespoon to compensate for the sweetness of the potato.
• Brioche Loaf The basic recipe, or the above variations, can be baked as one large loaf. Follow the recipe as written through Step 6, then proceed as directed below.
• 7. Shape the dough and let it rise. Deflate the dough as directed, then press or roll the dough into a rectangle about 7 1/2 inches long and 5 inches wide. Roll it down from the top in 3 turns, being sure to brush off any excess flour, pressing with your thumbs to seal the dough. Place it seam side down in the prepared pan, pressing it down firmly. Cover it lightly with oiled plastic wrap and allow it to rise until the top of the dough reaches the top of the pan, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• 8. Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F 30 minutes before baking. Have an oven shelf at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on it before preheating.
• 9. Glaze (if desired), slash, and bake the brioche loaf. For a shiny top crust, brush with the optional egg glaze. With a sharp knife or single-edged razor blade, make a 1/4- to 1/2-inch-deep lengthwise slash in the dough, starting about 1 inch from one end of the pan and going to within 1 inch of the other end.
• Set the pan on the hot stone or hot baking sheet. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read about 190°F).
• 10. Cool the brioche loaf. Remove the brioche from the oven and unmold it onto a wire rack. Turn top side up and allow it to cool until barely warm, at least 2 hours.
• Giant Brioche
• Makes: a 9-inch-by-5-inch-high round loaf/2 1/4 pounds/1047 grams
• Make a double recipe of Basic Brioche dough (2 pounds 6 ounces/1 kilogram, 80 grams), following the recipe as written through Step 6. Shape and let rise as in Step 7. Glaze and bake as in Steps 8 and 9, but after 5 minutes at 425°F turn down the oven to 375°F and continue baking for 45 to 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted under the topknot comes out clean. (An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read about 190°F.) After about 20 minutes at 375°F, or when the top crust is brown, tent it loosely with foil, shiny side out. Cool for several hours until barely warm.
• Dairy Dinner Challah
• People often complain that challah seems dry. This one isn't, because it's a true brioche, made with butter. According to kashruth (kosher) laws, bread made with butter or dairy products cannot be eaten when meat is served at the same meal. So break with tradition, and serve fish instead of chicken one Friday night. This challah will still be moist the next morning, ready to be lightly toasted and topped with smoked salmon.
• Makes: a 9-by-5-inch-high round loaf/ 2 1/4 pounds/1047 grams
• Make a double recipe of Basic Brioche dough (2 pounds 6 ounces/1 kilogram, 80 grams), following the recipe as written through Step 6, then proceeding as directed below.
• 7. Shape the dough and let it rise. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Flatten it gently so as not to activate the gluten, making it stretchy. For a loaf with a braided top, divide the dough into 3 equal parts. Roll each on a lightly floured counter into a rope about 26 inches long. (If the dough is very elastic, allow it to rest, covered with plastic wrap, for 5 to 10 minutes.) For the most symmetrical loaf, braid the dough starting from the center and working toward each end, pinching it at the ends (see page 73). Coil the braid into the pan, starting at the center, and tucking the end underneath. Or, for an elegant snail shape, make one long thick rope and coil it around in the same manner.
• 8. Glaze the dough and let it rise. Brush the dough with the egg glaze, going deep into the crevices. Cover and refrigerate the remaining glaze. Cover the dough with a plastic box or oiled plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm place until the dough has reached the top of the pan, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• 9. Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F 1 hour before baking. Have an oven shelf at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on it before preheating.
• 10. Glaze and bake the challah. Brush the challah again with the egg glaze, going well into the crevices; be careful not to drip any down the side of the pan, or it will impede rising. Sprinkle the challah with the poppy seeds.
• Place the pan onto the hot baking stone or hot baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Lower the heat to 375°F and continue baking for 50 to 55 minutes or until the bread is golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read about 190°F). After about 20 minutes at 375°F, or when the top crust is brown, tent it loosely with foil.
• 11. Cool the challah. Remove the pan from the oven and unmold the challah onto a wire rack. Turn it top side up to cool completely.
• Convenience Brioche
• To make the dough in a bread machine with a programmable setting and pause button, after mixing the sponge (Step 1), scrape it into the bread machine container and sprinkle the flour blanket on top, as in Step 2. Add the cold eggs (Step 3) and mix the dough for 3 minutes, then let it proceed through the knead cycle for about 8 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic. You will need to pause the machine a few times to scrape out any flour or dough that collects in the corners of the container. Add the softened butter at once and continue the kneading cycle until it is incorporated, about 3 minutes, pausing and scraping down the sides if necessary.
• For the first rise (Step 4), turn off the machine and let the dough rise (with the lid closed) until approximately doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the container from the machine, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for 1 hour (Step 5). Return the container to the bread machine (you can leave the plastic wrap in place) and deflate the dough by pressing the mix button and mixing for about 30 seconds. Return the container to the refrigerator for 1 hour. Then proceed from Step 6, deflating and chilling the dough.
• POINTERS FOR SUCCESS
• • In a superb article on brioche in Pleasures of Cooking, the cookbook author Paula Wolfert recommends melting and browning about one-fifth of the butter (2 tablespoons) for an extra rich, delicious flavor.
• • On some mixers there may not be an adjustment to raise the bowl, and the dough hook may not work as well for this small amount of dough; if this is the case, use the paddle beater.
• • If after unmolding a brioche loaf the sides are still pale in color, place the loaf directly on the oven rack and continue baking for about 5 minutes to brown the sides and make them firm to prevent collapse.
• • If a deeper shine is desired, the brioche can be double-glazed by brushing with the glaze immediately after shaping and then a second time just before baking. This also serves to prevent the dough from drying out during rising. Understanding
• UNDERSTANDING
• This dough is exceptionally wet. Just enough extra flour is added to be able to handle it for shaping, resulting in a very light, soft bread. I do not use the food processor for this dough because it is so sticky that it is very difficult to remove from the bowl and blade; it also lifts up the blade when incorporating the butter.
• THE DOUGH PERCENTAGE
• Flour: 100% Water: 55.4% (includes the water in the butter and egg white) Yeast: 2.1% Salt: 1.5% Fat: 47.7% (includes the fat in the egg yolk)

SIMPLE BRIOCHE

Steps:

• Stir the flour, sugar, and the salt together in a large bowl, or in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Make a well in the center, and pour the warm water in to the well. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and stir it in. Add the eggs to the well, and combine with the water. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet to form a firm dough. Continue beating by hand for five minutes or in the mixer for 3 minutes until the dough is elastic. It will be somewhat sticky, but it shouldn't stick to your hands.
• Add the melted butter and mix just until it is incorporated. Now the dough will be more like a batter - sticky (it may stick to your fingers ) but not wet.
• Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave it in a warm spot (68-70°F.), until the dough has risen slightly, almost imperceptibly, about 1 hour.
• Generously butter and 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pan.
• Punch down the dough and place it in the prepared loaf pan, spreading it as evenly as possible so it fills the pan. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm spot (68-70°F.) until it has increased by about one third (the change in size is not dramatic), about 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Prepare the egg wash:
• Whisk the egg and water together in a small bowl and paint the loaf with the mixture. To help it rise evenly, slash the top of the loaf in several places (or snip it with a pair of kitchen shears). Bake in the center of the oven until the brioche is puffed and golden, 35-40 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the oven and turn the brioche out onto a wire rack to cool.