Sourdough Bubble Top Brioche Recipes

THE BEST SOURDOUGH BRIOCHE (TANGZHONG METHOD)

Steps:

• Add all the ingredients to a small mixing bowl and mix until just combined. Cover the bowl and let the levain rise in a warm spot (78-80°F/26-27°C) for four hours, or until it has doubled in size.
• Add milk and flour to a small pot. Heat up over medium heat while stirring with a whisk. Once the mixture has thickened and reached the temperature of 150°F/65°C, it is ready.
• Transfer the tangzhong to a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap that is touching the entire surface of the tangzhong. Cool to room temperature before continuing with the next step.
• Add all the ingredients, except salt and butter, including the sweet levain and tangzhong, to the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix until just combined. Rest/autolyse for 30 minutes.
• Add the salt and knead on medium speed for 5-10 minutes.
• Slowly add in cubed, softened butter, one cube at a time. When you have added all the butter, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and continue mixing at medium-high speed until the dough passes the window-pane test. This typically takes around 15-25 minutes, depending on your mixer.
• Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly oiled bowl and proof for three hours at around 75°F/24°C.
• After the three hours proof, you can transfer the dough to the fridge and let it cold-proof for 8-15 hours.
• Butter two 9-inch bread tins.
• Take the dough out of the fridge and divide it into two equal pieces. We want to work with one loaf at a time so place one of the dough pieces on a floured work surface and the other back into the fridge.
• Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into seamless rounds and arrange them in one of your prepared bread tins. Repeat on the other half of the dough.
• Let the brioche breads proof for 7-10 hours at 75-78°F/24-26°C, until doubled in size.
• Preheat your oven to 360°F/180°C.
• Brush the tops of the breads with egg wash.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Cover with aluminum foil if it browns too quickly.

BUBBLE-TOP BRIOCHES

Steps:

• Combine 1/4 cup warm water and warm milk in bowl of heavy-duty mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Sprinkle yeast over and stir to moisten evenly. Let stand until yeast dissolves, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
• Add flour and salt to yeast mixture. Blend at medium-low speed until shaggy lumps form, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Beat in sugar. Increase mixer speed to medium; beat until dough is smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Reduce speed to low. Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until blended after each addition, about 4 minutes (dough will be soft and silky). Increase speed to medium-high and beat until dough pulls away from sides of bowl and climbs paddle, 8 to 9 minutes.
• Lightly butter large bowl. Scrape dough into bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Gently deflate dough by lifting around edges, then letting dough fall back into bowl, turning bowl and repeating as needed. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and chill, deflating dough in same way every 30 minutes until dough stops rising, about 2 hours. Chill overnight. (At this point, use the dough to make 12 brioches, or 6 brioches and 1 tart, or 2 tarts.)
• Butter 12 standard (1/3-cup) muffin cups. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces; cut each piece into thirds. Roll each small piece between palms into ball. Place 3 balls in each prepared cup (dough will fill cup). Place muffin pan in warm draft-free area; lay sheet of waxed paper over. Let dough rise until light and almost doubled (dough will rise 1/2 inch to 1 inch above top rim of muffin cups), 50 to 60 minutes.
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Place muffin pan on rimmed baking sheet. Gently brush egg glaze over risen dough, being careful that glaze does not drip between dough and pan (which can prevent full expansion in oven). Bake brioches until golden brown, covering with foil if browning too quickly, about 20 minutes. Transfer pan to rack. Cool 10 minutes. Remove brioches from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.