France Brioche
Brioche is a common French bread that has a high egg and butter content, giving it a rich and tender consistency. In many ways it is a combination of a bread and a pastry, baked in the same way as bread but with ingredients like eggs, butter, and milk more akin to a pastry. Brioche is commonly eaten for breakfast, with tea, or as part of a dessert. Recipe Serving: Makes 3 loaves
Prep Time
2 hours 10 minutes
+ 11 hours resting
+ 11 hours resting
Cook Time
30 minutes
Total Time
13 hours 40 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
Sponge:- 1/3 cup (80 ml) whole milk, warm
- 1 packet active dry yeast
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups (240 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (65 g) sugar
- 1 tsp (5 ml) kosher salt
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 (180 g) cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (180 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Directions
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine the milk, yeast, egg, and 1 cup (120 g) flour.
- Mix the ingredients together with a rubber spatula, stirring until everything is just blended.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup (120 g) flour to cover the sponge mixture.
- Set the sponge aside to rest uncovered for 30–40 minutes. After this time, the flour coating should crack, indicating the dough is progressing as it should.
- Add the sugar, salt, eggs, and 1 cup (120 g) flour to the sponge.
- Set the bowl in the electric mixer, attach the dough hook, and mix on low speed for a 1–2 minutes, just until the ingredients begin to come together.
- While continuing to mix, sprinkle in 1/2 cup more flour.
- When the flour is well incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for about 15 minutes, stopping to scrape down the dough hook and bowl as needed.
- Work the butter until it is the same consistency of the dough by either hitting it with a rolling pin or smearing it across a clean surface with a dough scraper. The ready butter should be smooth, soft, and cool, not warm, greasy, or oily.
- With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter a few spoonfuls at a time. The dough should begin to fall apart at this point.
- When all of the butter has been added, raise the mixer speed to medium-high for 1 minute, then reduce the speed to medium and beat the dough for about 5 minutes, until the dough comes together once again. The dough will be soft and sticky. If it doesn't not come together after a few minutes of mixing, add 1 tbsp (15 ml) flour.
- Transfer the dough to a very large buttered bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let it rise at room temperature from about 2–2 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.
- 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 outside of the dough, lifting and releasing.
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough overnight, or for at least 6 hours. It will continue to rise and may double in bulk again.
- Remove from refrigerator and divide the dough into thirds.
- On a lightly-floured surface, divide each section into 6 equal pieces and shape each piece into a ball.
- Grease 3 loaf pans.
- Place the 6 balls side-by-side in one of the greased loaf pans so that you have 3 short rows, each with two balls of dough.
- Do the same with the other two pieces (12 balls) of brioche dough.
- Cover the pans with plastic and allow the dough to rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190?).
- Lightly brush each loaf with egg wash, taking care not to let the glaze dribble into the pan.
- 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 (93°C).
- Remove loaves from oven, place on a wire rack, and cool to room temperature.
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