Brioche bread has a characteristic soft and light texture, with a strong buttery flavour due to its high-fat content. The baking and kneading process can be fun and straightforward if you want it to be. The smell, fluffy texture, and buttery taste are delights. Once you go brioche, you will find every little reason to make this pastry.
Brioche belongs to the family of viennoiseries, a puff pastry subcategory. Normally, it is made with eggs, milk, butter and flour. I added cubes of butter to the dough and mixed it with the flour and wet ingredients mixture, instead of using the lamination method, kind of like in rough puff pastry. A good brioche should have high butter content, which in turn gives this pastry its characteristic soft texture.
Why You Need To make Brioche Bread.
- It is easy once you learn the basics.
- Brioche bread is soft, buttery and astonishingly delicious.
- Brioche bread can be made sweet or savoury. Therefore, it can be indulged as a sweet pastry or used to make savoury dishes.
- Basic brioche bread requires few, readily available ingredients.
- Brioche dough can be used as a base to make different kinds of bread and desserts such as puddings.
How to make Brioche Bread.
1. Proof the yeast.
Start by mixing yeast, warm milk and a tablespoon of sugar. This step is mandatory if you are using Active dry yeast. The warm milk will activate the yeast. And the tablespoon of sugar speeds up the activation process. Activating yeast using a warm liquid is called proofing. Let this mixture sit for at least 10 minutes. If you are using instant yeast you can skip this step and add it directly to the flour.
2. Mix all the ingredients.
Afterwards, add egg yolks, sugar and flour (mixed with salt) and mix. You can use an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or use a wooden spoon. Gradually, add cubed butter and continue mixing until it is fully mixed in.
Transfer the dough to a floured flat workspace and knead for a few minutes. Do not over-knead as this will overdevelop the gluten and will make the baked brioche bread tough. The dough will be somewhat sticky, as it should be. Do not be tempted to add more flour to the dough.
3. Rest the dough.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with a cling film. The oil bowl prevents it from sticking. Let it sit for at least 1 hour at room temperature or refrigerate for at least 3 hours. I prefer to refrigerate mine, as this will make the dough less sticky and more stable. As a result, I end up using less flour when kneading.
4. Knead and braid.
Afterwards, flour your working bench and knead quickly, as it can get sticky if it is left out for too long. Cut into small pieces, flatten and roll into same sized logs. Braid using two logs like a twist, or use a three-strand braid then, place on the baking tray adequately spacing between each bread.
5. Rest the dough, again.
Cover with a wet towel to prevent the dough from drying, and let it sit for at least one hour. It should be ready if, when pressed with a finger it bounces back slightly.
6. Bake.
Mix eggs with milk and lightly brush on each bread, then bake for 20-25 minutes in a preheated oven at 180C until it turns to a deep dark brown colour. ( the baking time is dependant on the size of the brioche). Fully baked brioche will have an internal temperature of 93C.
When ready, remove it from the oven and set it aside to cool before serving.
HAVE SOME FUN WITH IT
Brioche bread can be braided and rolled into different shapes. You can do two strands braid, a three-strand braid or even a 5 strand braid. The only caution that should be observed is the dough should be worked quickly after removing it from the fridge since it can get sticky quickly.
Brioche can also be made as stuffed buns with a filling of choice. Chocolate, caramel or praline will work perfectly.
TIPS AND TRICKS.
Identify the kind of yeast that you have on hand. Instant yeast does not necessarily need proofing, on the other hand, if you are using active dry yeast proofing is necessary.
Avoid adding too much flour when kneading brioche bread. Too much flour will result in tough brioche bread.
Overbaking brioche can make it dry. On the other hand, it is easy to underbake brioche bread. You will know it’s ready when it turns a deep dark brown colour and has an internal temperature of about 93 C. Take note that big bread will take longer to bake than small-sized bread.
How to indulge in Brioche Bread.
Besides the obvious ways, brioche bread is used to make Bostock. Bostock is a kind of twice-baked brioche bread, almond paste and syrup will be introduced before baking. In simpler terms, it is kind of an almond french toast.
Other ways to indulge in brioche would be making sandwiches, savoury buns such as bacon buns, bread puddings or just simply indulging it with a cup of tea or soup.
BRIOCHE BREAD.
Course: Dessert, Bread, BreakfastDifficulty: Medium4
servings300
kcalIngredients
- Brioche dough
420 grams flour
150 grams milk
180 grams butter
5 egg yolks
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 tsp salt
- For Brushing
1 egg
3 tbs milk
Directions
- Start by proofing the yeast. In a medium-sized bowl mix warm milk with active dry yeast plus a tablespoon of sugar. Let this mixture sit for at least 10 minutes. Skip this step if you are using instant dry yeast.
- Afterwards, add in egg yolks and salt, then mix to combine. Add flour in small batches mixing at every round. Be careful not to overmix.
- Gradually, add cubed butter mixing to incorporate into the dough. When it is well incorporated the dough will be sticky with just a few lumps. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with a cling film.
- Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or leave it at room temperature for at least one hour. Remove dough from the fridge and lightly flour your working surface. knead and cut the dough into desired sizes, and roll into logs. Afterwards, braid using three or two strands. Roll and tuck the ends of each braid.
- Place each bread, adequately spaced on a baking tray lined with parchment. Cover with a wet towel to prevent the dough from drying. Let them rest for at least one hour, or until each doubles in size, and when pressed with a finger the dough bounces back only slightly.
- Brush with egg wash mixture and bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 20-25 minutes or until fully baked. You will know it is ready when it turns to a deep dark brown colour, with an internal temperature of 93C.
Notes
- Identify the yeast you have on hand. Instant dry yeast can be added directly to the flour while instant dry yeast will need to be activated with warm milk. A tablespoon of sugar into the milk speeds up the activation process.
- Don’t be tempted to add too much flour when kneading brioche bread as this will make the bread dry and tough.
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