Making bread can be intimidating for some folks. You may have tried it before with unsuccessful results and decided to give up completely. You would not be alone. With so many varieties available, it may not seem worth it to you to make it at home. I urge you to give it just one more try with this brioche recipe. The aroma that fills your home may well be reason enough.
Brioche is a light and airy bread that is has a very subtle sweetness. For me, it falls somewhere between regular bread as we know it and a croissant. It is often used as a base for sweet breads and cinnamon rolls, but it would certainly be at home as the bread for a breakfast sandwich.
The best thing about it is that it is simple to make. If you have a stand mixer, you are in luck. That takes your work down to almost nothing. All that is required is time. You will find this dough very easy to work. Although it doesn't seem so in the beginning, the dough is smooth and pliable without being sticky. The finished product will amaze you. We have made the traditional brioche a tete here, but you could certainly bake it in loaf form. It would be perfect for French toast.
savour... the smell of freshly baked bread
Get the rest after the jump...
Before you start:
When you begin the dough won’t look like much more than a sticky mess. Be patient. It gets better.
Be sure to plan appropriately. While your effort is minimal, the overall process takes several hours.
The dough will rise very little during the time between mixing and placing it in the refrigerator. This time is mostly getting the dough prepared for what lies ahead.
I like to let dough rise in a large glass measuring bowl so I can gauge its progress.
To prevent them from browning too quickly place a rack above your rolls in the oven. Put an empty baking tray on it to shield the tops of the rolls.
To prevent burning the bottoms place the brioche cups or muffin tins on two baking sheets.
If you wish, you can reserve the egg white from the extra yolk you used to mix with just a little water and brush on the rolls before baking.
The ingredients:
- 2 ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup dry milk
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon rapid rise or instant yeast
- 3 large eggs plus one egg yolk
- ¼ cup lukewarm water
- 10 tablespoons butter at room temperature
The method:
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- Place all of the ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer.
- Blend with paddle attachment for about 30 seconds on low speed just to get the ingredients mixed together.
- Increase speed to medium high and beat for 10 minutes. The dough will look smooth and silky.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl to get the dough into a ball in the middle of the bowl bottom.
- Replace the paddle with the hook attachment and continue on medium low for another 5 minutes.
- Remove the dough and place in a large lightly greased bowl to rise.
- Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour covered. It will rise only slightly.
- Move the covered dough to the refrigerator and let it rest for at least 2 hours. It could even go overnight.
- Remove the dough and split into the sizes and shapes you need. It will make two regular sized loaves or many rolls (approximately 12).
- Grease the pans of your choice and place the dough in them. Fill muffin pans only ½ full.
- Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 1 ½ to 2 hours. It will be double in size and puffy.
- For rolls, preheat your oven to 375. Bake for 25-30 minutes until medium golden brown.
- For loaves, preheat oven to 350. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Tent with foil if necessary to prevent excessive browning.
- Allow to cool for 4 minutes in pan before turning out onto rack to cool completely.
Thanks sharing this awesome brioche recipe. I love it. I will definitely try to make it tonight. I hope I get nice results.
Posted by: credit repair affiliate | 11/22/2010 at 03:12 AM
Great baking tips, thanks!!!!!
Posted by: Medifast Coupons | 11/22/2010 at 08:33 AM
Who can resist the poofy, buttery texture of a good brioche? Yours looks pretty darn magnificent, too! ;)
Posted by: Carolyn Jung | 11/22/2010 at 10:58 AM
The aroma that fills your home may well be reason enough.
Posted by: ugg sale | 11/23/2010 at 03:07 AM
Ooooh, I haven't tried to make a brioche yet! Two Qs though, what do you suggest as kneading time if one doesn't own a stand-up mixer? Also, how do you make your rolls into such an adorable shape?
Thank you!
Posted by: Margot | 07/23/2012 at 06:44 PM
You can absolutely knead by hand. This can be a tricky endeavor for some as the dough is somewhat sticky, but with a little practice and patience you'll be fine. Expect 15-20 minutes minimum. Some knead for much longer (say, twice as long) to develop the dough.
To make the classic brioche shape, make one ball that will fill about 1/2 of your tin. Push the dough up through a hole made by your index finger and thumb (like the OK sign). Pinch off the bottom and place in the tin. Make a small indention in the top with your thumb. Now make a smaller ball and press slightly into the indention.
Posted by: Sam | 08/02/2012 at 06:36 AM
The tins that you used in the picture, are they Sandbakkel tins?
Posted by: sandi | 12/23/2012 at 03:29 PM
@Sandi... Yes, they are Sandbakkel tins.
Posted by: Sam | 01/02/2013 at 03:50 PM
Wow great recipes! ! This social media looks like FUN
Posted by: Randy Fritzemeier | 03/26/2013 at 04:34 AM