Brioche is life.
Truth be told, this was not an easy recipe to make. Brioche bread is difficult to make, the dough is fussy and I wondered the whole time if the recipe was #WarTimeWorthy because it required the use of 8 eggs, a whole stick of butter and full-cream milk.
But after taking a bite into that delicious bread, I can safely say that this was definitely worth it. I encourage you to practice other bread recipes before endeavoring on this one though! Brioche is not kind to first-time bread makers.
Yields 2 Loaves
Ingredients
FOR THE SPONGE
1 cup bread flour
1 packet or 2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
1/2 cup milk, lukewarm*
How to know your milk is lukewarm? Stick a clean finger into the milk and if you can bathe your finger in there for more than 20 seconds, it’s lukewarm
FOR THE DOUGH
7 eggs, room temperature*
*super important that your eggs are at room temperature
3 cups bread flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
FOR THE EGG WASH
1 egg
1 tbsp. water
Sea salt for sprinkling
Make the sponge: Add 1 cup bread flour, yeast, and lukewarm milk. Mix until well combined, then cover with plastic wrap and let the sponge sit for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Look out for air pockets! It is ready when you see some air pockets have formed. Prepare your standmixer. Add 7 eggs, 3 cups bread flour, sugar, and salt to the sponge. Make sure your butter is left outside in room temperature to soften before you take the next step.
Mix on medium speed until well combined, increase the speed until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and becomes elastic, scraping down bowl every 4 to 5 minutes. This process takes about 10 to 13 minutes and I set a timer.
Cut your softened butter into 1 inch cubes. Add in soften butter gradually, 1 inch cube at a time, letting each cube fully incorporate into the dough before adding the next. Continue mixing on medium-high speed after all the butter has been added. (Some recipes call for the dough to pass the windowpane test at this time, but my dough did not because it was so wet. I don’t this it is absolutely necessary). Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest about 30mins if you kitchen is warm.
I would think that chilling your dough for 6 hours or overnight at this point will allow the butter in the dough to firm up and allow you to shape the dough better. I did not chill my dough so it was difficult to work with. If you did allow your dough to chill for 6 hours or overnight, remove it from the fridge and continue with step 5. However, allow your dough to proof for longer (about 1 hour 30mins to 2 hours).Once dough has doubled in size, turn out onto a floured surface and punch down dough. Divide dough in half and cut each half into six equal pieces. Roll into a ball.
Grease loaf pans with butter. Place 6 pieces of dough seam-side down in one straight row into each prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap. Preheat oven to 375° (190 degrees celsius). Turn oven to convection fan mode.
Let dough proof until doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining egg and water. Brush egg wash on top of loaf and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.
Bake until deeply golden on top about 27 to 30 minutes on the middle rack.
Let loaves cool for 5 minutes then turn loaves out onto a cooling rack. VIOLA!
How you know they are done? Tap the top of the loaves and you ill hear a magical hollow sound!
Now the question is, is this recipe #WarTimeWorthy?
I spent $11.59 for these 2 loaves so each loaf cost me $5.80. I think it is officially #WarTimeWorthy because it fed 2 households!
Recipes I referred to:
