bread - brioche

By tinathorn

Ingredients

• 160 mL warm milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried yeast
• 5 egg yolks, at room temperature, plus one whole egg (for egg wash)
• 375 g plain four
• 3 tablespoons caster sugar
• 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 150 g unsalted butter, softened and cubed

Details

Adapted from bestrecipes.com.au

Preparation

Step 1

Step 1

Start by dissolving your yeast in half the warm milk. Make sure it's not too hot or you risk killing the yeast. Set aside the mix in a warm place until it is foamy (about 10 minutes).

Step 2

Whisk together the egg yolks and remaining milk and set aside. Sift the flour, sugar and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Make a well in the centre and slowly pour in the egg mixture followed by the yeast mix. Beat together until a smooth dough starts to form and it starts coming away from the sides of the bowl.

Step 3

Keep the mixer going and slowly start adding the softened butter, a few cubes at a time. This is going to take a bit of time, and it will look like the mix has split, but just continue beating and it will eventually come back together.

Step 4

When all the butter has been added, wait until you've got a smooth dough that is wrapping itself around the dough hook and slapping against the sides of the bowl, until you turn the mixer off. Transfer the dough to a lightly buttered bowl, cover with cling wrap and allow it to double in size. Depending on how warm your kitchen is this can take anywhere from one to two and a half hours.

Step 5

Using your hands, knock the dough back, give it a vigorous knead until it's smooth and springy, then roll into six equally-sized balls. Place the balls side-by-side in a buttered loaf tin so that you have two rows of three balls (or three short rows of two).

Step 6

Cover the tin with lightly greased plastic cling wrap and allow it to double in size. This second proving should only take 30 minutes to one hour. While the brioche is proving preheat your own to 180°C. Lightly beat your remaining egg and brush over the top of the brioche. Place the loaf into the oven's middle rack and cook for 35-45 minutes, or until dark golden in colour. If it's browning too quickly, cover the loaf with foil to prevent burning.

Step 7

Once the brioche is cooked, allow it to cool for ten minutes in its tin before removing it to cool on a rack.