Homemade Brioche
My weekend baking adventure
There’s nothing better than the scent of freshly baked bread, especially when that bread is a fluffy, buttery brioche.
If you are looking for a new bread baking challenge, this recipe is for you! Part bread, part pastry brioche has a soft and fluffy texture, and a sweet buttery flavour that pairs well with sweet and savory ingredients.
Making Brioche
Brioche is made using the sponge and dough method, a two-step bread making process.
Making brioche is a two-day project. Don’t let that intimidate you though, most of that time is down-time. After kneading and rising, the brioche dough is let chill in the refrigerator overnight. The long slow overnight rise improves the flavour and texture of the bread.
Day One
The sponge is made and allowed to ferment for 30-40 minutes. The sponge is then combined with the remaining ingredients to create the dough. Be forewarned, 4 eggs, and 12 tablespoons of butter results in a pretty wet, sticky dough!
The dough is let rise for 2-21/2 hours, or until doubled in size, then placed in the refrigerator to chill and rise again. The dough needs a minimum of four hours for the 2nd rise, but overnight is best, as the long slow fermentation will allow the dough to develop more flavour.
Day Two
The dough is shaped and placed in the bread pans to proof for 1-1½ hours, then into the oven to bake for 30 – 35 minutes, and you have beautiful, golden brown loaves of bread with a light tender crumb interior.
Brioche can also be baked as individual buns or rolls in a muffin pan or specialty fluted brioche baking tins
Delicious Ways to Use Your Brioche
Typically eaten as a breakfast treat, it’s delicious served warm or lightly toasted on its own, or with butter and jam.
Eggs and brioche are a match made in heaven, whether simply toasted, and served together with buttery, softly scrambled eggs, or used in your favorite breakfast and brunch dishes.
Brioche makes the most luscious, pillowy soft French toast. It’s also delicious used in sweet or savory bread puddings or breakfast strata dishes.
A perfect base for eggs benedict, the brioche acts as a delicious sponge, soaking up the egg yolk and hollandaise sauce.
Or, my personal favorite, a buttery toasted brioche bun served alongside an omelette stuffed with goat cheese and smoked salmon. There’s just something about brioche and smoked salmon!
Brioche is not just for breakfast though. It makes a quick and delicious canapé or appetizer. Serve cut into small squares, toasted, and served with smoked salmon or your favorite pâté.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with bread hook attachment
- two nonstick 8 x 4 inch bread pans
Ingredients
The Sponge
- ⅓ cup milk warmed
- 2¼ tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
The Dough
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 4 eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 12 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature, plus extra for buttering the bread pans
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg at room temperature, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
Instructions
Prepare the Sponge
- In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer mix the milk, yeast, and sugar together. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the egg and 1 cup of the flour and stir to combine. The sponge will be sticky and fairly dry. Sprinkle the remaining cup flour over the sponge, to cover. Let rest, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes. The sponge will erupt slightly, and there will be cracks in the flour.
Prepare the Dough
- Add the sugar, salt, eggs, and 1 cup of the flour to the sponge. Fit the bowl onto the stand mixer with the dough hook attached, mix on low speed until the dough just comes together, about 1-2 minutes. Add the remaining ½ cup flour while continuing to mix. Once the flour is incorporated mix on medium for 15 minutes, scraping down the hook and bowl as needed.
- With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the softened butter a few tablespoons at a time, letting the butter fully incorporate into the dough before adding more. When all 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 5 minutes. The dough will be soft and sticky.
- First rise: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 2 to 2½ hours.
- Chilling and second rise: Punch down the dough and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight, or for at least 4 hours. The dough will continue to rise and may double in size again. TIP: The dough can now be frozen if you are not using the full amount. To freeze; punch the dough down and wrap tightly in plastic wrap then place in the freezer. The dough will keep frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw wrapped dough in the refrigerator overnight before baking.
Shape and Proof the Dough
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 1½ – 2 hours before you are going to bake the brioche.Butter 2 8×4-inch pans. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place 6 pieces side by side in each bread pan. Cover the pans with a clean cloth and let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1½ hours.TIP: To make individual brioche butter the cups in a muffin pan and place one ball of the dough in each cup.
Bake the Brioche
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Lightly brush the dough with the egg wash. Snip several crosses along the top of the dough with the tips of a sharp pair of scissors. (This helps the brioche rise evenly as it bakes.)Place the pans on the center rack in the oven and bake until the loaves are deeply golden, and an instant-read thermometer plunged into the center of the bread reads 200ºF, 30 to 35 minutes. Note; if making individual brioche in a muffin pan the baking time will be reduced, about 20-25 minutes.
- Remove the pans from the oven and place on a rack to cool. Turn the loaves out once they have cooled.
- The bread can be stored tightly wrapped, at room temperature for a day or two or frozen.To freeze, wrap tightly and store for up to one month. Thaw, still wrapped, at room temperature.