| Prep: 2 hours 30 mins | Cook: 35 mins – 40 mins | Difficulty: Medium | Serves: 6 |
| kcal | fat | saturates | carbs |
| 423 | 26g | 15g | 32g |
| sugars | fibre | protein | salt |
| 6g | 1g | 10g | 0.6g |
About Brioche
If there is one bread that stands out in the wide spectrum of dazzling bread varieties, it’s undeniably the Brioche. This delicious, velvety bread is an art in itself, lacing together delicate strands of history and culinary expertise. Providing soft mouthfuls of sweet, buttery flavor, one can only marvel at the simple ingredients combined to produce such a divine result!
Brioche is a distinct member of the viennoiserie family. Viennoiserie refers to baked goods made from a yeast-leavened dough in a manner similar to bread, but with added ingredients giving them a richer, sweeter character, approaching that of pastry. The French Cooking Academy delicately unfolds the essence of Brioche in their comprehensive guide.
The Versatility of Brioche
What sets Brioche apart is its versatility which transcends breakfast boundaries. It’s an ideal companion to your morning coffee, the perfect base for a gourmet sandwich, and a brilliant complement to foie gras or cheese too. Brioche is also excellent for soaking up sauces in dishes like bread pudding with fresh fruitsor forms the foundation for exquisite French toast. You can tear it into chunks to make delicious crouton-like pieces for salad, or for that gourmet touch to your festive stuffing!
A Pastry Disguised as a Bread
While Brioche is indeed classified as a bread, it harbors the characteristics of a pastry due to the rich inclusion of butter and eggs. These essential ingredients bestow upon the final product a crumbly tenderness that is incomparable, a golden color tantamount to the morning sun, and a flavor that teases your taste buds with its subtle sweetness. It shares similarities with other rich, buttery doughs like croissant and Danish pastry, melding the best of both bread and pastry worlds.
The Art of Making Brioche
Given its intricate procedure and high fat-to-flour ratio, making a Brioche requires patience and precision. First the yeast is dissolved in warm water to activate it, followed by an amalgamation of sugar, salt, eggs, and softened butter. Then comes the all-important task of gradually adding flour into the mix. Unlike regular bread dough, Brioche demands a meticulous balance between its wet and dry ingredients to achieve its signature texture.
In conclusion, Brioche is not just any bread, but a captivating world of sweetness and buttery bliss. Next time you crave a sophisticated baking journey or simply want to add a unique touch to your breakfast table, try your hands at baking a Brioche, a bakery masterpiece demanding your attention and rewarding you with unparalleled gastronomic delight.
What You’ll Need
- 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
- 5 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water
Method
Step One
Begin by warming the water to the specified temperature. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast into this warm water and let it stand for about 5 minutes, or until the yeast becomes frothy.
Step Two
Next, mix in the sugar, salt, eggs, butter, and 2 cups of flour into the yeast mixture. Beat the ingredients together until well combined.
Step Three
Continue by gradually adding the rest of the flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once all the flour is incorporated, beat on high speed for 2 minutes.
Step Four
Lightly oil a large bowl, then add the dough and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Step Five
When the dough has doubled in volume, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into two equal parts. Shape each into loaves and place into lightly greased loaf pans. Cover the pans with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
Step Six
While waiting for the second rise, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Once the loaves have risen, carefully brush the tops with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture. This will give your brioche a beautiful golden color when it’s baked.
Step Seven
Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
