Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for brioche.
May 19, 2010 11:59pmBy Emma Knowles
- 30 mins preparation
- 45 mins cooking plus proving
- Serves 6
Whether eaten plain or transformed into the most luxurious French toast or bread-and-butter pudding, brioche is one of the world's greatest breads.
Brioche would have to be one of French cuisine's greatest gifts. Buttery, rich and moreish, what's not to love? Although it's classified as a bread, it's so much more, and comes in all shapes and sizes. There's the widely recognised brioche à tête, or Parisian brioche, where the dough is placed in fluted tins and topped with a smaller ball of dough to form a "head". Or the ring-shaped brioche Bordelaise, studded with candied fruit and crowned with crushed sugar cubes. Or it can be formed, as we have, into a simple loaf (you could also make this recipe into six mini loaves).
As brioche is made with a yeasted dough, there are a few key points to remember. Have the milk lukewarm and all other ingredients at room temperature to assist the activation of the yeast and the proving of the dough. Pay particular attention to the consistency of the butter. It should be very soft, but in no way melted - dice it and leave it at room temperature for several hours before you start mixing. It will incorporate more easily into the dough at this consistency.
The way you work the dough is very important and you'll need an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook to do it. Unlike other bread recipes where you can get away with hand-kneading, elbow grease just won't cut it here. Add the butter little by little, beating all the while, and make sure each addition is incorporated before adding more. Beat well until the dough is shiny, smooth and elastic.
Brioche is double-proved, once in the bowl and again after it has been shaped, so allow plenty of time for this. Some recipes - usually those for the more buttery brioche mousseline, or rich man's brioche, shaped into a tall cylinder - call for the first proof to take place overnight in the refrigerator so that the dough is much easier to mould. But this isn't necessary for the recipe here. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tea towel and stand in a warm, draught-free place. Usually preheating the oven will be enough to warm your kitchen to a suitable temperature for proving.
Brioche is a star in its own right, and needs little in the way of embellishment. Simply sliced, toasted and served for breakfast with homemade jam - or your favourite shop-bought variety - and crème fraîche, it's a revelation. Or cube it and turn it into the most luxurious bread-and-butter pudding you've ever had. It also lends itself to savoury applications, but if you plan to serve it in this manner, omit the sugar crust and just brush it with eggwash for a glossy golden finish. It's great toasted and slathered with a rich duck liver pâté, or topped with garlicky sautéed mushrooms. The dough can also be used as a casing, say for a classic salmon coulibiac or fillet of beef en croûte.
The infamous proclamation "Let them eat cake!" in fact refers to brioche, and was said to be uttered by Queen Marie Antoinette in response to the French poor who protested they had no bread to eat. The irony is, of course, that brioche is a luxury bread, rich with butter and eggs. Some say these words weren't uttered by the queen but rather by an anonymous French princess. Whatever. As far as we're concerned, no further encouragement is required. And for a variation fit for the royal court at Versailles, try this chocolate-filled French toast instead. Let them eat cake, indeed.
Ingredients
- 160 ml milk
- 1½ tsp dried yeast
- 5 egg yolks, at room temperature, lightly beaten
- 375 gm plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 30 gm caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
- 150 gm butter, diced and softened, plus extra for greasing
- For brushing: eggwash
Method
Main
1
Warm milk in a small saucepan over low heat until lukewarm. Combine yeast and half the milk in a bowl, stirring to dissolve. Stand in a warm place until foamy (8-10 minutes).
2
Whisk remaining milk with egg yolks in a bowl and set aside.
3
Mix flour, sugar and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a dough hook, until combined. Make a well in the centre, add yeast mixture and yolk mixture. Beat on medium speed until a smooth dough forms (4-5 minutes).
4
See AlsoBalkan Burgers RecipeThe Recipe for Delicious Low Carb Sugar Free Lemon CheesecakeGluten Free Dinner Rolls Recipe | Soft, Squishy Yeast RollsEasy Garlic Knots RecipeWhile mixing, gradually add one-third of butter at a time, beat until dough is elastic and pulls away from sides of bowl (8-10 minutes).
5
Transfer to a lightly buttered bowl, cover and stand until doubled in size (1½-2 hours).
6
Knock back dough, knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth, shape into a loaf and place in an 11cm x 24cm loaf tin buttered and lined with baking paper. Cover, stand until doubled in size (30 minutes-1 hour). Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180C.
7
Brush top with eggwash, dust with sugar, bake until golden and risen (25-30 minutes).
8
Remove from tin, place on a baking tray lined with baking paper, return to oven until sides are golden (8-10 minutes), cool on a wire rack.
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