brioche.
Rich, buttery, sweet & savoury, almost cake-like bread.
You can use this dough for other things like doughnuts, malassada, burger buns or cinnamon rolls.
Ingredients:
485g bread flour.
300g butter, room temperature, cut into small cubes.
70g whole milk.
4 eggs.
4 yolks.
12g salt.
50g sugar.
7g dry yeast,
egg wash:
1 egg yolk.
1 tbsp milk.
Equipment:
stand mixer.
large mixing bowl.
9x5” loaf pan, the taller the better.
brush
Yield:
1 loaf.
Execution:
mix & knead.
Heat milk to a temperature of 105-110ºF, add yeast and sugar, stir to dissolve.
Let bloom for 10 minutes.
Whisk the eggs and yolks into the milk until homogenous, sift the flour, sugar and salt into the mix and knead until everything is well combined.
Transfer everything to a work surface and knead.
While kneading, you will incorporate the cubed butter one cube at a time, until everything is incorporated, then continue to knead until the dough is silky smooth.
If you’re using a stand mixer; on medium-low speed, with the kneading attachment, slowly sprinkle in the flour, sugar and salt, then increase to medium while scraping the bowl occasionally, once everything is incorporated, add the butter one cube at a time, continue to knead on medium speed until the dough is completely smooth and pulls cleanly away from the stand mixer bowl.
Form the dough into a tight ball, transfer it to a greased bowl, covered with a damp towel, for 30 minutes.
2. bulk fermentation.
Perform a stretch & fold, cover and repeat after 30 minutes.
Cover your dough with plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator for 12-14 hours.
While the dough is in the bowl, gently grab an edge of the dough with wet hands and pull up as far as the dough will allow you to without ripping, then fold overtop the opposite side of where you first grabbed. Perform this 4 times around the perimeter of the dough. (12, 3, 6, 9’ oclock).
3. shaping.
Place the ball of dough onto a work surface and flip it over, starting from the left edge, stretch the dough outwards, then fold it into the center. Repeat with the opposite side. Then pull the bottom side into the middle, and repeat with the top. Grab the bottom edge of the dough and begin rolling the entire loaf tightly, like a cigar, into itself, with the seam side facing down, pull the edges underneath the dough to create a tight outer skin.
After the dough has been shaped, place into a greased loaf pan and let proof in a warm environment uncovered for 20 minutes.
4. baking.
Preheat your oven to 425°F.
Whisk together the egg wash ingredients, brush the top of the loaf before placing in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until dark brown and the middle has reached 190°F
Remove from the baking tray and let cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before slicing.
Serve & enjoy.
5. storage.
Store at room temperature for 3 days, covered.
Freeze for upto 3 months, wrapped in cling film.