Brioche Loaves Recipes

BRIOCHE LOAVES

Steps:

• Place lukewarm milk and yeast in a small bowl; stir to dissolve.
• Place flour, salt, and eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment; add yeast mixture and mix on low speed to combine and knead, about 5 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with a spatula; knead on medium speed until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl, mix together butter and sugar. Add a few small pieces of butter mixture to dough; with the mixer on low, add remaining butter mixture, a little bit at a time. When all the butter mixture has been added, increase speed and continue mixing until smooth, shiny, comes away from the sides of the bowl, and is elastic, 6 to 10 minutes.
• Butter a large bowl, transfer dough to prepared bowl, and cover with plastic wrap; let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
• Lift dough from bowl and drop back into bowl to deflate; repeat process once or twice. Cover bowl and transfer to refrigerator to chill for at least 8 hours and up to overnight.
• Butter two loaf pans whose bases measure 8 1/2-by-4 1/2 inches on top and 7 1/2-by-3 1/2 inches at base. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Divide each piece into 8 equal pieces; form each piece into a ball. Place 8 balls of dough in each loaf pan, side by side.
• In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and remaining 1 tablespoon milk. Brush dough with egg yolk mixture, reserving remaining. Spray two pieces of plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray; cover dough in both pans, cooking spray-side down, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Preheat a convection oven to 400 degrees (425 degrees on a conventional oven).
• Brush each loaf very lightly with reserved egg yolk mixture. Transfer pans to oven and bake until brioche just begins to turn golden, about 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees (on a convection oven; 375 degrees on a conventional oven) and continue baking until deep golden-brown and internal temperature reaches 205 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 20 to 25 minutes more.
• Remove from oven and let brioche cool in pans for 5 minutes. Unmold onto a wire rack and let cool completely.

BRIOCHE LOAF

Steps:

• Combine warm water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small bowl. Set aside to activate the yeast, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Place 4 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, yeast mixture, warm milk, eggs, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until dough starts to come together. Mix in honey, then little pats of butter, along with remaining flour; knead until it comes together in a soft, tacky dough.
• Dump dough onto a floured work surface and cut into 2 even pieces. Form into balls and place in separate oiled bowls. Cover with plastic wrap and place somewhere warm until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Dump dough onto a work surface. Lightly punch down and knead for a few seconds. Form the balls into loaf shapes and place seam-side down in greased 8x4-inch loaf pans. Lightly cover the pans with a lint-free kitchen towel and let rise until dough comes to the top of the pans, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix egg and milk together to make an egg wash.
• Lightly brush the top of the risen loaves with egg wash and sprinkle with pearl sugar.
• Bake in the preheated oven until deep golden brown, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

VIENNA BRIOCHE LOAVES

Steps:

• Combine 1 3/4 cups flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and next 3 ingredients in a large mixing bowl; stir well. combine 1 cup butter and water in a saucepan; heat until butter melts, stirring occasionally. Cool to 120F to 130°F.
• Gradually add liquid mixture to flour mixture, beating well at low speed with an electric mixer. Beat an additional 2 minutes at medium speed. Add 6 eggs; beat well. Gradually stir in remaining flour. cover and let rise in a warm place (85F), free of drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.
• Combine 3 tablespoons butter and next 4 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir well. Stir in pecans, and set aside.
• Punch dough down; turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead 4 to 5 times. Divide dough in half. Work with 1 portion of dough at a time, refrigerating other portion. Roll dough into a 14 x 9 inch rectangle; brush with melted butter. Spread half of pecan mixture over dough to within 1/2 inch of edge. Roll up 1 side of dough, starting at short side and ending at middle of dough. Roll up remaining side of dough until rolls meet in the middle.
• Place dough in a well greased 9 x 5 inch loafpan, rolled side up. Gently brush loaf with melted butter. repeat process with remaining portion of dough and pecan mixture. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free of drafts 45 minutes or until doubled.
• Bake at 350F for 20 minutes;cover with aluminum foil and bake 15 more minutes or until golden. Remove from pans immediately, cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

GOLDEN BRIOCHE LOAVES

Steps:

• Put the yeast, water, and milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and, using a wooden spoon, stir until the yeast is dissolved. Add the flour and salt, and fit the mixer with the dough hook, if you have one. Toss a kitchen towel over the mixer, covering the bowl as completely as you can to keep you from being covered in flour! Turn the mixer on and off in a few short pulses, just to dampen the flour (you can peek), then remove the towel, increase mixer speed to medium-low and mix for a minute or two. At this point you will have a dry, shaggy mess.
• Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula, set the mixer to low and add the eggs, followed by the sugar. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for about 3 minutes, until the dough forms a ball. Reduce speed to low and add the butter in 2 Tablespoon size chunks, beating until each piece is almost incorporated before adding the next. You'll have a dough that is very soft, almost like a batter. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to beat until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until nearly doubled in size, 40-60 minutes. Deflate the dough by lifting it up around the edges and letting it fall with a slap into the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator. Slap the dough down in the bowl every 30 minutes until it stops rising, about 2 hours, then leave the covered dough in the refrigerator overnight.
• If making Brioche loaves: Butter and flour 2 8.5 X 4.5 inch loaf pans. Pull dough from the fridge and divide into two equal pieces. Cut each piece of dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each piece into a log about 3.5 inches long. Arrange 4 logs crosswise in the bottom of each pan. Put the pans on a baking sheet lined with parchment or silicone mat, cover the pans lightly with wax paper and leave the loaves at room temperature until dough fills pans.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until loaves are well risen and deeply golden, about 30-35 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the pans and turn the loaves out onto cooling racks. Cool at least one hour.

BRIOCHE LOAVES

Steps:

• Combine the water, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (If the bowl is cold start with the warmer water so that it warms the bowl before you add the yeast.).
• Mix with your hands and allow to stand for 5 minutes until the yeast and sugar dissolve.
• Add the eggs and beat on medium speed for 1 minute, until well mixed.
• With the mixer on low speed, add 2 cups of the flour and the salt and mix for 5 minutes.
• With the mixer still on low speed, add 2 more cups of flour and mix for about 5 more minutes.
• Still on low speed add the soft butter in chunks and mix for 2 minutes, scraping down the beater, until well blended.
• With the mixer still running, sprinkle in the remaining 1/4 cup of flour.
• Switch the paddle attachment to a dough hook and mix on low speed for 2 minutes.
• Scrape the dough into a large buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Grease 2 8 1/2 X 4 1/2 X 2 1/2 inch loaf pans.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and cut in half. Pat each portion into a
• 6 X 8 inch rectangle, then roll up each rectangle into a cylindrical loaf. Place each loaf, seam side up, into a greased pan.
• Cover the pans with a damp towel and set aside to rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• When the loaves have risen brush the top of each with egg wash and bake for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back and it sounds slightly hollow when tapped.
• Turn the loaves out onto wire racks to cool.

BRIOCHE LOAVES

Steps:

• Combine the water, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment If the bowl is cold, start with warmer water, so it's at least 110 degrees when you add the yeast.
• Mix with your hands and allow to stand for 5 minutes until the yeast and sugar dissolve.
• Add the eggs and beat on medium speed for 1 minutes, until well mixed.
• With the mixer on low speed, add 2 cups of the flour and the salt and mix for 5 minutes.
• With the mixer still on low, add 2 more cups of flour and mix for 5 more minutes.
• Still on low speed, add the soft butter in chunks and mix for 2 minutes, scraping down the beater, until well blended.
• With the mixer still running, sprinkle in the remaining 1/4 cup of flour.
• Switch the paddle attachemt to a dough hook and mix on low speed for 2 minutes.
• Scrape the dough into a large buttered bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate overnight.
• The next day allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Greast two 8 1/2 X 4 1/2 X 2 1/2 loaf pans.
• Turn the dough onto alightly floured board, and cut in half.
• Pat each portion into a 6 X 8 inch rectangle, then roll up each rectangle into a cylandrical loaf, Place each loaf, seam side up, into a greased pan.
• Cover the pans with a damp towel and set aside to rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• When the loaves have risen, brush the top of each with the egg wash and bake for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back and it sounds slightly hollow when tapped.
• Turn the loaves out onto a wire rack to cool.

BRIOCHE

Steps:

• Put the flour in a bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook. Add the salt to one side and sugar to the other. Pour in the yeast to the side with the sugar. Mix each side into the flour with your hands, then mix it all together with the dough hook.
• Heat the milk until warm to the touch, but not hot. Mix into the flour mix until combined. With the dough hook on medium, gradually add the eggs and mix for 10 mins.
• Gradually add the softened butter, one or two cubes at a time, until combined. This will take 5-8 mins. Scrape down the sides, the dough will be very soft.
• Scrape the dough into a large bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave for 1 hr 30 mins-2 hrs until doubled in size and well-risen. Once risen, put in the fridge for 1 hr.
• Line the bottom and sides of a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment. Portion the dough into seven equal pieces (the easiest way to do this accurately is to weigh it). Lightly dust a work surface with flour, take a piece of dough and pull each corner into the middle to form a circular shape. With a bit of pressure, push down and roll into ball. Repeat with the six remaining pieces.
• Put the balls into the tin, four on one side and three in the gaps on the other side. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for 30-35 mins until almost doubled in size. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly brush the dough with the egg wash and bake for 30-35 mins until golden and risen. Leave to cool in the tin for 20 mins, then remove and cool completely.