Julia Child Brioche Recipes

BRIOCHE

Steps:

• Put the milk, yeast, egg and 1 cup of the flour in the bowl of a heavy duty mixer.
• Mix the ingredients together with a rubber spatula, mixing just until everything is blended.
• Sprinkle over the remaining cup of flour to cover the sponge.
• Set the sponge aside to rest uncovered for 30-40 minutes.
• After this resting time, the flour coating will crack, your indication that everything is moving along properly.
• Add the sugar, salt, eggs, and 1 cup of the flour to the sponge.
• Set in the mixer, attach the dough hook, and mix on low speed for a minute or two, just until the ingredients look as if they are about to come together.
• Still mixing, sprinkle in 1/2 cup more flour.
• When the flour is incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for about 15 minutes, stopping to scrape down the hook and bowl as needed.
• During this mixing period, the dough should come together, wrap itself around the hook and slap the sides of the bowl.
• In order to incorporate the butter into the dough, you must work the butter until it is the same consistency as the dough.
• You can bash the butter into submission with a rolling pin or give it kinder and gentler handling by using a dough scraper to smear it bit by bit across a smooth work surface.
• When it is ready, the butter will be smooth, soft, and still cool- not warm, oily or greasy.
• With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter a few tablespoons at a time.
• This is the point at which you'll think you've made a huge mistake, because the dough that you worked so hard to make smooth will fall apart- don't worry, don't panic- carry on.
• When all of the butter has been added, raise the mixer speed to medium-high for a minute, then reduce the speed to medium and beat the dough for about 5 minutes, or until you once again hear the dough slapping against the sides of the bowl.
• Clean the sides of the bowl frequently as you work; if it looks as though the dough is not coming together after 2-3 minutes, add up to 1 tablespoon more flour.
• When you're finished, the dough should feel somewhat cool.
• It will be soft and sill sticky and may cling slightly to the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• FIRST RISE: Transfer the dough to a very large buttered bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let it rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 2- 2 1/2 hours.
• SECOND RISE AND CHILL: Deflate the dough by placing your fingers under it, lifting a section of dough, and then letting it fall back into the bowl.
• Work your way around the circumference of the dough, lifting and releasing.
• Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough overnight, or for at least 4-6 hours, during which time it will continue to rise and may double in size again.
• AFTER THIS LONG CHILL, THE DOUGH IS READY TO USE IN ANY BRIOCHE RECIPE.
• STORING: If you are not going to use or bake the dough after it's second rise, deflate it, wrap it airtight, and store it in the freezer.
• The dough can remain frozen for up to a month.
• Thaw the dough, still wrapped, in the refrigerator overnight and use it directly from the refrigerator.
• TO BAKE IN LOAVES: Divide the dough into thirds.
• Divide each section into 6 equal pieces, and shape each piece into a ball on a lightly floured work-surface.
• Place the balls side-by-side in a greased loaf pan so that you have 3 short rows, each with two balls of dough.
• Do the same with the other two pieces of brioche dough.
• Cover the pans with plastic and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Lightly brush each loaf with egg wash, taking care not to let the glaze dribble into the pan (it will impair the dough's rise in the oven).
• Use the ends of a pair of very sharp scissors to snip a cross in each ball of dough.
• Bake the loaves for about 30 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer reads 200°F.
• Cool to room temperature on a rack.
• NOTE: You could also use this dough to make the very finest sticky-buns you've ever eaten in your entire life, or you can press it out in a deep dish pizza pan, cover it with cream cheese mixed with powdered sugar, the put fruit slices or berries over it for a very upscale"fruit pizza".

PECAN STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• Divide the dough in half and keep one half covered in the refrigerator while you work with the other.
• On a lightly floured work surface (marble is best), roll the dough into a rectangle 11x13-inch and 1/4-inch thick.
• Try to work quickly because the dough is so active that even the warmth of your hands may be enough to get it rising again.
• Dot the surface of the dough evenly with half of the butter (3/4 of a stick/6 tablespoons) and fold thee dough in thirds, as if you were folding a business letter.
• Turn the dough so that the closed fold is to your left and roll it out again, being careful not to roll over the edges.
• Fold th dough in thirds again, wrap well in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Repeat the rolling, dotting with the other half of the butter, folding and chilling with the other half of the dough.
• Now the filling:.
• Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
• Remove the first piece of dough from the fridge and, on a lightly floured work surface, roll it into a rectangle 11x13-inch and 1/4-inch thick.
• Using a pastry brush, paint th surface of the dough with no more than half the beaten egg.
• Leaving the top quarter of the dough bare, sprinkle half the cinnamon sugar, half the raisins and half the pecans (or whatever you choose to use) over the dough, spreading as evenly as possible.
• Very lightly roll your rolling pin over the filling to press it into the dough.
• Starting from the base of the rectangle, roll the dough up into a log.
• Wrap the log up in plastic and freeze until firm, 45 minutes to one hour, so it will be easy to cut.
• Repeat the filling process with the second piece of dough.
• Note: the sticky bun logs can now be double wrapped and kept in the freezer for up to a month. If left to freeze solid, they should rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before you continue with the recipe.
• While the logs are chilling, prepare the pans.
• You will need two 9-inch round cake pans with high sides.
• Using your fingers, press one stick (4 ounces/8 tablespoons) of the softened butter evenly over the bottom of each pan; then sprinkle half the brown sugar evenly over the butter in each pan.
• Now shape the buns.
• Remove a log of dough from the freezer and, if the ends are ragged, trim them.
• Using a long sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice the log into seven slices (about 1 and 1/2 inch wide).
• Lay each slice on one of its flat sides, press the slice down with the palm of your hand to flatten it slightly, and then, with cupped hands, turn the slice around on the work surface two or three times to reestablish its round shape.
• Press three pecan halves, flat side up, onto the top of each slice so that the nuts form a triangle.
• Holding onto the nuts as best you can, turn the slices over (nuts on the bottom) into the prepared pan, placing six of the buns in a circle and the seventh in the center; the seams of the buns should face the outside of the pan.
• Repeat with the second log of dough.
• Allow the pans of sticky buns to rest, uncovered, at room temperature for 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the slices rise and grow to touch one another.
• Arrange the oven racks so that one rack is in the middle of the oven and the other is just below it and pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
• Put the pans of sticky buns on the middle rack and slip a foil or parchment lined sheet pan onto the rack beneath (to catch any dripping caramel).
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown.
• As soon as you remove the pans from the oven, invert them onto a serving dish (if you let them sit in the pans the sugar mixture will harden and you will have to re-heat the pans to get the buns out).
• Note: Be VERY careful. The brown sugar and butter mixture is molten and can result in very nasty burns. Also, don't serve until they have had a chance to cool a bit.
• These really are best the day they are made.