Pastry- An Illustrated Guide: Brioche

Brioche is best made in a mixer fitted with a dough hook as the mixing time is long. Due to this long mixing time alot of heat is generated during the mixing, it is for this reason it is a good idea to refrigerate the flour and eggs at least an hour before using, especially if the kitchen temperature is high. The butter however should be at room temperature-if it is too hard it won't mix into the dough uniformly.

As this is an enriched dough (contains egg and butter) the high yeast content and long proving time is necessary. A better result is achieved by proving the dough overnight in the fridge, you can however make the dough, shape and bake on the same day, but the dough should be placed in the fridge after the first rise for at least half an hour to make shaping the dough easier.

You can leave the recipe plain or add chocolate chips, praline, fruit or extracts for flavour. This recipe has red pralines added to it, these are available in the supermarket in France. In Ireland they are available from La Rousse foods (trade only). You could make your own praline if you cannot source them.

makes 12 brioche

500g strong flour
14g (two sachets) fast acting yeast or 24g fresh yeast
70g sugar
7g salt
224g butter (1/2 lb) at room temperature
250-300g eggs (5 or 6 large eggs)
(optional) 1tsp vanilla extract-or add some vanilla sugar to the sugar
(optional) red pralines or chocolate chips

weigh out all your dry ingredients into the mixing bowl keeping the yeast and salt away from each other (see post on yeast goods)

fit the mixer with the dough hook and while turning on low speed add 5 eggs, decide whether or not to add some, all or none of the last egg (the dough should not be too dry or too wet) if you have an egg over you can use it for egg wash at the end.

continue to mix for 10 minutes on a low speed. Meanwhile cut your butter into cubes. when the ten minutes is up, increase speed to medium add a cube of butter to the bowl without stopping the mixer.

Continue adding the butter over a 25 minute period-you do not have to stand by the mixer during this time, after adding some butter the dough will look and sound wet and may make a 'slapping' sound against the bowl, when this sound stops return to the mixer and check to see if the butter has been absorbed (it won't look like a dry dough with the more butter you add it will look slightly wet and stringy this is normal). If you feel the need to stop the mixer and scrape down the side occasionally, do so.

When all the butter has been added and you are happy that the dough is ready (see 2nd next picture below), reduce the speed to low and add your praline or chocolate chips etc. Mix briefly (so as to avoid breaking the praline or chocolate)

red pralines

The dough may look sticky but you know it is ready when you pull the dough away from the side of the bowl and it comes away cleanly.

pull a section of dough away from bowl-it will come away cleanly.

the finished dough looks loose/ wet-but is not.

Cover the dough with cling film touching the surface (to prevent a skin) and allow sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

As you can see from the picture above the dough will rise beautifully, you can allow it to rise another hour or so and finish shaping and baking on the same day but it is better to place the bowl of brioche in the fridge overnight for about 15 hours.

after 15hours refrigeration the dough has continued to rise slowly but is firmer so is now easier to handle

The following day remove the brioche from the fridge, remove the cling and turn out on to a floured surface.

notice the beautiful spongy texture of the dough and the ripple effect of the red pralines

Divide the dough into 12 pieces (about 80g each). If you are new to shaping dough and find it takes a long time, allow the portioned dough to rest in the fridge while you work on shaping one piece of dough. Brioche dough straight from the fridge is easier to handle.

Shape the dough into rounds (see hot cross muffin post for instructions)

For individual têtes-brioche with heads, form as pictured above-with the hand held straight as pictured, bring the hand 3/4 across the rounded dough, then make a sawing motion to form the 'head'

Now twist the head as pictured to make a neck

Now push the neck down ino the base of the dough

Place in silicone moulds or tin moulds that have been buttered and floured

For loaf brioche leave the dough as rounds and place 6 in a tin/earthenware dish

Leave to prove/rise

When risen, brush with egg wash (egg and pinch of salt blended) or milk

cook in preheated oven at 170C 25mins approx for individual and 45mins for loaf

This is delicious served toasted or fresh with the ganache recipe on this blog.