In order to "earn" the shiny, new brioche tins I am dying to buy, I have to convince myself (and the kinfolk) that this bread is actually worth five bucks a tin. The store clerk informed me that they were expensive because they were FRENCH. Seriously? So...Canadian brioche tins are worth what...three bucks? Not sure why I actually want them more... but I do. It seems fitting that this time consuming, fancy-schmancy bread should be made in fussy, five dollar, FRENCH tins. For the record, you can butter your regular old muffin tins and make perfectly respectable brioche. That's what I'm doing today...and if everyone LOVES it, I plan to march back to the kitchen store and buy myself dozen of the five dollar tins. It shouldn't be too hard to convince the troops that they are a worthwhile purchase...what's NOT to like about fresh baked, Saturday morning brioche?
I made the dough last night, (with somewhat dubious results) between episodes of "Mad Men" and glasses of Malbec...(I didn't have any good FRENCH wine). It seemed to take longer to rise than it should have...almost struggling to double in size...but I am proceeding this morning with optimism.
I made the dough last night, (with somewhat dubious results) between episodes of "Mad Men" and glasses of Malbec...(I didn't have any good FRENCH wine). It seemed to take longer to rise than it should have...almost struggling to double in size...but I am proceeding this morning with optimism.
Breakfast Brioche
Make a sponge with 1/3 cup warm whole milk (100 to 110 degrees Farenheit...this matters. If the temperature goes above 110 degrees, you will kill the yeast.)
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 large egg
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Pour warm milk into a mixing bowl. Add the yeast, egg and one cup of the flour and mix with a spatula until blended. Sprinkle the remaining cup of flour over the mixture and let rest until the flour on top cracks. When fissures have formed over the top of the mixture, the yeast has done it's job and you're ready to go.
The Dough:
1/3 cup sugar
4 lightly beaten eggs
1 teaspoon non-iodized salt
1 1/2 cups unbleached, all purpose flour
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
Add the beaten eggs, salt and one cup of the flour to the sponge and attach the dough hook to your mixer. On low speed, gently mix ingredients for a couple of minutes, until it looks as if the dough is going to form a ball. Then add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour flour. Once the dough begins to come together, increase mixer speed (I used speed 6 on the KitchenAid) and prepare to get cozy with your mixer for at least 15 minutes. At about half-time, you should be hearing the distinctive "slapping" sound and your dough should be pretty much a ball. It will climb up the dough hook and you'll have to stop the mixer periodically to push the dough back down into the bowl. If this isn't happening...add a couple of tablespoons of flour...until the dough starts to behave like you want it to. After 15 minutes, you can begin to incorporate the butter. Make sure the butter is cool, not warm, and before adding it, either mash it - in traditional fashion, with a rolling pin, or with the edge of your dough scraper...until it is smooth and soft. If the butter is greasy, it's too warm...chill it just a little longer.
Add the butter a few tablespoons at a time with mixer at a medium speed. The dough ball will fall apart again. Continue to add butter until incorporated and then turn the mixer back up to medium high and beat for at least another five minutes. The dough will come back together and once again, you'll hear the happy "slap, slap" on the sides of your (gasping) mixer. If the dough doesn't come back into a ball you can add a couple of teaspoons of flour. When all of the butter has been added, raise the mixer speed to medium-high for a minute, then reduce the mixer 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. It should be a little sticky...
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 large egg
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Pour warm milk into a mixing bowl. Add the yeast, egg and one cup of the flour and mix with a spatula until blended. Sprinkle the remaining cup of flour over the mixture and let rest until the flour on top cracks. When fissures have formed over the top of the mixture, the yeast has done it's job and you're ready to go.
The Dough:
1/3 cup sugar
4 lightly beaten eggs
1 teaspoon non-iodized salt
1 1/2 cups unbleached, all purpose flour
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
Add the beaten eggs, salt and one cup of the flour to the sponge and attach the dough hook to your mixer. On low speed, gently mix ingredients for a couple of minutes, until it looks as if the dough is going to form a ball. Then add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour flour. Once the dough begins to come together, increase mixer speed (I used speed 6 on the KitchenAid) and prepare to get cozy with your mixer for at least 15 minutes. At about half-time, you should be hearing the distinctive "slapping" sound and your dough should be pretty much a ball. It will climb up the dough hook and you'll have to stop the mixer periodically to push the dough back down into the bowl. If this isn't happening...add a couple of tablespoons of flour...until the dough starts to behave like you want it to. After 15 minutes, you can begin to incorporate the butter. Make sure the butter is cool, not warm, and before adding it, either mash it - in traditional fashion, with a rolling pin, or with the edge of your dough scraper...until it is smooth and soft. If the butter is greasy, it's too warm...chill it just a little longer.
Add the butter a few tablespoons at a time with mixer at a medium speed. The dough ball will fall apart again. Continue to add butter until incorporated and then turn the mixer back up to medium high and beat for at least another five minutes. The dough will come back together and once again, you'll hear the happy "slap, slap" on the sides of your (gasping) mixer. If the dough doesn't come back into a ball you can add a couple of teaspoons of flour. When all of the butter has been added, raise the mixer speed to medium-high for a minute, then reduce the mixer 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. It should be a little sticky...
Butter a large bowl and add the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk. (Up to 3 hours) Gently deflate the dough and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate over night or at least four or five hours. You can freeze the dough at this point if you aren't going to use it. When you are ready to use it, just thaw it overnight in the fridge and allow it to double in bulk before baking.
To make the pretty little, "ball-on-top" rolls you buy at the bakery, take a small portion of the dough and roll it into a smooth ball. Roll the ball into a thick, stick shape, either between your hands or on the counter. With a sawing motion using the side of your hand, create a "head and neck" one end of the dough stick..
To make the pretty little, "ball-on-top" rolls you buy at the bakery, take a small portion of the dough and roll it into a smooth ball. Roll the ball into a thick, stick shape, either between your hands or on the counter. With a sawing motion using the side of your hand, create a "head and neck" one end of the dough stick..
Poke a hole in the "body" of the dough and pull the head through the hole...
Gently shape the bun around the ball and place in a buttered, muffin tin...or a five dollar, FRENCH brioche tin...if you are so inclined.
Let rise for another couple of hours, until doubled in size and make an egg wash with an egg and a tablespoon of cold water. Gently brush the tops of the rolls and bake at 375 until golden brown.
They smell like heaven, when they are baking...buttery and yeasty and in spite of the fact that I didn't have high hopes for these rolls, they came out looking light, spongy, flaky and delicious...
Remove from tins immediately and cool on wire racks.
The muffin-tin-brioche-rolls have been pronounced worthy of a re-do. I'm off to buy tins! :)
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