Anna Olson Makes a Classic Brioche Loaf! | Baking Wisdom

Recipe below – follow along! Making brioche dough is virtually the same as making Soft Egg Dough (find the recipe in my book, Baking Wisdom!), but the brioche contains more eggs and butter – and is delicious!

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• Recipe Information •

Makes two 9 × 5-inch (2 L) loaves
Prep Time: 25 minutes, plus proofing and chilling
Cook Time: 45 minutes

• Ingredients •
4 cups (600 g) all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar
1 (2¼ tsp/7 g) pkg instant dry yeast
1½ tsp fine salt
¾ cup (175 mL) 2% milk, warmed to 115°F (46°C)
5 large eggs, at room temperature
¾ cup (175 g) unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature
egg wash, for brushing
Sesame or poppy seeds, for sprinkling (optional)

The brioches will keep, well wrapped, on the counter for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

• Directions •
1. Mix the dough. Stir the flour, sugar, yeast and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment. Add the milk and eggs and blend on low speed until the ingredients are almost fully combined. With the motor running, add the butter in pieces. Increase the speed one level and knead for about 8 minutes, until the dough looks stretchy and elastic as it pulls from the side of the bowl to the hook.

Because of all the room-temperature butter, this dough is extremely soft when you mix it—more like a batter than a dough. Don’t be tempted to add extra flour. Once you chill the dough, the butter will set and the dough will be much easier to handle.

You can mix this dough by hand but you won’t be able to turn it out onto the counter to knead it—it is too soft. Instead, keep stirring the dough vigorously by hand using a large wooden spoon until it starts to feel stretchy and elastic, about 8 minutes.

2. Let the dough rise and then chill. Transfer the dough to an ungreased bowl and cover the bowl well. Let the dough sit for an hour and then chill for at least 8 hours, or overnight before using.

3. Shape the dough. Grease two 9 × 5-inch (2 L) loaf pans. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and divide the dough into 16 pieces. Using your palm, roll each piece of dough on the counter to form it into a ball. Place eight balls in a single layer in each loaf pan, cover with a tea towel and let rise at room temperature for 2 hours.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

5. Bake the brioches. Brush the tops of the loaves with egg wash. Sprinkle them with sesame (or poppy) seeds, if using. Bake the loaves for about 45 minutes, until the tops are a rich golden brown. Let the loaves cool in the pans on a rack for only 10 minutes, then tip out onto the rack to cool completely.

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