Brioche

This is a dough JC specifically says is suited for bread, coffee cakes, sticky buns and beehive cakes and it produces enough dough for an 8-cup loaf pan, a 12" coffee cake, or 8 sticky buns. She gives directions for doing this in a food processor.

Brioche

Proof a package of dry-active yeast in 3 tbsp tepid water and 2 tsp sugar for about 5 minutes.

3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (not bread or high protein flour)
1-1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
6 oz (1-1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, diced (This is 12 oz, 6 oz is 3/4 of a stick. Go with your gut on this amount.)
4 large " eggs
1/3+ cup milk

While the yeast is proofing, add the flour, salt, and sugar (and any spice flavoring you might want to add) into the bowl of the machine. Add the butter and pulse in 1-second bursts to break up the butter.

Whisk the eggs and milk into the yeast mixture, add to the flour mixture and blend. Add a little more milk if needed until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball for 8-10 rotations (it should feel soft).

After a 5 minute rest, process the dough for 30 more revolutions, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and allow to rest for 2 minutes.

Knead by hand for 20 strokes, place in a bowl and cover. Proof until it is 1-1/2 times its intial volume (about 40 minutes at 72°F-75°F).

Deflate the dough and shape into a 12" rectangle. Fold into three layers from one of the ends, pat it out and repeat the folding. Return to the bowl, cover and proof a second time until the volume has more than doubled.

For the loaf, butter the pan and add the dough filling the pan to 2/3s and let it rise to the rim of the pan. Place in the lower middle level of a preheated 423°F oven and bake until done and the interior temperature is 200°F.

Notes: this sounds like one of the less rich doughs as she mentions that folks wanting a classic brioche and other more rich items using a true brioche dough can go to her other books (Mastering II and Kitchen) so someone may have to dig out an old cookbook if they have it.

I also have Ortiz' brioche recipe and the slew of regional versions in the translation of Calvel's book (realize that there is a chapter and then some on brioche in his book). These are all very different and further support the idea that any brioche made for loaf bread is not the same as classic brioche. Let me know if the recipe above isn't the one you're looking for and I can probably be talked into posting one of the others.

erin
let them eat brioche ;)
(1/19/07)