Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Buttery Delicious

In a former life I was a baker/pastry chef/ bit of everything for a famous supermarket chain in upstate New York.  I was sort of a creative idea guy and I have been baking since I was a young tenderfoot boyscout cooking in dutch ovens over a campfire.  This past weekend I made a wonderful brioche for Mother's Day so we could make an unbelievable French toast for breakfast.  If you have never tasted brioche, it is a classic french bread rich in butter and eggs - sort of a French challah bread.

Since it is loaded with butter and eggs it takes forever to rise.  It is worth the wait.



Bodacious Buttery Brioche

Makes one loaf

Ingredients:
½ pound or 8 oz. of unsalted butter
1 package of yeast
1 tablespoon of milk
1 teaspoon of salt
1 Tablespoon of sugar
1 ¾ cup of bread flour
2 teaspoons of Lara Brody’s Bread Dough Enhancer Powder
3 eggs


Directions:
1. Take the butter out of the fridge 15-20 minutes before you start making the dough.
2. Dissolve the yeast in slightly warmed milk in the mixing bowl
3. Using a mixer with the flat paddle add the flour, sugar, salt and mix till it comes together 1-2 minutes.
4. Mix in the eggs 1 at a time till fully incorporated 3-4 minutes.
5.  Let mixer continue and take butter and soften it by hitting it with a rolling pin.
6. Add butter to mix by pinching off walnut size chunks.  Mix till all butter in fully incorporated in dough.
7. Cover and let the dough rise till double in size.  This could take 2 hours, 4 or 6 hours depending on the warmth of the kitchen and the activity of the dough.

Shaping and Baking
At this point  punch it down and roll it into a ball or you could place it in the fridge overnight to further develop the flavor and texture or shape it in a loaf or traditional brioche shape and let rise till when touched it doesn’t spring back (1-2 hours).
Brush with beaten egg before baking

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Bake for  35-45 minutes till beautifully browned and hollow sounding when tapped.

Serving:
Unbelievably buttery
Great with honey or it makes the most decadent French toast!


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