Brioche

 

 

A sweet, fluffy brioche loaf deserves to be devoured on a lazy Sunday morning. It is best eaten the day of baking, although leftovers make for a super decadent French toast…

Note from Sally from Simmer&Boyle: I highly recommend a stand mixer for this recipe, it’s possible to make it by hand, but it would be a very long, messy process. You’ll need a loaf pan approximately 24cm x 14cm x 7cm.

 

INGREDIENTS

For the sponge:

  • 65g plain flour

  • 4g instant dried yeast

  • 60g warm milk

 

For the dough:

  • 225g plain flour

  • 45g sugar

  • 5g salt

  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature

  • 100g room temperature butter, plus extra for greasing

 

For the egg wash:

  • 1 egg

  • 1 tablespoon hot water

  • Sea salt for sprinkling

  

METHOD

  1. Combine the sponge ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer, mix until all the flour is incorporated, cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel, and leave in a warm spot for 45 minutes

  2. After 45 minutes your sponge should be puffed, bubbly and spongelike, if not leave it for another 10-15 minutes

  3. Attach the bowl to your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the flour, sugar, salt and eggs, mix on low until combined, then increase the speed to medium high, mixing until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl, and is shiny and elastic, this will take around 10 minutes, stop periodically to scrape the bowl

  4. Divide the butter into 10 pieces, it should be soft and pliable, with the mixer on medium high, add the butter a piece at a time, making sure each piece had been completely incorporated before you add the next, again stopping to scrape the bowl every now and then

  5. Once all the butter has been added, continue mixing for another 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth, shiny and very elastic. Using both hands, gently stretch the dough, you should be able to stretch it until it is paper thin and almost transparent before the dough tears (the windowpane test). If not continue mixing, testing at 2 minute intervals

  6. Carefully tip the dough into a large greased bowl, cover and leave in a warm place to proof, the dough should double in size after approximately an hour, this will depend on the temperature of your kitchen

  7. Grease your loaf pan, set aside

  8. Turn the dough on to a floured bench, punch it to knock out some of the air, then divide into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 20cm log, line them up, pinch the top ends together and form a plait, pinching to seal at the end.

  9. Gently place the plaited brioche into the loaf pan, you may need to tuck the ends under. Cover and leave proof for around an hour, to an hour and a half, until the dough has doubled in size. After around 50 minutes, preheat your oven to 180ºC fan forced (200ºC conventional)

  10. Once the brioche has doubled in size, brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sea salt, and bake for 30-35 minutes. The brioche will be quite dark, if you think it is getting too dark as it bakes, cover quickly remove from the oven and loosely cover with foil

  11. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out and leave on a rack to cool

 

Recipe by Sally Boyle. Visit her site here & Instagram here.

Styling by Kayla Cameron. Visit her site here & Instagram here.

Photography by Bonnie Coumbe. See her site here & Instagram here.

 

 

 

 

Ingredients for Brioche

 
 

Australian Lake Salt Fine 250g

$3.39 ea