Mastering Brioche Dough
This is a project for a day you are home. Working with this much fat requires a steady hand and a cold kitchen, but the result is a crumb that pulls away in soft, buttery sheets.
Temperature control is your primary ingredient.
Keep your butter at cool room temperature—soft enough to yield to a thumb press but not greasy. If the dough gets warm while kneading, stop and put the bowl in the fridge for 20 minutes before continuing.
- stand mixer with dough hook
- digital scale
- bench scraper
- two 9x5 inch loaf pans
What goes in.
- 500gall-purpose or bread flour
- 60ggranulated sugar
- 10gfine sea salt
- 10ginstant yeast
- 250glarge eggs, room temperature
- 60mlwhole milk, cold
- 250gunsalted butter, cubed
Adding fat in stages
Do not add the butter until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and holds a shape. Add the cubes piece by piece, ensuring each is fully absorbed before adding the next to avoid a greasy, broken dough.
The method.
Mix the base
Combine flour, sugar, salt, yeast, eggs, and milk in the mixer bowl. Knead on low speed for 8-10 minutes until you can pull a piece of dough into a thin, translucent membrane without it snapping.
Incorporate butter
Increase speed to medium-low. Add butter cubes one by one. Once all is in, continue kneading for another 10 minutes. The dough will become shiny, smooth, and very elastic.
First rise
Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Then, press it down and move it to the refrigerator for 12 to 16 hours.
Shape
Turn the cold, firm dough onto a floured surface. Divide into equal portions, roll into tight balls, and place them into buttered pans. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, usually 2 to 3 hours.
Bake
Brush with an egg wash. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30-35 minutes. It is done when the crust is a deep mahogany and the internal temperature reaches 190°F.
Other turns to take.
Brioche à Tête
Divide the dough into balls, nestle each into a fluted brioche mold, and use floured fingers to create a smaller 'head' on top.
Chocolate Chip Brioche
Fold 150g of bittersweet chocolate feves into the dough after the butter has been fully incorporated.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use a scale; volumetric measuring is too inconsistent for this ratio of fat to flour.
If the dough feels too soft to shape, freeze it for 15 minutes before dividing.
Do not rush the final rise; the dough is heavy with butter and needs time to lift.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I knead this by hand?
It is difficult. The dough is very sticky until the final stages of kneading. A stand mixer is highly recommended.
Why did my dough turn into a liquid mess?
Usually because the butter was added too quickly, or the heat of the mixer melted the butter. If this happens, chill the dough thoroughly and try kneading again.
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