Brioche De La Riviera Recipes

Steps:

• Combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix on low speed to combine. Add the milk and 6 eggs and mix on low until well combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until the dough starts to pull away from the sides, about 5 minutes.
• Reduce the speed to medium and start adding the butter, a little at a time and waiting until it is completely incorporated to add more, about 5 minutes. Return the mixer to medium-high and continue to mix until the dough is glossy and slightly tacky but not sticky, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, then cover with plastic and refrigerate 8 hours and up to overnight.
• Generously butter two 9-by-5-inch nonstick loaf pans and divide the dough between them. Generously butter two pieces of plastic wrap large enough to cover the pans and place them butter-side down loosely over the pans. Let the dough rise until it comes to 1 inch above the rims of the pans, about 3 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water. Remove the plastic wrap and brush the top of each loaf with the egg wash, then place the pans on the middle rack of the oven. Bake, rotating halfway through, until golden brown and the internal temperature of each loaf is 190 degrees F, about 30 minutes. Remove the pans to a wire rack and let cool 5 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the loaves to loosen and remove the loaves from the pan. Let cool completely on the rack.

Steps:

• 1. One day or up to 2 days ahead, make the dough. In the mixer bowl, place the water, sugar, instant yeast, flour, and egg. Whisk by hand until very smooth, to incorporate air, about 3 minutes. The sponge will be the consistency of a very thick batter. (At first the dough may collect inside the whisk, but just shake it out and keep whisking. If it's too thick to whisk, it means you've added too much flour and will need to add a little of the eggs to be added Step 3.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl and set it aside, covered with plastic wrap.
• 2. Combine the ingredients for the flour mixture and add to the sponge. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with the sugar and yeast. Then whisk in the salt (this keeps the yeast from coming in contact with the salt, which would kill it). Sprinkle this mixture on top of the sponge. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let it stand for 1 1/2 to 2 hours at room temperature. (During this time, the sponge will bubble through the flour mixture in places; this is fine.)
• 3. Mix the dough. Add the 2 cold eggs and mix with the dough hook on low (#2 if using a KitchenAid) for about 1 minute or until the flour is moistened. Raise the speed to medium (#4 KitchenAid) and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl with an oiled spatula and continue beating for about 5 minutes longer or until the dough is smooth and shiny but very soft and sticky. It will mass around the dough hook but not pull away from the bowl completely.
• Add the butter by the tablespoon, waiting until each addition is almost completely absorbed before adding the next tablespoon, beating until all the butter is incorporated. The dough will be very soft and elastic and will stick to your fingers unmercifully, but don't be tempted to add more flour at this point; it will firm considerably after chilling. (The dough will weigh about 19 ounces/536 grams.)
• 4. Let the dough rise. Using an oiled spatula or dough scraper, scrape the dough into a 1-quart dough rising container or bowl, greased lightly with cooking spray or oil. Lightly spray or oil the top of the dough and cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap. With a piece of tape, mark the side of the container at approximately where double the height of the dough would be. Allow the dough to rise until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• 5. Chill the dough. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour to firm it; this will prevent the butter from separating.
• Gently deflate the dough by stirring it with a rubber scraper or spatula, and return it to the refrigerator for another hour so that it will be less sticky and easier to handle.
• 6. Deflate the dough and allow it to rest, chilled. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and press or roll it into a rectangle, flouring the surface and dough as needed to keep it from sticking. The exact size of the rectangle is not important. Give the dough a business letter turn, brushing off any excess flour, and again press down or roll it out into a rectangle. Rotate it 90 degrees so that the closed side is facing to your left. Give it a second business letter turn and round the corners. Dust it lightly on all sides with flour. Wrap it loosely but securely in plastic wrap and then place it in a large zip-seal bag. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 2 days to allow the dough to ripen (develop flavor) and firm.
• 7. Shape the dough and let it rise. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and gently press it down to deflate it. Cut the dough into 16 pieces (a scant 1 1/4 ounces/33 grams each). Without a scale, the easiest way to divide the dough evenly is to lightly flour your hands and roll it into a long cylinder. Cut it in half, then continue cutting each piece in half until there are 16 pieces.
• Pinch off a little less than one-quarter of each piece, for the topknot. Roll each larger piece of dough into a ball and press it into a prepared brioche mold. With lightly floured hands, shape each of the dough pieces reserved for the topknots into an elongated pear form. Using your index finger, make a hole in the center of each brioche, going almost to the bottom of the mold, and insert the elongated part of a topknot deeply into the hole. Cover the molds loosely with oiled plastic wrap and let rise (ideally at 75° to 80°F) until the edges of the dough reach the tops of the molds, about 1 hour. (See page 493 for step-by-step illustrations.)
• 8. Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F 1 hour before baking. Have an oven shelf at the lower level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on it before preheating.
• 9. Glaze and bake the brioche. Lightly beat together the egg yolk and cream for the glaze. Brush the top of the brioche with the egg glaze, being careful not to drip any on the side of the pans, or it will impede rising. Allow it to dry for 5 minutes and then brush a second time with the glaze. Use greased scissors or a small sharp knife to make a 1/4-inch-deep cut all around the base of the topknot so it will rise to an attractive shape.
• Set the molds on a baking sheet and place them on the hot stone or hot baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted under a topknot comes out clean (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read about 190°F).
• 10. Cool the brioche. Remove the brioche from the oven and unmold them onto a wire rack. Turn top side up and allow them to cool until barely warm.
• Note The small brioche can be reheated in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes.
• ULTIMATE FULL FLAVOR VARIATION
• For the best flavor development in Step 2, allow the sponge to ferment for 1 hour at room temperature, then refrigerate it for up to 24 hours.
• VARIATIONS
• Black Pepper Brioche When I tasted this brioche, filled with lobster salad, at Larry Forgione's An American Place years ago, I imagined that it would be a great counterpoint to the smokiness of bacon in a BLT. Simply add 1 1/2 teaspoons (4 grams) coarse or butcher's grind black pepper along with the salt. For foie gras, 1 tablespoon (12 grams) green peppercorns in vinegar (drained) can be substituted.
• Sweet Potato Brioche This delightful version was inspired by Julia Carter, who used to be Susan Spicer's pastry chef at Bayona Restaurant in New Orleans. Sweet potato, or yam, adds a beautiful golden color and moister texture to the brioche, without adding the eggy flavor that more egg would produce. The flavor of the sweet potato, however, is so subtle as to be unnoticeable.
• Add 1/2 cup (about 4.5 ounces/126 grams) of sieved baked sweet potato or yam to the dough when adding the cold eggs. The overall sugar can be decreased by 1 tablespoon to compensate for the sweetness of the potato.
• Brioche Loaf The basic recipe, or the above variations, can be baked as one large loaf. Follow the recipe as written through Step 6, then proceed as directed below.
• 7. Shape the dough and let it rise. Deflate the dough as directed, then press or roll the dough into a rectangle about 7 1/2 inches long and 5 inches wide. Roll it down from the top in 3 turns, being sure to brush off any excess flour, pressing with your thumbs to seal the dough. Place it seam side down in the prepared pan, pressing it down firmly. Cover it lightly with oiled plastic wrap and allow it to rise until the top of the dough reaches the top of the pan, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• 8. Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F 30 minutes before baking. Have an oven shelf at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on it before preheating.
• 9. Glaze (if desired), slash, and bake the brioche loaf. For a shiny top crust, brush with the optional egg glaze. With a sharp knife or single-edged razor blade, make a 1/4- to 1/2-inch-deep lengthwise slash in the dough, starting about 1 inch from one end of the pan and going to within 1 inch of the other end.
• Set the pan on the hot stone or hot baking sheet. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read about 190°F).
• 10. Cool the brioche loaf. Remove the brioche from the oven and unmold it onto a wire rack. Turn top side up and allow it to cool until barely warm, at least 2 hours.
• Giant Brioche
• Makes: a 9-inch-by-5-inch-high round loaf/2 1/4 pounds/1047 grams
• Make a double recipe of Basic Brioche dough (2 pounds 6 ounces/1 kilogram, 80 grams), following the recipe as written through Step 6. Shape and let rise as in Step 7. Glaze and bake as in Steps 8 and 9, but after 5 minutes at 425°F turn down the oven to 375°F and continue baking for 45 to 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted under the topknot comes out clean. (An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read about 190°F.) After about 20 minutes at 375°F, or when the top crust is brown, tent it loosely with foil, shiny side out. Cool for several hours until barely warm.
• Dairy Dinner Challah
• People often complain that challah seems dry. This one isn't, because it's a true brioche, made with butter. According to kashruth (kosher) laws, bread made with butter or dairy products cannot be eaten when meat is served at the same meal. So break with tradition, and serve fish instead of chicken one Friday night. This challah will still be moist the next morning, ready to be lightly toasted and topped with smoked salmon.
• Makes: a 9-by-5-inch-high round loaf/ 2 1/4 pounds/1047 grams
• Make a double recipe of Basic Brioche dough (2 pounds 6 ounces/1 kilogram, 80 grams), following the recipe as written through Step 6, then proceeding as directed below.
• 7. Shape the dough and let it rise. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Flatten it gently so as not to activate the gluten, making it stretchy. For a loaf with a braided top, divide the dough into 3 equal parts. Roll each on a lightly floured counter into a rope about 26 inches long. (If the dough is very elastic, allow it to rest, covered with plastic wrap, for 5 to 10 minutes.) For the most symmetrical loaf, braid the dough starting from the center and working toward each end, pinching it at the ends (see page 73). Coil the braid into the pan, starting at the center, and tucking the end underneath. Or, for an elegant snail shape, make one long thick rope and coil it around in the same manner.
• 8. Glaze the dough and let it rise. Brush the dough with the egg glaze, going deep into the crevices. Cover and refrigerate the remaining glaze. Cover the dough with a plastic box or oiled plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm place until the dough has reached the top of the pan, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• 9. Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F 1 hour before baking. Have an oven shelf at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on it before preheating.
• 10. Glaze and bake the challah. Brush the challah again with the egg glaze, going well into the crevices; be careful not to drip any down the side of the pan, or it will impede rising. Sprinkle the challah with the poppy seeds.
• Place the pan onto the hot baking stone or hot baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Lower the heat to 375°F and continue baking for 50 to 55 minutes or until the bread is golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read about 190°F). After about 20 minutes at 375°F, or when the top crust is brown, tent it loosely with foil.
• 11. Cool the challah. Remove the pan from the oven and unmold the challah onto a wire rack. Turn it top side up to cool completely.
• Convenience Brioche
• To make the dough in a bread machine with a programmable setting and pause button, after mixing the sponge (Step 1), scrape it into the bread machine container and sprinkle the flour blanket on top, as in Step 2. Add the cold eggs (Step 3) and mix the dough for 3 minutes, then let it proceed through the knead cycle for about 8 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic. You will need to pause the machine a few times to scrape out any flour or dough that collects in the corners of the container. Add the softened butter at once and continue the kneading cycle until it is incorporated, about 3 minutes, pausing and scraping down the sides if necessary.
• For the first rise (Step 4), turn off the machine and let the dough rise (with the lid closed) until approximately doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the container from the machine, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for 1 hour (Step 5). Return the container to the bread machine (you can leave the plastic wrap in place) and deflate the dough by pressing the mix button and mixing for about 30 seconds. Return the container to the refrigerator for 1 hour. Then proceed from Step 6, deflating and chilling the dough.
• POINTERS FOR SUCCESS
• • In a superb article on brioche in Pleasures of Cooking, the cookbook author Paula Wolfert recommends melting and browning about one-fifth of the butter (2 tablespoons) for an extra rich, delicious flavor.
• • On some mixers there may not be an adjustment to raise the bowl, and the dough hook may not work as well for this small amount of dough; if this is the case, use the paddle beater.
• • If after unmolding a brioche loaf the sides are still pale in color, place the loaf directly on the oven rack and continue baking for about 5 minutes to brown the sides and make them firm to prevent collapse.
• • If a deeper shine is desired, the brioche can be double-glazed by brushing with the glaze immediately after shaping and then a second time just before baking. This also serves to prevent the dough from drying out during rising. Understanding
• UNDERSTANDING
• This dough is exceptionally wet. Just enough extra flour is added to be able to handle it for shaping, resulting in a very light, soft bread. I do not use the food processor for this dough because it is so sticky that it is very difficult to remove from the bowl and blade; it also lifts up the blade when incorporating the butter.
• THE DOUGH PERCENTAGE
• Flour: 100% Water: 55.4% (includes the water in the butter and egg white) Yeast: 2.1% Salt: 1.5% Fat: 47.7% (includes the fat in the egg yolk)

Steps:

• Make the levain: In a 4-cup glass measuring cup, combine apple and water. Use an immersion blender or food processor to puree. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the apple mixture with 300 grams (10 1/2 ounces) high-gluten flour. Beat on medium-low until a stiff dough forms, about 3 minutes.
• Place levain into a large clean container. Cover tightly, and let rise in a very warm place for at least 24 and up to 48 hours. (The temperature should be 79 degrees. A good place would be near, but not on, a stove or heating source -- do not rise in an oven.) The dough should rise until tripled in bulk and then it will, most likely, fall.
• Remove 150 grams (5.4 ounces) of levain from the center of the risen dough, and discard the remaining levain. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine levain with 150 grams (5.4 ounces) high-gluten flour and 1/3 cup warm water until a uniform dough is formed. Transfer to a work surface, and knead briefly. Shape into a ball, return to the mixer bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place until tripled in size, about 4 hours. Repeat this process twice. The levain is now ready to use. Be sure to always take the levain from the center of the levain because the natural yeasts are more concentrated there.
• Make the sponge: In a glass measuring cup, combine sugar and scant 1 cup water. Stir to dissolve sugar. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine high-gluten flour, sugar mixture, and prepared natural levain. Starting on low speed, beat until flour is incorporated. Increase speed to medium, and beat until dough is smooth, about 6 minutes start to finish.
• Add cold butter a bit at a time, while beating on low speed for about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium, and beat until smooth, 6 to 8 minutes more. Scrape down bowl as necessary. If necessary, switch to paddle attachment briefly to help incorporate butter. Add egg yolks, and beat on low until incorporated. Increase speed to medium, and continue beating until dough is shiny, elastic, and comes away from sides of bowl. (It will make a slapping sound when the speed is increased) Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let stand in a very warm place for 12 hours. (The temperature should be 79 degrees. A good place would be near, but not on, a stove or heating source -- do not rise in an oven.) The dough should triple in bulk.
• Make the dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and honey until smooth, about 1 minute. Set aside. In a liquid measuring cup, combine 80 ml (scant 1/2 cup) water, the sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and lemon and orange oils. Stir to combine. Sprinkle the high-gluten flour over the risen sponge. Beat on low until all the flour is incorporated, about 3 minutes.
• With machine running on medium-low speed, gradually add the liquid mixture; if the dough begins to separate, stop adding the liquid and briefly increase speed to medium high until dough just comes back together. Reduce speed, and continue adding liquid. It should take about 4 minutes to add all of the liquid. Increase speed to medium high, and beat until dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic, about 5 minutes more.
• With machine running on medium speed, add the creamed honey mixture all at once. Beat until incorporated, about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add egg yolks, and beat on medium low until incorporated and dough is shiny and elastic, about 4 minutes. Add raisins and orange peel, and beat until just incorporated, about 2 minutes more.
• Lightly oil work surface. Turn dough out onto surface, and cut into six 190-gram (6.8-ounce) pieces and four 250-gram (9-ounce) pieces. Work each piece of dough into a ball. Place smaller pieces into 3 1/2-inch-baking papers and large pieces in 4 1/2-inch-baking papers. Place filled papers onto baking sheets. Place each baking sheet into a large plastic bag, and seal. Set aside in a very warm place until tripled in volume, 6 to 8 hours. (The temperature should be 79 degrees. A good place would be near, but not on, a stove or heating source -- do not rise in an oven.)
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Make the topping: In the bowl of a food processor, combine almonds, flour, and confectioners' sugar. Process until fine. Transfer to a medium bowl, and add grapeseed oil and egg whites. Stir to combine. The glaze should be thick and almost pastelike.
• Gently spoon about 2 tablespoons glaze over the top of each risen brioche to cover. Sprinkle with whole almonds (about 6 per loaf). Sprinkle heavily with pearl sugar. Bake until golden brown and set, 25 to 30 minutes for the small, 30 to 35 minutes for the large.