Brioche
I first made this buttery brioche when I was working in London at Pied à Terre, and it’s been my go-to recipe since.
You can bake it in a tin to make slices of soft toasted brioche to serve with pâté, or form it into burger buns of any size. One recipe, many possibilities.
The most important thing to remember, apart from choosing great ingredients, is to maintain the dough temperature at around 22–24°C (72–75°F) from mixing to proving. If it gets too cool, you risk the butter ‘setting’ and weighing the dough down, resulting in a heavier, bread-like texture when baked. Brioche should have a soft, light, buttery texture.
To finish your brioche into rolls, see my Bacon and Egg Breakfast Buns recipe.
Makes 660 g (1 lb 7 oz).
Ingredients 7
320 g bakers flour, strong
40 g soft brown sugar
5 g fine salt
3 eggs, medium-sized, about 150 g, at room temperature
60 g full-cream milk (whole milk)
7 g instant dried yeast
80 g unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1 cm (½ in) dice
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Method 9
Put the , , , , and in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on low speed for 5 minutes to incorporate the ingredients, stopping occasionally to scrape down the side of the bowl. Check the consistency – it should be like slightly sticky playdough.
Increase the speed to medium and mix for a further 5 minutes, then add the all at once. Don’t worry about overcrowding the bowl – it will all work itself out and mix through.
Continue to mix on medium speed for 8 minutes. You may need to stop to scrape down the side of the bowl a few times. Mix until the dough comes away from the side of the bowl and is velvety and smooth; you should be able to stretch it out without breaking.
Cover and set aside for 1 hour, ideally at around 22–24°C (72–75°F).
Allow the dough to rise. If the room is too cold, put the dough in your (cold) oven with the light on, with a small tray of hot water at the bottom to create warmth and humidity.
Now give the dough a fold. To do this, wet or your hands and grab a piece of dough on the side of the bowl. Pull and stretch it up and over the middle to the other side of the bowl.
Repeat this six to eight times, moving around the edge of the bowl. (At this stage, you can cover and refrigerate the dough overnight if desired.)
Cover once more and set aside at room temperature to prove for another hour, or until the dough has risen and feels light and full of air – it should wobble a little if you gently shake the bowl.
To finish your brioche into rolls, see my Bacon and Egg Breakfast Buns recipe.
Urbanstead's tips
This recipe can be made in one day, or you can make the dough and leave it to slow prove in the fridge overnight. Once baked, the brioche keeps well for a few days in an airtight container. It also freezes well – you can either toast it from frozen or refresh it in the oven for 6 minutes at 160°C (320°F).
