Here is the result of August’s Fresh From The Oven baking challenge: Brioche.
As the recipe in The River Cottage Bread Guide says it is a very wet dough. It’s a real ‘stir it with a wooden spoon’ job rather than ‘knead it on the worktop.’
Eventually with the addition of a good handful of flour (or two) I managed to shape it ready for its overnight rest in the fridge.
That firmed it up, good and proper, so I divided into 2 loaves. I baked one in a 1lb tin and one as a ‘stubby cylinder’ as described in the books shaping instructions.
They rose beautifully and made cracking shiny topped, egg washed, light, even textured loaves.
One loaf got briskly eaten, mainly by George, with Nutella and hot chocolate.
French kid style.
The 2nd loaf was used to make a good rich bread and butter pudding a few days later.
Thanks to Chele from Chocolate Teapot for picking this months very well received recipe.
N.B. I wrote this post on my phone whilst in a log cabin in North Wales using the WordPress iPhone app.
‘Aint technology brilliant?
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Details of the recipe from River Cottage Handbook No. 3 – Bread
Brioche
400g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
5g powdered dried yeast
10g fine sea salt
90ml warm milk
2 tbsp caster sugar
100g butter, softened
4 medium free range eggs, beaten
To Glaze
1 medium free range egg
2 tbsp milk
to knead by hand: mix all the ingredients in a large bowl, and bring it all together to form a dough. Knead for about 10 mins, until smooth and shiny.
Or, to use a food mixer: fit the dough hook and add all the dough ingredients to the mixer bowl. Mix on low speed until combined, and leave to knead for about 10 mins, until smooth and shiny.
Shape the dough into a round, place in a bowl and cover tightly. Leave in the fridge overnight.
The next day, divide the dough in two and form into the shape of your choice. Lightly flour the loaves, lay them on a wooden board or linen cloth and cover with a plastic bag. Leave them somewhere nice and warm to prove until almost doubled in size; this could take 3 or 4 hours, as the dough is cold.
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. For the glaze, beat the egg and milk together. Transfer the risen loaves to a baking tray and brush all over with the glaze. Bake for about 10 mins, then lower the oven setting to 180C/gas mark 4 and bake for a further 30 mins or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
Makes 2 small loaves
River Cottage Handbook No.3 – Bread
tossingtheswissaround
August 28, 2010
Love the photography!!
sarah
August 28, 2010
Fantastic! I am impressed by your remote blogging. 🙂
Using brioche to make bread pudding is an inspired idea. I bet it was fantastic. I used mine to make Croque Monsieur sandwiches; also very tasty.
fattydumpling
August 28, 2010
OH. That picture with nutella…So divine…
Corrie
August 29, 2010
What great photos – my daughter enjoyed some of this bread with nutella too. Brioche and nutella seem to somehow be a perfect combination. :o)
lynne
August 30, 2010
yum! that bread looks delicious! especially with nutella or in that bread pudding!
Chele
September 4, 2010
Love those photos of the pudding and the slice layered with nutella. Yumo. Thanks for baking along with me ;0)
Naomi
September 6, 2010
This looks great, I’m definitely hoping there’s enough for bread and butter pudding!
Dionne Baldwin
September 8, 2010
I have a batch of this in my fridge right now, thanks to your post. I LOVE brioche! 🙂
thingswemake
September 8, 2010
Great! Let me know how it goes 🙂
Dionne Baldwin
September 9, 2010
I really like this recipe! I made two batches, so as you can imagine there is a lot of bread at my house! My first batch turned out a little dry because I over-baked it. The second batch was so much more moist and everyone here is eating it up! (My little girl and I had some with Nutella as well and WOW was that good!) I think that first batch will be perfect for some bread and butter pudding, now to find a good recipe…
CookingToday.co.uk
September 13, 2010
What a great recipe and a very nice blog.