Brioche Loaf
This is the brioche loaf that I most often bake at home. It tastes and smells miles apart from the overly sweet and soft brioche readily available in shops (except from great independent bakeries that are not always near).
I just love it either freshly baked, still warm and soft, topped with some butter (slightly salted butter for me) which starts to soften, but it’s equally a dream to enjoy the next and following days, toasted and immediately smothered with butter and a good quality bitter orange marmalade.It’s been our recent irresistible breakfast treat.
The brioche has already appeared on my Instagram on several occasions and since I’ve received a few questions about it I’m happy to share it with you here – on my blog.
Over the course of baking this brioche loaf I’ve settled on the “0” type Italian flour, but a brioche can be also baked with “00” flour, plain or strong bread flour.
Enjoy xx
For one loaf:
- 300 g of Italian “0” flour, sifted (plus extra for dusting)
- 18 g of fresh yeast
- 40 g of caster sugar
- 2 medium eggs
- 115 g of butter, softened or at room temperature
- 50 g of milk, tepid
- 45 ml of water
- half a teaspoon of salt
- 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon of milk for glazing
First step is to check the fresh yeast:
In a small bowl mix crumbled yeast with about half the quantity of of the sugar. Pour in the milk and stir. The yeast doesn’t have to dissolve fully. Sprinkle with some sifted flour, cover and leave for 10 minutes.
By now the yeast mixture should start to foam and show some bubbles, which means that yeast is active and you can proceed.
Mix the flour and the remaining sugar in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a dough hook.
Make a well and pour in the the yeast mixture. Work the ingredients on a lower speed for a minute or so. Add the eggs, one at the time. Once the flour, yeast and eggs are well combined pour in the water and add the salt (mixing everything all the time).
Work the dough on a low-to medium speed for about 5 minutes, until it turns shiny and elastic.
Now gradually start adding the butter, waiting for the next portion once the previous one has been fully mixed in. Once you’ve used all the butter carry on working the dough for further 5-8 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic as well as to come off cleanly from the sides. (If the dough appears too wet, mix in a little bit more of the flour, about a teaspoon at the time).
Cover the bowl with cling film and leave the dough to rise, it should almost treble in size (allow 2-3 hours, depending on the room temperature).
Lightly grease a loaf tin, 26 x 12 cm in dimension, and line it with baking parchment.
Tip the risen dough onto a floured work surface.
Dust the dough with some flour and divide it into three equal parts.
Gently flatten and fold 2-3 times each part, turning the dough by 90 degrees each time you fold it. Shape each part into a round bowl and place them neatly inside the prepared tin.
Cover the tin with some some cling film and let the brioche rise, until it reaches the level of the sheet of cling film. Take the foil off and delicately brush the top of the brioche loaf with the egg wash.
Heat up your oven to 210 C/ 190 C Fan.
Once the oven is ready, bake the brioche for 25 minutes, covering the top loosely with a sheet of aluminium foil if it starts to brown too quickly (in my current oven it I have to cover it after 7-10 minutes).
After 25 minutes the brioche should be well risen with a dark brown shiny top. Switch the oven off and leave the oven door half-open.
After about 20 minutes take the tin out of the oven and leave to cool down for further 20 minutes, before taking the brioche loaf out of the tin. This way I make sure that the centre of the dough is cooked through.
Leave the loaf on a wired rack for a moment before having the first slice of a very soft and fragrant brioche.
The brioche keeps very well covered for 2-3 days and it’s just wonderful sliced and toasted.
