Easy Brioche

Easter Sunday is a traditional feast here in Austria. But with the table set with everything you can imagine, we all are waiting only for this Brioche served hot from the oven by Sophie let alone the smell that tortured us until it is ready it is no wonder that we cannot show you a single piece cut up for you or us eating it. You must understand it is a race of how to get enough for each one of us. Enough of this warm fresh French Brioche. The one behind the lens would be for sure the one going away hungry and unhappy so the desire to take those missing photos is close to zero.  But we share the recipe with you so can stress every one in your own family at Easter Sunday with this treat !

You need 

75 ml | 1/3 cup warm water
1 package | 2 1/4 tbsp active dry yeast ( not quick rising)
325 gr | 2 1/3 cups cake flour
280 gr | 2 cups all purpose flour
75 gr | 1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
6 large eggs at room temperature
285 gr | 10 ounces butter at room temperature

The dough must rest overnight in the fridge so please start the evening before you need the Brioche.

The yeast must dissolve in the water for 10 minutes until you can see a little foam..

Sift the flours together in a bowl with the sugar and salt and attache the dough hook to your stand mixer. Set the mixer on low to medium speed and add the eggs one at a time. Beat 1 minute.
Slowly add the dissolved yeast and continue on low speed for 5 minutes. Stop the machine, clear the hook, the dough likes to climb up the hook, beat it another 5 minutes.
Add the butter in cubes in 4 batches beating for a minute after each batch. Now beat the dough another 10 minutes until real soft and smooth.
Transfer the dough into a large floured bowl cover it with plastic wrap and let it double in size somewhere warm and cozy. Best is the oven on lowest heat mine is 30°C. That takes 3 hours.

turn it on a floured work surface and gently fold it several times to let the air out of the dough. Return it to the bowl for the overnight rest in the fridge. Sleep quicker that night ;-)

In the morning before everyone gets up you are back in the kitchen opening the fridge and here it is: your Brioche dough, now ready for the final workout:

Depending on your loaf pan size either use two or one larger one, butter and flour the pan and take the dough out and divide it in equally sized small balls set them next to each other in rows of two and fill the pan with your small dough shapes, 2 centimeters lower than the pan. Let rise in a warm place uncovered until 2 centimeters above the top of the pan. 

Preheat the oven  to 175 °C | 350 °F .

Bake for 45 - 50 minutes and test with a wooden chopstick or skewer if it comes out clean it is done. If you like to freeze the Brioche then wrap it in tin foil freeze it still hot for up to 2 months. I know a nightmare for the freezer .- Heat the oven to 120°C | 250 °F and without thawing first and still wrapped the Brioche can be reheated. that takes 20-25 minutes.

Adapted from Tom Keller ad hoc at home