Pie and Pastry Bible (144 page)

MAKE THE DOUGH

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar and the salt until well combined. Add this mixture, together with the remaining 2 eggs, to the sponge and beat on medium speed with the flat beater. (If the dough starts to climb up the beater, change to the dough hook.) You will need to beat for about 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth, shiny, and very elastic and it begins to clean the bowl. If it does not, add more flour by the tablespoonful. Increase the speed to medium-high and add the butter by the tablespoon, beating until it is incorporated.

FIRST RISE

Scrape the dough into a lightly buttered bowl. It will be very soft and elastic. Sprinkle it lightly with flour to prevent a crust from forming. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap (preferably Saran brand) and let it rise in a warm place (80° to 85°F., but not above, or the yeast will develop a sour taste) until doubled in bulk, 1½ to 2 hours.

Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour to firm it so the butter will not separate. Gently deflate the dough by stirring it with a rubber scraper and return it to the refrigerator for another hour so that it will be less sticky to handle.

REDISTRIBUTING THE YEAST AND FINAL RISE

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently press it into a rectangle, flouring the surface and dough as needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands. Fold the dough into thirds (as you would a business letter), brushing off any excess flour, and again press it out into a rectangle. Fold it again into thirds and dust it lightly on all sides with flour. Wrap it loosely but securely in plastic wrap and place it in a large reclosable bag or wrap it in foil. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 2 days to allow the dough to ripen and become firm.

SHAPE THE BRIOCHE

Gently knead the dough a few times to deflate it. Divide it into 16 pieces (scant 1¼ ounces/33 grams). If not using 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 to make the topknot. Roll each larger piece of dough into a ball and press it into a brioche mold. With lightly floured hands, shape each piece of reserved dough 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 this hole. Place the molds on a large baking sheet, cover the molds loosely with greased plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm spot away from drafts for about 1 hour or until the dough reaches the top of the molds.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. (400°F. if using a dark pan) at least 30 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the lower level and place a baking stone or cookie sheet on it before preheating.

Lightly beat together the egg yolk and cream or milk for the glaze. Brush the top of each brioche with the egg glaze, being careful not to drip any on the side of the pan, or it will impede rising. Allow the glaze to dry for 5 minutes and then brush the brioche a second time. Use greased scissors or a small sharp knife to make a ¼-inch-deep cut all around each topknot where it joins the rest of the brioche so it will rise to an attractive shape.

Place the pan of brioche on the hot stone or sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted under the topknot of a brioche comes out clean. An instant-read thermometer will register 190°F.

Unmold the brioche onto a rack. They are delicious eaten warm. They can be reheated in a 350°F. oven for 5 minutes.

VARIATION

SWEET POTATO BRIOCHE
Sweet potato, or the more orangy yam, gives the brioche a beautiful golden color and moister texture, without adding an eggy flavor. The flavor of the sweet potato, however, is so subtle as to be unnoticeable. This was the inspiration of Julia Carter, who was Susan Spicer’s pastry chef at Bayonna in New Orleans.

Simply add ½ cup (about 4.5 ounces/126 grams) of strained baked yam or sweet potato to the dough when adding the final eggs. The overall sugar can be decreased by 1 tablespoon to compensate for the sweetness of the potato.

STORE

Airtight, room temperature, up to 2 days; frozen, up to 3 months.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

Use King Arthur’s all-purpose flour or a national-brand supermarket bread flour. King Arthur’s will result in a brioche that is a little more tender.

Fresh yeast causes the dough to rise faster. Do not, however, use rapid-rise yeast.

Be sure the yeast is active.

Do not allow the dough to rise in an area over 80° to 85°F.

Do not allow the dough to rise more than recommended amounts, or it will weaken the structure.

Do not deflate the dough before chilling, or the butter will leak out. (If this should happen, chill the dough for 1 hour and knead the butter back into the dough.)

Unbaked dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. It is best to add 25 percent more yeast if you are planning to freeze it, since some of it will die.

UNDERSTANDING

Unlike a cake, which is primarily a starch structure, bread depends on protein in the form of gluten to create its framework. The higher the protein content of the flour, the stronger the structure will be and the finer the grain of the bread (directly the opposite of cake). Too high a protein content, however, will result in a less soft and more chewy crumb, so if using bread flour, use a national-brand supermarket bread flour.

This dough is exceptionally wet. Just enough extra flour is added to handle it for shaping, resulting in a very light, soft brioche.

I do not use rapid-rise yeast, because the flavor development and texture are superior with slower rising.

Compared to Danish dough, brioche has less liquid, much more egg, and double the sugar. Also, the butter is not layered in, so it is more cake-like. The hot baking stone or cookie sheet will boost the “oven spring” (the amount it rises from the heat of the oven) of the brioche.

STICKY BUNS

T
his is essentially the same recipe I included in
The Cake Bible,
with a few refinements. I have since found that King Arthur’s all-purpose flour makes an equally light but slightly more tender dough than bread flour, and that refiner’s or corn syrup added to the sugar topping makes a perfect caramel topping that never crystallizes. I also apply the pecans directly to each bun instead of leaving where they land to chance. For a variation, Danish pastry (page 486) can be substituted for the brioche dough for this recipe. It will be less soft inside but crisper outside.

EQUIPMENT

An 8- by 2-inch square pan or a 10-inch round pan, lightly greased
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