Buttery, golden brioche with a thin crust 

All you need for this homemade brioche recipe is an appetite and some patience. Unlike the croissant, making your own brioche can be easy. So easy in fact, it’s pretty hard to fail provided you follow these simple steps. The result is a buttery, golden brioche with a thin crust and the texture of a fluffy cloud on the inside. Satisfaction guaranteed.

INGREDIENTS

• 250 g (8.8 oz) plain all purpose flour

• 200 g (7 oz) plain unsalted butter

• 25 g (.9 oz) sugar

• Half a tsp of salt

• 3.5 g (.1 oz ) dry instant yeast

• 3 medium sized eggs

Cooking time: 25 minutes at 180C / 380F (fan forced)

Cookware: a stand mixer with a dough hook.

Notes

• Going further: you can add sultanas, chocolate nuggets or sprinkle rock sugar on top of the brioche before cooking.

• Shape the brioche dough in to whatever shape you like, or make individual brioche.

• The amount of eggs may vary depending on size – only add more eggs if the batter looks dry.

• Resting time for dough:

  • First rise: in a covered bowl at room temperature up to 2 hours or more (wait until the dough has doubled in volume).

  • Second rise: in a covered bowl in the fridge for 1 hour 15 minutes.

  • Final rise: in the cake tin at room temperature for 30 minutes or more.

PROCEDURE

1. Place the dry ingredients (flour, salt, sugar and yeast) into the mixer bowl and blend together with a spatula.

2. Place the bowl on the stem mixer stand. The dough hook needs to be in place. Start the machine and slowly add the eggs. Mix for about 6 minutes until the dough doesn’t stick to the bowl surface.

3. Then slowly add the butter cut into smallish cubes at room temperature. A room temperature of 21C is optimal. Mix (knead) for up to 20 minutes – until the dough starts to detach from the bowl.

4. Scrape the dough into a glass bowl and cover with film wrap. Leave to rest for 1-2 hours until the dough has doubled in size. Turn the dough out onto a floured bench.

5. Press down on the dough to force out the gas until it is back to its original size.

6. Return the dough to the glass bowl, cover with a tight-fitting plastic wrap and place into the fridge for 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours.

7. Whilst waiting, prepare the cake tin by greasing with butter if necessary and lining with baking (parchment) paper.

8. Once the dough has risen a second time, flatten once more to remove the gas, form the dough into an oblong shape and cut into 3 with a pastry cutter.

9. Fit the 3 pieces into the cake tin and allow to rest and rise for a further 15-30 minutes at room temperature.

10. Pre-heat the oven to 180C fan forced.

11. Brush the tops of the dough with egg wash and then with kitchen scissors cut a cross into each of the 3 pieces.

12. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes (if after 20 minutes the brioche looks too coloured, lower the temperature a little).