epicurious2.5
Naturally Leavened Brioche
An ethereal loaf that’s buttery, sweet, and decadent.
👥 2 Servings👤 Maurizio Leo📖 epicurious
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●bowl
- ●pan
- ●knife
- ●oven
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Levain
2
Warm or cool the water to about 78°F. In a large bowl, mix the levain ingredients until well incorporated. This sweet levain will expand considerably, so be sure to use a container that has plenty of room. Cover loosely and store in a warm place for ⏱️ 12 hours.
(4 to 5 medium) eggs, beaten229 gwater74 g
3
Mix
4
Check the levain: It should show signs of readiness: It should have risen very high, be very bubbly, and be frothy with a sharp sour aroma. If your starter is not showing these signs, let ferment ⏱️ 1 hour more and check again.
5
Prepare the butter: Cut the butter into ½-inch-thick pats and place them on a plate on the counter to warm to room temperature.
6
Mix the dough: To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, add the flour, milk, egg, half the sugar, the diastatic malt powder, salt, and ripe levain. Turn the mixer on low speed and mix for 1 to ⏱️ 2 minutes until well mixed. If the dough is very dry, add more milk, a small splash at a time, until it comes together and no dry bits remain. However, the dough should be a little on the firm side at this stage. Increase the mixer to medium speed and mix for 10 to ⏱️ 12 minutes until the dough begins to cling to the paddle and pull from the sides. Let the dough rest uncovered for ⏱️ 10 minutes.
(4 to 5 medium) eggs, beaten229 gdiastatic malt powder3 g
7
Add the remaining sugar: Mix on low speed for 1 to ⏱️ 2 minutes until the sugar is absorbed and the dough comes back together. Increase the mixer to medium speed and mix for 5 to ⏱️ 6 minutes until the dough is smooth and strong; it should cling to the paddle but not completely remove from the sides of the bowl. Use the windowpane test to see if the dough is ready. If the dough tears irregularly and feels weak, mix on medium speed for 2 to ⏱️ 4 minutes more and test again.
8
Incorporate the butter: At this point, if your dough is strong enough and was clinging to the paddle, you might want to switch to the dough hook. With the mixer on low speed, add the butter, one pat at a time, until absorbed into the dough, craping down the sides of the bowl and the paddle as needed. Continue until all the butter is added, 10 to ⏱️ 15 minutes. Increase the mixer to medium speed and mix for ⏱️ 2 minutes more until the dough smooths out and clings to the dough hook. The dough will be silky smooth, elastic, and shiny. Transfer the dough to a container for bulk fermentation.
9
Due to the lengthy mixing time required to develop this dough, I highly recommend mixing in a stand mixer with a paddle to start. At any point if the dough clings excessively to the paddle, switch to the dough hook. This process will take 20 to ⏱️ 30 minutes. Be patient and let the dough rest periodically if it begins to get too hot—you want to keep the temperature close to the desired dough temperature of 78°F.
10
Measure the temperature of the dough: Compare it to the DDT and record it as the final dough temperature. Cover the dough.
11
Bulk fermentation
12
Set the timer and make a note: Write down the current time as the start of bulk fermentation, set a timer for ⏱️ 1 hour, and let the dough rest in a warm place.
13
Stretch and fold: When your timer goes off, give the dough one set of gentle stretches and folds. Wet your hands. Slip your fingers under the dough in the middle and pick it up to let one side of the dough fall under itself. Rotate the bowl 180 degrees and repeat. Then rotate the bowl a quarter turn and stretch and fold that side. Rotate the bowl 180 degrees and stretch and fold on the last side. The dough should be folded up neatly.
14
Let the dough rest: Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for the remainder of bulk fermentation, about ⏱️ 3 hours.
15
Divide and shape
16
Check the dough: At the end of bulk fermentation, the dough will have risen, you may see some bubbles on top and at the sides, and it should look smoother and supple. If you don’t see dough that’s airy and “alive,” leave it for another ⏱️ 15 minutes in bulk fermentation and check again.
17
Prepare baking pans: Grease two 9 × 4 × 4-inch Pullman pans with butter (even if they have a nonstick lining).
18
Divide and pre-shape the dough: Using a bowl scraper, gently scrape the dough onto a clean work surface and use your bench knife to divide the dough into 6 pieces of 220g each (you might have a small piece of scrap dough left over; discard it). Using your bench knife in your dominant hand and with your other hand wet to reduce sticking, shape each piece of dough into a moderately tight round. (I like to gently degas the dough by tapping the pieces very lightly as I go.) Place 3 rounds in each Pullman pan. Cover the pans with reusable plastic.
19
Proof
20
Let the dough proof: Put the pans in a very warm place to proof for about ⏱️ 9 hours. This is a slow-moving dough, so be sure to give it the time it needs to fully proof. At the end of proofing, the dough will be very soft to the touch, and if you gently poke it, it will feel like poking a balloon.
21
Bake
22
Prepare the oven: Place an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F.
23
Bake the dough: Make the egg wash by whisking together the egg and 1 tablespoon milk. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg wash evenly and gently on the top of the dough. Load the pans side by side into the oven (like the number “11,” not an “=” sign). Bake for ⏱️ 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375°F and bake for 20 to ⏱️ 25 minutes more, or until the internal temperature reaches 204°F and the loaves are golden brown with a soft crust. It can be difficult to tell when the loaves are fully baked, so taking the internal temperature is recommended.
24
Finish and cool: Carefully remove the pans from the oven. Let cool for ⏱️ 10 minutes. Then, gently transfer the loaves to a wire rack to cool for at least ⏱️ 2 hours before slicing.
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