Brioche
April 19 2019
I am trying bread again.
I figured last time my cinnamon raisin bread went well, why not try another.
When I hear brioche, I think Wendy’s hamburger buns – light, fluffy, eggy bread.
This recipe calls for an overnight rise, so I am starting it after dinner.
This will really test my ability to wait for things
I have to add warm water to the yeast. Easy enough, or so I thought.
I have waited 5 minutes and there is no foam. 5 more, not sure if this is what foamy means, but I am going to take it.
I add some of my flour and put in in my oven – I have a proofing setting, and this is the first time I will use it. I have set it for 80 degrees.
An hour goes by and it looks good.
I add the remaining ingredients in the mixer and cross my
fingers for smooth, shiny and elastic.
Well it is elastic, but is definitely not smooth or shiny.
I now have to put it in the freezer and wait for 30 minutes.
Just so we all have a running total… 10 minutes for yeast to activate, an hour proofing and now 30 minutes in the freezer.
I take it out and punch it down as instructed. I am now to cover it with plastic wrap and leave it overnight. But do I leave it in the frozen bowl? Do I get a new one? just cover it in plastic?
After consulting with hubby, we decide to (loosely) wrap in it plastic and put it in the fridge overnight.
I don’t think that is what we were supposed to do
It has doubled in size – I think – I should have left it in the bowl
It is midafternoon by the time I take it out to roll it into balls to make the loaves. I weigh the ball and it is 29.5 ounces. It is supposed to be 32 ounces, so not bad.
I do my best to roll them and place them into the pans.
I am proofing again – this time for 1-3 hours as per the book. It was about an hour and a half when they had doubled in size and were ready for the egg wash.
So here is rub, I now have to wait for my oven to get from proofing temperature to 375°F.
It is losing some of its puffiness.
It gets worse when I add the egg wash. Also, balls have lost their formation and it just looks like a big blob.
The book says to bake for 40 minutes. I only needed 30 before the bottom sounded hollow and the top got pretty dark too.
We ate this the next day for breakfast. It was ok.
It was not as light and airy as I had expected, but still had great flavor.
It was actually a little dry.
Hubby had it with jam and said it was awesome.
Oldest liked it too, toasted and not toasted.
I will try this again because it was good and relatively easy…and I think it had to do with my yeast.
I want to get this one right – I will keep you posted
Bakeable!
