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Classic Brioche
Classic brioche is a rich, buttery French bread with a tender crumb and golden crust. The dough rests overnight in the refrigerator, developing a deep flavor and making morning baking effortless. A heavy-duty mixer handles the stiff, sticky dough with ease. Serve thick slices warm with jam for breakfast, or use the leftovers to make incredible French toast and bread pudding.
Ingredients
- cup milk, heated to warm (105° to 115°F)
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon plus cup sugar
- 4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened and cut into pieces (do not use margarine)
Instructions
- 1Combine the warm milk, yeast, and one teaspoon of sugar in the large bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer. Stir the mixture to dissolve the yeast and let it sit for about five minutes until it becomes foamy.
- 2Mix in the remaining sugar, one cup of flour, and the salt until fully blended. Turn the mixer to low speed and beat in one egg. Continue mixing while alternating the addition of the remaining three cups of flour and the remaining five eggs until everything is well incorporated. Gradually beat in the softened butter pieces until the dough is completely smooth.
- 3Move the dough into a lightly buttered large bowl. Cover the bowl loosely with greased plastic wrap and set it in a warm place to rise for about two and a half hours, or until it doubles in volume.
- 4Lightly grease two metal loaf pans. Punch down the risen dough and divide it evenly into two halves. Place each half into a prepared pan, cover them loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
- 5Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the loaves for about 30 minutes, or until they turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Take the loaves out of the pans and let them cool completely on wire racks.