Brioche

[foodie3]

i have seen several ways described for the second rise in the refrigerator. what is the "proper technique", should the dough be allowed to rise and double overnight, or should it be flattened during the first hours of refrigeration untill the yeast activity stops?

[jgarner53]

When I do an overnight rise (though I've never done it with brioche), I just cover the dough well with plastic wrap and let it go, punching it down in the morning. The cold will slow the yeast growth, but not kill it off. You might want to cut back some on the yeast in the recipe, too.

[Wendy DeBord]

I've done rises overnight in the cooler with unshaped dough and already shaped. Both work out fine.

Typically you let dough rise the first time, then punch it down, shape and let rise, then bake. So which step you are at in the process determines what you do next. You can let it rise at room temp., punch down, retard and shape the next day.........or shape and retard overnight. You can do both your rises in the cooler too.

[KarenS]

I make my dough and then put it in the walk-in over night, weighted with a plate and a #10 can. I pull the dough out and let it proof/ shape it, proof, bake.

[artisanbaker]

i think the action you are speaking of actually serves more to distribute and insure even cooling of the dough so that the "heart" doesn't continue to ferment past it's ripe stage

[KarenS]

Yes, and your texture will be fine and even.

[foodie3]

oh, so the purpose of a long chill is to produce a fine, even texture?

[melmck]

So we have been on a quest for the best white cake, chocolate cake, coconut cake etc. I think we should all keep going with the Best Of in all categories! Doughs, fillings, etc. Now we all have our personal style, taste and opinion, but doing the comparison thing is the best way to narrow it down. I personally want to improve on my Brioche (I want it tender!!) and also Puff Pastry. I've got Danish and Criossant nailed, they are turning out stupendously with amazing layers, loft, flavor, buttery crispness. Even a pate sucre thread would be good, I have 2 that I use for different applications. But if one of you has a better recipe, I am all over it. Whaddaya think?

[ellencho]

I made King Arthur's Flour brioche recipe. The bread has a nice crust, and is really tender on the inside, definitely breadier than cakier. And it's really rich too, I don't think I could eat more than one thin slice at a time.

If you want the recipe I'll PM it to you.

[Woods]

So we have been on a quest for the best white cake, chocolate cake, coconut cake etc. I think we should all keep going with the Best Of in all categories! Doughs, fillings, etc. Now we all have our personal style, taste and opinion, but doing the comparison thing is the best way to narrow it down. I personally want to improve on my Brioche (I want it tender!!) and also Puff Pastry. I've got Danish and Criossant nailed, they are turning out stupendously with amazing layers, loft, flavor, buttery crispness. Even a pate sucre  thread would be good, I have 2 that I use for different applications. But if one of you has a better recipe, I am all over it. Whaddaya think?

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Do you like light, airy brioche or denser and cake like? I prefer the latter and usually make the recipe I learned in school at home. I do agree, I would like to explore brioche and would be a happy participant!

Woods

[duckduck]

I'm really surprised that you want to improve it, Mel. I thought the little sugared one with creme fraiche I had at your place was amazing. It was very tender and airy but not overly so. Sweet but not overly sweet. Perfectly balanced. I love the texture of it. Honestly. I was very, very happy with it. I was considering working on mine and asking people here for their best recipes after eating yours. No bullshit.

[melmck]

well that's good to hear...I suppose I am trying to aim higher, once I had some at Brasserie Jo (it was a burger, ground in house, with BLeu D'Auvergne and mustard aioli.) that I went back the next day and ordered it again! the burger on brioche was outstanding. and it was soft, even the crust, lightly yeasty and almost had the texture of a back-East egg bun.

[CaliPoutine]

I just picked up an old fine cooking magazine at a tag sale. There is a feature article re: brioche from an award winning bakery in California. I can PM you if you want it.

[Wendy DeBord]

I just picked up an old fine cooking magazine at a tag sale.  There is a feature article re: brioche from an award winning bakery in California.  I can PM you if you want it.

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Calipoutine, sending photo copies of copyrighted materials is illegal and you should never do that or offer to do so. BUT if what you meant was you'd write it up for us, please do so on thread and share it with everyone. We all are interested.

[Betts]

Shirley Corriher 's book Cookwise has a a great discussion of the differences in brioche- yeasty vs cakey and she got her techniques for each from Roland Messnier. Her recipe has an astounding quantity of butter and after gaining 5# trying to get it right I've decided to just buy the brioches. However they are never as good as hers.

My favorite is a light yeasty style with raisins and a bit of candied orange. Perfect with a latte or tea.

[andiesenji]

I just added my original recipe:

"Marzipan filled brioche bread pudding"

to RecipeGullet.

The brioche recipe is one that I have used and tweaked for many years, it is light and yeasty but also quite rich.

This recipe includes a marzipan filling but for plain brioche you need only omit the instructions for adding the filling.

This recipe works well for individual brioche buns, a standard brioche or even a "monkey-bread" type which is even richer having dipped the small pieces into melted butter before packing into the mold or pan.

[duckduck]

Okay so I made the brioche recipe in Gordon Ramsey's Just Desserts book and was reminded once again that I can't bake bread at home. My oven is just way too uneven. I checked it half way through and it was already burnt on top. (Yes, we've had a repair man out and I have an oven thermometer.) Anyway... before I even got the dough made, I questioned the recipe. It seemed like very little flour. I was right and should have listened to my common sense. The recipe only calls for 2 cups of flour where other recipes like Sherry Yard's calls for 3 and a 1/2 cups of flour for six eggs I believe it was (i'm at work, no recipe handy) and a cup of butter. At the point where I should have been shaping into balls or loaves, I was pouring it into the pans. I tasted the middle and it was a little closer to a heavy souffle than bread. So be forwarned. Gordon's recipe appartently has a typo or something.

[ALTAF]

Hi,

Can you pm it to me too.

thanks

[oli]

Has anybody done the dough recipe from Julia Child's book in the bread machine?

I have done it as the recipe in the book suggests, but I was curious since I have a bread machine, that I used only once, would it come out just the same?

[nextguy]

I've never tried it but I imagine the butter just melting out.

[Almondmeal]

How long can a brioche dough keep in the fridge before shaping and proving again? Or does brioche dough have to be made, risen, shape and proved within a 24 hour cycle?

[ElsieD]

I just made some last weekend. I made the dough on Saturday, baked some of it on Sunday and the rest on Monday. It was fine both days.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

I'd say 2 days maximum, before you start to see off-flavours from fermentation.

[HungryC]

Depends on the amount of yeast in the dough....a lower-yeasted dough will last a bit longer in the fridge.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

It will also depend on how long you hold it at room temperature before you refrigerate it (and this ties into the amount of yeast in the dough - the longer you leave it, the more the yeast will develop and the more flour it will autolise.)