Bubbly yeastThis morning I woke with a hankering for Brioche.
How glorious would soft, steamy, buttery brioche be with some homemade butter - especially on such a damp day. So I hastily began!
And just as my yeast began frothing, I read the recipe to the end. Much to my dismay, brioche dough must be refrigerated overnight (up to three nights actually). Tragically, I would not have brioche this day.
So if you have a similar hankering . . . start now! Here's the recipe:
For the Starter
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup warm milk
1 package active dry yeast
1.2 cup all purpose flour
For the Dough
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp hot milk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch slices and softened
Starter
Make starter:
Stir together sugar and milk in a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over mixture and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir flour into yeast mixture, forming a soft dough, and cut a deep X across top.
Let starter rise, covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature, 1 hour.
Make dough:
Combine salt, sugar, and hot milk in a small bowl and stir until salt and sugar are dissolved.
Fit mixer with whisk attachment, then beat 2 eggs at medium-low speed until fluffy. Add sugar mixture and beat until combined well. With motor running, add in order, beating after each addition: 1/2 cup flour, remaining egg, 1/2 cup flour, about one fourth of butter, and remaining 1/2 cup flour. Beat mixture 1 minute.
Remove bowl from mixer and fit mixer with dough-hook attachment. Spread starter onto dough with a rubber spatula and return bowl to mixer. Beat dough at medium-high speed 6 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Add remaining butter and beat 1 minute, or until butter is incorporated.
Lightly butter a large bowl and scrape dough into bowl with rubber spatula. Lightly dust dough with flour to prevent a crust from forming.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise at room temperature until more than doubled in bulk, 2 to 3 hours.
Punch down dough and lightly dust with flour.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill dough, punching down after first hour, at least 12 hours.
Cooks' note: • Dough may be chilled up to 3 days. Punch down dough each day.