Making bread is always an adventure. And this recipe has tripped me up in the past. It’s a good reminder to read all recipes carefully well in advance of cooking them. First of all, I didn’t bother to read the recipe more than a day ahead. This is a major error when baking. Some recipes require long rise times, and this is one of them. This recipe is best started a full day ahead of time! It’s important to read the texture descriptions associated with each step carefully, as that is how you will notice if a baking recipe isn’t working quite right if you are an inexperienced baker. The good news is, this is a forgiving recipe probably because with all the eggs and butter, it’s going to be delicious no matter what. Also, I’ve bolded all the rising times so that you won’t make the mistakes I did. Don’t be intimidated by the amount of time required by the rolls. Most of that time, they’re hanging out and you’re doing other things- like sleeping. Just make sure that you make enough rolls so that there’s some brioche leftover for breakfast tomorrow. Top with a poached egg or some jam and you have a feast.
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached bread flour
- 1 ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs, plus 1 large egg and 1 large yolk, lightly beaten, for egg wash
- 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
- Read the entire recipe. There's a lot of resting time. Make sure you're prepared for all of the rising!
- DAY 1: Combine milk, sugar, yeast, and ½ cup bread flour in the bowl of a mixer.
- Mix until just combined.
- Sprinkle with remaining ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons bread flour, the all-purpose flour, and salt to cover- do NOT mix.
- Let stand for 45 minutes.
- Using the dough-hook attachment, mix dough to combine.
- Add 4 eggs and continue to mix until dough is smooth and does not stick to sides of bowl, about 5 minutes.
- Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until incorporated. Continue mixing until dough is smooth and comes together in a ball around the dough hook, about 5 minutes more.
- This is the spot where you may need to add more flour (like in the picture above; it's too wet) if it's not coming into a ball, just add flour 2 tablespoons at a time until it just becomes a solid mass that doesn't stick to the sides or your hands.
Trust your instincts. You may need to add more extra flour than you think depending on your flour, etc. - Coat a large bowl with butter or cooking spray.
- Transfer dough to bowl, and cover with plastic.
- Let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 ½ hours.
- Punch down dough, and re-cover. Refrigerate for 1 ½ hours.
- Punch down dough again, re-cover, and refrigerate overnight. (This is where I didn’t have overnight because I didn’t plan ahead. I could tell the dough was ready after about 3 ½ hours. So you can pull off this recipe day of if you start early).
- DAY 2: Preheat oven to 425° F.
- Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and punch down.
- Working in batches (refrigerate remaining dough as you work), evenly divide dough into thirty-six equal pieces. It works best to halve (each blob of dough is 18), halve, (each is 9), third into logs (each is 3), and finally third the logs.
- Punch down each piece using the palm of your hand, and press each into a tight ball using the heel of your hand.
- Butter a 12 cavity muffin pan.
- Place three dough balls inside each cavity (dough should fill three-quarters of each mold section).
- Loosely cover pans with plastic; let stand in a warm place until dough balls are soft and springy to the touch, about 30 minutes.
- Lightly brush tops with egg wash. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Reduce heat to 350° F and continue to bake until tops are dark gold (time will vary depending on size of pans).
- Remove from oven and immediately remove brioche rolls from pans, by gently tapping, and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely (or mostly).
- These are a perfect base for the mushroom sliders and the pulled pork.
- There are several mistakes in the original recipe, specifically, there isn't enough flour. Be careful if you go back to the original.
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