Bread Machine (27 page)

1 whole large egg equals 3 tablespoons commercial liquid egg substitute

1 large egg white equals 2 tablespoons commercial liquid egg substitute

1 large fresh egg white equals 1 tablespoon egg-white powder plus 2 tablespoons cold water

BRIOCHE BREAD

P
ain brioche
is a staple of the French kitchen and every French chef masters it. While most people are familiar with the classic
petites brioches
with their topknots, butter-rich bakery brioche is often baked in a loaf pan. Pay attention to the technique for adding the room-temperature butter pieces; it is done while the machine is running during the kneading phase. Brioche bread is perfect for French toast, bread puddings, appetizer sandwiches, and for just plain old toast. Serve the warm golden slices spread with some good preserves, like pure apricot or boysenberry jam (see recipes in the Jams, Preserves, and Chutneys chapter), or with an apple butter and some cream cheese. You can also shape this dough into individual brioches or wrap it around a wheel of Brie cheese (
Technique: Shaping Individual Brioches
). Prepare the recipe using the Dough cycle, scrape it into a plastic container and refrigerate it overnight, and then proceed with the instructions
Apricot Brie in Brioche
.

1
¹
/
₂
-POUND LOAF

¹
/
₃
cup milk

2 large eggs

1 egg yolk

2 cups bread flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons gluten

³
/
₄
teaspoon salt

1
¹
/
₄
teaspoons SAF yeast or 1
³
/
₄
teaspoons bread machine yeast

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2-POUND LOAF

¹
/
₂
cup plus 1 tablespoon milk

2 large eggs

2 egg yolks

2
³
/
₄
cups bread flour

2
¹
/
₂
tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon gluten

1 teaspoon salt

1
³
/
₄
teaspoons SAF yeast or 2
¹
/
₄
teaspoons bread machine yeast

¹
/
₂
cup plus 2 tablespoons (1
¹
/
₄
sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Place the ingredients, except the butter, in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. Set crust on medium and program for the Basic cycle; press Start. (This recipe is not suitable for use with the Delay Timer.) The dough will be soft and sticky.

About 10 minutes into Knead 2 (I set a kitchen timer), open the lid while the machine is running. Add a piece or two of the butter, allowing it to be incorporated before adding more pieces. It will take a full minute or two to add all the butter. Close the lid.

When the baking cycle ends, open the lid and let the bread sit in the pan for 15 minutes. Gently remove the loaf from the pan and place it on a rack. Let cool to room temperature before slicing.

Technique: Shaping Individual Brioches

Makes 8 to 10 individual brioches

Here the brioche dough will be shaped by hand into the charming classic rolls and baked in your home oven. Serve for brunch with jam. No butter is necessary.

1 recipe
Brioche Bread
dough, refrigerated overnight

1 egg, well beaten, for glaze

Place 8 (for the 1
¹
/
₂
-pound dough) or 10 (for the 2-pound dough) individual 3
¹
/
₂
-by-1
¹
/
₂
-inch brioche flute tins on a baking sheet. Spray each with vegetable oil cooking spray.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it in half. Roll each half into a thick log, and divide each log into 4 (for the 1
¹
/
₂
-pound) or 5 (for the 2-pound) 2-inch pieces and 4 (or 5) 1-inch pieces. Round each 2-inch piece into a ball and place in a prepared tin. Form the 1-inch pieces into teardrop shapes. Press your finger into the center of each ball, straight through to the bottom. Insert the pointed end of a teardrop into the hole. Press to flatten the topknot into the piece of dough in the tin. Repeat with all the remaining pieces of dough. Cover loosely with a clean towel and let rest at cool room temperature for about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Brush the tops of the brioches with the beaten egg and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the tins and place on a rack. Let cool completely. Brioches are best reheated so that the texture has time to set.