How It's Made: Brioche
It is a breakfast item that makes it's way to the dinner table. It is a sweet bun that wants to be a croissant. It is a plain roll that is surprisingly special. This roll seems to have a delicious identity crisis. Brioche comes in many sizes shapes and varieties, all with one clear similarity, deliciousness! Many people have never heard of this French style sweet bread; what a shame! It is time that we let them know what this slightly sweet, buttery, pastry-like delight is all about.
Although you may see it in a bread basket next to other rolls on the dinner or breakfast table, don't be fooled Brioche is smarter than your average bread. It is a special dough made through extra special processes that give the finished product the unique flavor and texture. Making brioche is a two day process, and not an easy one at that.
First it is time to mix the dough. It is extremely important that this is done while the wet ingredients are cold. Mixing flour, water, sugar, eggs, salt and yeast together into a fully developed dough starts the process. A developed dough means that the gluten in the dough has fully developed creating a strong dough which should be able to stretch out until almost transparent without tearing. Developed gluten will trap gases created when the yeast ferments the sugar in the dough causing it to rise. It also helps to hold the structure of the finished, baked product.
Once the dough is developed cold butter is slowly incorporated to just the right degree. The dough is set aside and brought up to room temperature allowing for preliminary fermentation. The dough is punched to eliminate gases and add to the texture. The dough then gets a cold night's rest in the refrigerator.
The next day it is time for shapin' and bakin'. Nothing about this thing is ordinary so why stop now? Traditional Brioche has a funny shape. Baked in a cup with a little knob on top of the roll, you can't mistake it. At this point you can add pretty much anything to the dough, we make three varieties; plain, chocolate chip and cranberry. They are baked in their cups until the crust is golden brown and sprinkled with crystal sugar. Amazingly, with all of the rich ingredients and handling of the dough, the finished product has a light texture.
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