This buttery and soft brioche loaf is something that I keep coming back to when I have to make bread to impress. If you have not make brioche before, visit my page "Basic Brioche" for all the things that you need to know about making this enriched dough. This loaf is simply easy to make with a few pinch of patience, you will be impressing your friends and family in no time.
The secret to keeping your brioche loaf soft for longer and to prevent it from getting dry and hard is to allow the loaf to cool slightly out from its baking tin, then wrap is tight while it is still slightly warm in cling wrap and store at room temperature. I have tried keeping this loaf for up to five days, cutting up slices of what I need then wrapping it tight again and keep in room temperature. They stay soft the whole time.
Be mindful that brioche dough is rich with butter so the bread will not be fluffy soft like my Tang Zhong breads.
RECIPE
Yield: 2 x Loaves
Preparation Time: 2 hours
Bulk Proofing Time: Overnight Retarding in the Fridge
Final Proofing: 1 hour to 2 hours at room temperature
Recipe by: Christean Ng
BIROCHE DOUGH
300 g 60% Baker's flour 12% protein
200g 40% Plain Flour 10% Protein
120 g 24% Full Cream Milk
9 g 1% Instant Yeast
200 g 40% Eggs
20 g 4% Yolk
60 g 12% Caster Sugar/ granulated Sugar
10 g 2% Salt
250 g 50% Unsalted butter - soft
PASTRY CREAM
40 g Yolks (2 medium size Yolks)
20 g Corn Starch
30 g Caster Sugar (A)
30 g Caster Sugar (B)
240 g Full Cream Milk
60 g Butter
1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
COCONUT CRUMBLE
60 g Unsalted Butter - softened
60 g Caster Sugar
40 g Plain Flour
20 g Desiccated Coconut
EGG WASH
50 g Eggs (1 medium egg)
50 g Full Cream Milk
Method
For the pastry cream
1. In a medium saucepan, mix the milk, sugar (B) and vanilla bean paste and bring to a boil.
2. Place the sugar (A) and corn flour into a bowl then whisk in the egg yolks to create a smooth slurry. Do not prepare this step too far in advance or the sugar will start to absorb the water from the yolks causing the yolk protein to agitate and cook. Start whisking all the ingredients together when the milk is almost ready.
Stream in half of the milk mixture while continuously whisking the yolk mixture to temper (slowly heating the yolk as a sudden shock of heat on the eggs can cause the egg to scramble).
3. Return the custard base back into the rest of the milk mixture in the pot and cook over low to medium heat while continuously whisking until it starts to boil and thicken. Ensure to constantly whisk and scraping the side and base of the pot to prevent them from catching and burning. Once the custard has come to a boil, continue to cook for another minute before turning the heat off and whisking in the room temperature butter until they are well combined.
4. Transfer the pastry cream into a clean bowl and place a plastic wrap touching the surface of the cream then place it in the fridge to fully cool.
The pastry cream can be made a day ahead. When the pastry cream has cooled, transfer into a piping bag ready for assembly.
For the coconut Crumble
Place all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl ensuring that the butter is cold but pliable. Rub the mixture between your finger tips until they resemble uneven size pebbles. Set aside in the fridge until ready to use.
This crumble can be made in advance and store in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months or more depending on the freezing condition of your freezer.
For the Brioche Dough
*Note: The brioche dough is recommended to be prepared the night before and rested in the fridge covered for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours. If you are short with time, you can prepare the dough then allow for it to bulk ferment at room temperature before placing it into the fridge for 2-3 hours to firm up slightly before rolling and cutting.
6. Place all the dry ingredients including the instant yeast into the mixer bowl and stir lightly to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Start mixing the dry ingredients in the stand mixer with a dough hook attachment on low speed while gradually adding in the liquid.
Once all the wet ingredients are added, increase the speed to medium and continue to mix for another 8 to 10 minutes, scraping down the side of the bowl half way through mixing, until the dough has some elasticity. To test, dip your hands in some flour, then pinch a small piece of the dough and stretch them between your hands. If you are able to stretch it without breaking too easily, you can proceed to adding in the softer butter in 3 separate additions, adding the next addition of butter when the previous addition have fully absorbed into the dough.
The mixing time from when the butter are added to the final mixing will take approximately another 8 to 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth, looks shiny and has some elasticity but still maintains a really soft consistency.
Note: If the dough looks really slack and is unable to be stretched, you will need to mix further, checking every 2 minutes before adding in the butter.
7. Once the dough is ready, light dust the work surface with some flour then transfer the dough over. Lightly dust your hands then roll the dough to a tight ball. Transfer the brioche dough into a lightly floured bowl. Lightly spray a plastic wrap with some oil then cover the top of the bowl. This prevents the dough from sticking to the plastic should it rise above the bowl.
8. Place the brioche straight into the fridge standing between 3˚C -5˚C to bulk proof overnight or up to 24 hours.
9. The next day, remove the dough from the fridge. The dough will not have risen by too much at this point.
Line two loaf tins with some parchment paper then set aside until ready to use.
10. Dust the work surface with some flour, press the dough flat then divide to two equal portions. With each portions, roll the dough to two even log then divide each log to 6 equal portions, giving you 12 portions in total of approximately 95 g each.
Working with one or two portioned dough at a time, fold all the edges to the centre then with the seams underneath, roll the brioche to a smooth ball. Repeat the same process for all of the other portioned doughs. Place 6 brioche doughs into
The final proofing stage will take approximately 45 - 90 minutes depending on the ambient of your kitchen.
While the brioche is proofing, pre heat the oven to 170˚C.
11. Once the brioche has risen double in size again, pipe a spiral of the cooled pastry cream on top of each domed surface then sprinkle generously with the coconut crumble. Bake in the pre heated oven for approximately 40 to 45 minutes or until the top of the brioche and the crumble starts to turn dark golden in colour.
12. Once the brioche is ready, leave in the baking tin for 10 minutes then carefully remove the loaf from the baking tin and leave to cool on the wire rack before cutting.
For a better keeping quality, while the loaf is still slightly warm (not hot), wrap the brioche loaf well in heat proof plastic wrap and keep at room temperature.
Storage
The brioche, if wrapped well, can keep up to a week. You can freeze the brioche loaf and they can keep In the freezer for up to 6 months. Simply thaw and reheat in the oven before serving.
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