Brioche à Tête
Prep time: 4 hours
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yields 6 rolls or 2 loafs
Author: Ireland Lindsay
Ingredients:
1 packet (10g) good quality active dry yeast
4 1/4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup + 1 Tablespoon (25 cl) milk, lukewarm
1/4 cup (60g) butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup (200g) chocolate chips
1 additional egg for the egg wash
Pearl sugar for sprinkling, optional
FOR THE BRIOCHE:
SPRINKLE yeast into a small bowl and stir with one or two tablespoons of lukewarm milk and a pinch of sugar. Set aside. For about 10 minutes
INTO the bowl of a stand mixer combine the flour with sugar and salt then mix together. Make a well in the center and add in yeast mixture* and milk.
* At this point your yeast mixture should have “bloomed” this is a sign that the yeast is alive and can give enough strength to make your dough rise. If it has not bloomed then your yeast is old and your brioche, sadly will not rise.
MIX on low speed till the dough begins to come together, add in the egg. (it may look a little crumbly like it will not come together but it will hydrate over time.) Once combined, the kneading process will start. This is when you take the time to develop gluten (strength and flavor!) knead the dough for about 20 minutes by hand, or 10-15 minutes in a stand mixer. Once dough is smooth add the softened butter, diced, in portions and continue kneading until well incorporated. The dough will be smooth and slightly sticky.
AT this point in the kneading process check to make sure gluten is developing. To do this you will perform something called a “windowpane test” and that sounds scary but really all you are doing is taking a small portion of dough and slowly stretching to see if it tears. This will test your dough’s strength to see if it has been kneaded enough and can cause rise in the oven. To do this: Take a portion of dough and slowly flatten and then gently stretch with your fingers. If the dough is tight and breaks easily, it is not ready and needs to be kneaded longer. If it is soft and stretches easily your dough is ready and a sufficient amount of gluten has been developed. Continue as needed*
*If your bread did not pass the windowpane test knead on 3-minute intervals till it passes.
IF your dough passes the windowpane test successfully the dough is ready. If your dough is a little bit warm, let cool for a few minutes at room temperature, then add the chocolate chips and spread evenly in the dough. The dough will get tougher as you knead it so try to do this quickly.
COVER the dough with a cling film or damp cloth and let rise in a warm environment until the dough has doubled in size. Each kitchen has a different environment so this can take anywhere from 1-3 hours depending.
ONCE the dough has doubled in size, preheat the oven to 350F and prepare a fluted brioche mold. Punch the dough down remove any air bubbles. Then portion the dough, to do this take 115g of dough and portion to the side take the rest of the dough and form into one large segment. At this point you should have one large piece of dough and one little portion (the tête for later on!)
TO SHAPE your dough portions into balls. Flour your surface if needed (try not to use an abundance of flour at this point). Next, take the large portion of dough and flatten, then pull the outward edges to the center. When you flip it over it should be a loose spherical roll. Continuing to shape your dough, work the roll on the counter face-up tucking any loose ends under as you rotate. At this point, you should have a round and tight roll. Repeat the following step with the smaller (115g) portion of dough.
PLACE the large ball down into the prepared mold, then using your fingers make a small divot in the top of the loaf to place the smaller portion on the top, just off-center. Brush with egg wash and bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 15-20 minutes, or until the brioche loaf is golden-brown or a thermometer inserted reads 190°F (88°F).
ONCE cooled slightly, transfer out of mold enjoy! Store in an airtight container for 3 days at room temperature.
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Recipe by @IreBakes
