Sourdough Brioche
Yields (1) 625g Loaf - when cut, approximately 8 one-inch slices.
This recipe calls for a stand mixer -- I don't recommend doing this by hand as it will be a long, grueling, and messy hand-kneading process with results I cannot promise.
Equipment:
-Stand Mixer
-Loaf Pan (I use the Sur La Table Classic Loaf Pan, 8.5” x 4.5”)
-Parchment Paper
Room Temperature Check:
-Already fed Sourdough starter
-100g/ ~ 8 tbsp Unsalted Butter
Ingredients:
-100g / 8 tbsp of Unsalted Butter at room temperature
Wet Mix:
-75g / 1/4 Cup of Milk (Dairy or Non-Dairy works!), cold from fridge
-2 Large Eggs, cold from fridge
-100g / 1/2 Cup of Sourdough Starter
Dry Mix:
-250g / 1 3/4 Cup of All Purpose Flour
-25g / 1 1/2 tbsp of granulated sugar
-5g / 1 tsp of salt
Steps:
1. Remove unsalted butter from the fridge and measure 100g. Cut butter into 1-inch cubes. Let rest to room temperature until Step 8.
2. In a large bowl, whisk wet ingredients together until combined: Milk, eggs, and starter.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the dry mix together: flour, sugar, salt. Using the dough hook attachment, mix these together on the lowest setting ("STIR" on my machine) briefly to combine.
4. Set mixer to low (level "2" on my machine, one above "STIR").
5. Slowly pour the wet mixture to stand mixer. Mix for 1-2 minutes.
6. Dough at this point will look lumpy and loose. Cover it, and let it rest for 8-10 minutes.
7. After the rest, mix on medium (level "4") to strengthen and bring the dough together for 5 minutes. Scrape down sides of the mixer bowl with a rubber spatula or dough scraper.
8. Next we are going to add the butter. NOTE: This will take a while. Like, up to 20 minutes. This is perfect to do while doing dishes, laundry, reading, scrolling into the endless abyss, or plotting to overthrow the government.
i. Check your butter. It should be soft, but not too soft. Lightly press into it and there should leave a slight indent, but not completely smooth. If too soft, pop the butter in the freezer for a few minutes. If too hard, pop it the microwave for a few seconds.
ii. With the mixer on low add butter one cube at a time. This is crucial -- you want the butter to be evenly distributed within the dough.
iii. Once a cube of butter is mostly incorporated (i.e has decreased significantly in size), add another. Each cube could take up to a minute to mix. Repeat with each cube and remind yourself this will be the fluffiest brioche and special things take extra special time 🙂 (or yell at the butter to work harder).
9. Once the butter is incorporated, the dough should wrap around the dough hook and will look smooth and shiny.
10. Cover the bowl. Now is time for the first proof and for the dough to ferment and rest at room temp (~72-74 °F) for 2 hours.
11. During the 2 hours you will stretch and fold 3 times every 30 minutes, beginning with the first fold 30 minutes after you’ve covered the bowl in Step 10. Instructions on this folding process:.
i. To stretch and fold, think of the bowl as a compass. Take the north part of the dough and stretch it up and over to the south of the bowl. Take the west part of the dough and stretch it up and over the east side. Take the south part of the bowl and stretch it up and over to the north side. Take the east side of the bowl and stretch it over to the west side. Ignore any chatter of west coast best coast. That is one set of the stretch and fold.
ii. Cover and wait 30 minutes, repeat a stretch and fold set again. Cover and wait another 30 minutes and then repeat stretch and fold one last time.
iii. After this third stretch and fold set, let the covered bowl rest for the last 30 minutes.
12. Now for the second proof in the fridge. Place the bowl in the fridge to proof for at minimum 3 hours.
NOTE: You can be flexible here and stop to do an overnight proof. Just remember the longer it proves, the more sour the flavor will be. I wouldn't push it past 24 hours in the fridge.
13. After the cold-proof in the fridge, turn out the dough onto a floured surface. It’s very important for the dough to be cold at this point - it is easy to handle and shape when cold.
14. Shape dough into 8 equal golf ball-sized balls. If you are particular like I am, you can weigh out each piece for 78 gram individual balls. Here is the process I follow:
When shaping, I will shape it like a tiny round loaf. This means I flatten them slightly and take the top part and fold it ¾ of the way. Then stretch the right side up and over, followed by the left. I then take the bottom and fold it all the way over the top. Roll the dough over to create tension on the bottom and then cup your hands to get the ball shape.
15. Place each dough ball into a loaf pan with parchment paper hanging over the sides (this will make it easier to pull it out of the pan later!). You should have two rows of four pieces.
16. Cover and proof for 2 - 4 hours. The dough should be an inch shy from the top of the loaf pan. I like to check-in with the proof every 30 minutes after the 2-hour mark to see the progress.
17. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
18. Whisk one egg for the egg wash.
19. Once the dough is fully puffed up, brush egg wash on top which after baking will give it that golden brown color.
20. Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes until loaf is high and golden. Internal temp should be 190°F.
21. Once done, place the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then remove from loaf pan by pulling up the sides of the long parchment paper. It also helps to use a butter knife to go around the sides to loosen it up.
This loaf is wonderful right out of the oven, soft, warm, and buttery. Its amplified when topped with some jam or butter.
Notes:
Only one person? Worried it won’t get eaten in time? Once completely cooled you can slice and freeze! Either toast it right before you want to eat it or let it defrost in the fridge overnight to make french toast in the morning!
