Buttery Brioche Dough
Brioche dough isn't your typical yeasted dough. It's sweet and loaded with butter making this one perfect for so many different uses. You can make beautiful loafs of bread, breakfast rolls, cinnamon rolls, the possibilities are endless.
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Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 packages active dry yeast (3 1/4 tsp)
1/3 cups + 1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 cup cold water
6 eggs
2 & 3/4 sticks of unsalted butter
Equipment Needed:
Stand Mixer with Dough Hook Attachment
Large bowl or airtight container
Plastic cling wrap
Instructions:
In your stand mixer, add in your flour, yeast, sugar, salt and cold water. Mix on low for a minute or so until it starts to come together.
Continue mixing on low and start adding 5 eggs, one at a time. (This should take you about 5 minutes) Once all of the eggs are combined, continue to mix your dough on low speed for another 5 minutes.
At this point, the dough will be firm to the touch and not sticking to the bowl at all. If your dough feels sticky at this point, add a few more tbsp of flour until the dough forms a firm dough ball.
Now, it's time to add your room temperature butter. Turn your mixer back on to low speed and add your butter 1 tbsp at a time mixing until the butter disappears into the dough before adding the next tbsp of butter.
Once all of your butter has been added, the dough will be very sticky. Turn off your mixer, use a rubber spatula and scrape the sides of your bowl, then turn your mixer back on to medium speed for an additional 15 minutes. Scrape the sides of your bowl a few more times throughout this last 15 minutes of mixing to make sure the dough and butter is being evenly distributed throughout your dough.
We are looking for our dough to become very shiny, slightly sticky, and soft. It will take some time for your dough to get here, but don't worry, it will! Once your dough becomes shiny, soft, and slightly sticky (it will bounce back when you press your finger in the dough), turn your mixer speed up to high and mix for 1 minute. Your dough should make a "slapping" sound on the side of your bowl and not be sticking to the sides of your bowl.
To test your dough, grab a piece of it and try stretching it out. It should not tear and should be very stretchy. If it seems too loose or wet, add an additional 2 tbsp of flour, and continue to mix for a few minutes. If your dough seems to brittle (not stretchy at all) mix for an additional few minutes to build up more of the gluten. It is ready when you can gather it all together and it stays in one piece.
Place your dough in a large glass bowl and cover with cling wrap (so it is toughing the dough or a large airtight container. Place in the fridge to proof for at least 6 hours or up to overnight.
Once your dough has proofed you can use it to make 2 loafs, 1 dozen cinnamon rolls (or any other types of rolls), etc. This recipe will give you enough dough to make 2 separate recipes from here.
Do not try and half the recipe because it won't mix very well in your stand mixer.
If you're making brioche loafs, grab your loaf tins and line it with parchment or you can generously butter and dust with flour.
Divide your dough in half, and roll it out into about a 9x9" square. The dough will feel very cold and similar to play dough. Fold down the top 1/3 of the dough towards you, and then fold up the bottom 1/3 of the dough to meet the top fold. (You want the edges of the top fold and bottom fold to be touching) Then, press to join the seem together. Turn the dough over and place it seem side down into your prepared loaf tin.
Cover the loafs tightly with cling wrap and place in a warm spot to proof for an additional 3-4 hours or until the dough has nearly doubled in size. The dough should feel pillowy and light.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Use your last remaining egg, give it a good whisk, and use a brush to cover the loaf in egg wash. (make sure you put the egg wash on right before you're ready to put your loaf in the oven, don't let it sit on the dough)
Bake your loaf for about 35-40 minutes or until the top and sides are golden brown.
Let the loafs cool in the tin on a wire rack for 30 minutes before attempting to remove the loafs from the tins.
Once you turn the loafs out, let them continue to cool on the wire rack.
The bread can be stored in tightly wrapped cling wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or you can put it in your freezer, tightly wrapped with cling wrap, for up to 1 month.
*Go to my Dark Chocolate Brioche Loaf & my Apple Cinnamon Rolls for some ideas on how to use this brioche dough!