Makes three feet of brioche!
INGREDIENTS:
Warm Water – 60mls
Dry Milk Powder – 2 tbsp
Eggs – 3 large
Salt – 1/2 tbsp
Instant Yeast – 3/4 tbsp
Caster Sugar – 3 tbsp
Butter – 170g
Bread Flour – 125g
Plain Flour – 220g
For the glaze:
Egg – 1
Double Cream – 1 tbsp
1.Crack in the eggs and then add the other dry ingredients. Break up the butter (much easier to do at room temperature) and place it in the bowl. Finally add the water.
2. Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes using a food processor with paddles or a hand-held bread kneader. It’s really important to get the consistency right at this stage, so keep kneading until the bowl edges are clean and the dough is elastic, and you’re done.
3. Cover the bowl with grease-proof paper and place in a warm cupboard, or gently warmed oven, and allow to rise for 2 hours.
4. Once risen, place the bowl in the fridge overnight (up to 24 hours). This helps firm up the dough while still retaining lots of the air bubbles, making the brioche fluffy and light.
5. About 2 hours before you want to serve your brioche, remove from the fridge and tip the dough out onto a flour-covered dry surface. Now is the time to get creative and mould it into whatever shape you like. To plait it, create three equal cylindrical strips about a metre in length each, making sure not to squeeze too much air out in the process. Place each them in line next to each other and alternately fold the outer one into the middle to create a plait. Squeeze the tips together to seal.
6. Cover once more and allow to rise again in a warm place for a further 2 hours.
7. Meanwhile make the glaze by quickly whisking together an egg and a tablespoon of double cream. When the brioche has risen, lightly brush the top surface of your brioche with the glaze to create an even, smooth surface.
7. Place immediately into a pre-heated oven at 190 degrees Celsius and bake for 15 minutes. The glaze will just start to turn golden and feel slightly firm. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. You can keep the brioche in a bread tin and it will last for 3-4 days (it doesn’t keep so well in the fridge).
Serve warm with butter and strawberry jam.
