I saw this recipe over on BBC Good Food late last night and thought “Why not!”. About 10 minutes later I had finished. I was intending to have them for breakfast but life got in the way, as it does, and instead had them for a very nice afternoon tea instead. Warm Brioche smothered in jam with a large cafe au lait, is there anything better? (Well, aside from actually being in France to do it!)
This recipe was simplicity itself. So long as you do get the butter really really soft (bung it in the microwave, if you have one, on defrost or warm until it’s just on the point of melting) the first step will take you not more than 5 minutes. Then you go to bed. Easy! The dough itself is ridiculously sticky. I think mine was more sticky because I have very large eggs from a friend’s hens rather than homogenous supermarket ones and there was no way it was going to make balls. However, I surrendered to the goop and just washed my hands, it washes off very easily actually. Children would love this bit, grownups may not!
I made mine in a silicone mini brioche mould I picked up for a bargain price ages ago. I’m forever seeing wonderful things like this and grabbing them so it’s nice to actually use one for once! However, a muffin tin would be perfect for the job too. I made a mixture of plain and chocolate, you will note that the Chocolate Brioche have flat tops, this is because I was being cheeky and cooking something else at 200C and thought I could cheat and do them together. I figured 190C was quite low for a bread but I was wrong, 190C is perfect for this recipe.
Makes 12
200g very very soft butter
2 tbsp golden caster sugar
3 eggs
500g strong bread flour
1/2 tsp fast action yeast
1 tsp salt
200ml milk
1 egg, beaten for brushing
1 small bar chocolate
– In a large mixing bowl beat together the butter, sugar and eggs. This will get rather lumpy and gross.
– Add the flour, yeast and salt and give it a little mix together, just a tad.
– Pour in the milk and mix it all up until it forms a soft, sticky goop. There will be chunks of butter, this is fine.
– Cover it with a tea towel, leave it somewhere sheltered and moderately warm overnight. (My kitchen counters did fine.)
– The next day heat the oven to Gas Mark 5/190C.
– Take your muffin tin and grease the holes with a little sunflower or other tasteless oil.
– Rub your hands all over with oil too.
– Grab small handfulls of the dough and drop it into the holes. It will be very, very ,very sticky. Go with it. Shape it a little but don’t worry about it too much.
– If making chocolate filled ones put a square or two of chocolate in the middle of the dough and pinch/twist/smooth the dough over the top.
– Brush the tops with beaten egg and pop the tray in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until just browned on top.
– Turn out onto a wire rack for a few minutes then serve warm with jam/nutella/whatever your poison is! Fruits of the Forest Jam is my personal fave but go nuts!
Anna in the kitchen 