Braided Brioche

Make the sponge

1. In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, add the yeast, milk, egg and 1 cup all-purpose flour. Mix with a rubber spatula just until combined. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of flour over the top as if to cover the mixture (do not stir). Let this stand untouched for about 40–45 minutes. There will be cracks on the flour surface at this point — a sign that things are moving along.

Make the dough

1. Add the sugar, salt, eggs and 1 cup of flour to the bowl with the yeast mixture. Using a dough hook, run the mixer on low speed for about a minute, until the mixture is just about incorporated. Add the remaining half cup of flour and run the mixer on medium speed. Continue to beat, scraping the bowl as needed, for about 15–20 minutes. You will know the dough is ready when it comes together in the center of the bowl and attaches itself to the dough hook. You should see the dough slapping the sides of the bowl, almost violently throwing itself to the sides while still clinging and rotating with the dough hook, and you should hear the slapping sounds. (If you don't see the slapping action after ten minutes, sprinkle about 2–3 tbsp of flour into the bowl and continue to beat until you reach the slapping stage, giving the dough a total of about 15–20 minutes in the mixer.)
2. Now add the butter bit by bit. Make sure the butter is at room temperature but not warm or oily — soft and malleable. When you add the butter, the dough will fall apart again for a moment. Continue to beat until you hear the slapping sounds again, about 5 minutes. The dough is now once again clinging together in the center and on the dough hook. Dough is sticky but shiny at this point.

First rise

1. Place the ball of dough into a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Second rise

1. After the dough has doubled, simply lift it in sections until you have gone around the entire circle of dough, lifting and letting it fall back to the bowl (like deflating it, but very gently — do not punch the dough down). Cover the bowl again with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight. The dough will double in size again.

Assemble the braid and bake

1. After the long chill, divide the dough into three equal portions. Working with the dough still cold, use a scale or divide it as best you can into three equal parts; each portion should weigh around 315–350 grams. On a floured surface, roll each portion into a log using your palms, pressing and squeezing to elongate. Continue until it reaches 80 cm. If your kitchen is warm, work with one portion at a time and refrigerate the other two; if the dough becomes warm and sticky, chill it for at least ten minutes before continuing.
2. Braid the three logs as if braiding hair, neatly and equally spacing the knots. Once done, form a circle by connecting the two ends of the braid and pressing them together to seal. Set the dough on parchment paper on a big baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for about 2 hours until doubled.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat one egg with 1 tbsp of milk to make the egg wash. Using a pastry brush, gently brush the surface of the brioche with the egg wash, being careful not to let the liquid drip down the sides. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and its temperature registers 200°F. Do not over-bake. (Using a thermometer is highly recommended, especially if you are just beginning to bake bread/brioche.) Glaze with your choice of toppings or leave it plain. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.

Recipe notes: Recipe from "Brioche", book Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan. 4.78 from 9 votes. Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Side Dish. Cuisine: French, Western. Prep Time 1 hour. Cook Time 25 minutes. Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes. Servings 12. Author: sanna.