A lot of the brioche recipes out there call for fresh yeast or to be proved for 12 hours in the fridge, but not everyone has access to local baker where you can buy fresh yeast, or has 12 hours to wait for the brioche to prove.
Making brioche by hand is very labour intensive, so I would strongly recommend you use a table top mixer with a dough hook. You will also need a non-stick bread tin 23 cm x 13cm.
Ingredients (for 1 small loaf and 6 small rolls)
500g Strong bread flour
1 sachet (7 grams) fast acting yeast
100g pistachio in the shells
6 medium eggs (reserve 1 for egg wash)
200g unsalted butter chopped into small pieces
1 level teaspoon table salt
140ml whole milk (warm)
30 grams castor sugar
- Warm the milk and then remove from the heat and add the sugar.
- When the milk is luke warm add a sprinkling of bread flour and the yeast and then transfer the milk mixture to a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk in 3 eggs, on a medium speed, one at a time and then change the whisk attachment for your dough hook.
- On a low-speed gradually begin to incorporate half of the flour. Now add two more eggs, the salt and the rest of the flour, continuing to knead the dough until it is smooth (about 8-9 minutes).
- Begin to add softened butter a few pieces at a time, making sure it is mixed in well before adding more. From time to time you should scrape the sides of the bowl down to ensure the butter is mixing in evenly.
- When all the butter is incorporated the dough should look silky and smooth. Remove the dough hook and cling wrap the mixing bowl and allow the brioche dough to double in size in a warm place (but not too hot or the butter will melt).
- In the meantime shell the pistachio nuts and blanch them in boiling water for 2 minutes and then drain. Remove the outer skins to expose the inner green flesh of the pistachios, drain them well and reserve.
- Once the dough has risen it needs to be cooled down to make it easy to work with, so transfer the brioche dough to your fridge for 1 hour.
- In the mean-time grease your loaf pan with spray-on oil (to ensure your loaf comes out freely).
- The next stage ideally needs to be done in a cooler part of your kitchen. Knead the chilled dough for 1-2 minutes and then take 3/4 of the dough and divide the 3/4 into 8 even sized balls. Work each a few pistachio nuts into the centre of each ball (if the pistachio nuts on the surface they will burn during cooking).
- Place the 8 balls into the bread tin, 1 at a time pressing them together slightly so they will form a loaf. Now take the remaining brioche dough divide into 4-6 small round rolls, roll them into shape but don’t add any pistachio nuts. Instead chop any remaining nuts finely and sprinkle onto the rolls during the last couple of minutes of cooking.
- Preheat your oven to 180C or 160 C if your oven has a fan. Now prove the loaf and rolls in a warm place for another 35-40 minutes until they have doubled in size. Whisk the reserved egg well and then gently brush the loaf and rolls thoroughly before putting them into bake. Baking the brioche will take about 35-40 minutes though you might need to move the bread to a lower shelf after 30 minutes to avoid them from getting too brown. Of course the rolls will need less baking time because of their size.
To Serve
Allow the brioche loaf to cool for 5 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool. Let the loaf cool for a further 10 minutes before attempting to slice the loaf.
Proving Time
After chatting with my daughter who is a very good cook for her age, I thought I ought to explain about proving times. Most bread or bread dough type recipes don’t give a set time it takes to prove because there are too many variables such time of year, level of humidity, even your location and your altitude can because the rising time decreases as altitude increases. That is why the default position is always “Prove until the dough has doubled in size”.
Chef’s Tips
This brioche works wonderfully with a Pâté and leftovers (if there is any) makes great toast or even use in a bread and butter pudding.
Looks light, fluffy and delicious. I especially like the addition of pistachios!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you Sophie, I hope you will give the recipe a try.
Best Wishes
Kevin
LikeLiked by 1 person
Es sieht sehr lecker aus 😋👍👌
LikeLiked by 3 people
Glad you think it looks tasty, I hope you will give the recipe a try 🙂
Best Wishes
Kevin
LikeLiked by 2 people
I will definitely try the recipe.
Greetings, Balls
LikeLiked by 2 people
Looks so-000 delicious!! Thanks for sharing!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you I do you will give this recipe try. As a breakfast bread this would also go great with coffee. 🙂
Best Wishes
Kevin
LikeLiked by 1 person
It looks very appetising!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you Malcolm, it would go great with savoury or sweet foods.
Best Wishes
Kevin
LikeLiked by 1 person
So tempting—looks and colors! 🙂
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you for your kind words. I do hope the photos and the colours tempt you to give the recipe a try so you can find out for yourself if it tastes as good as it looks!
Best Wishes
Kevin
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such a beautiful dish … Looks great and yummilicious 👍
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you Jyo, for your kind words, I do hope you will give recipe a try.
Best Wishes
Kevin 🙂
LikeLike
Incredible looking, Kevin! I am very certain the taste is divine! Cher xo
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you Cher, for you kind words, they are appreciated, happy holidays 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
And thank YOU, Kevin! Happy Holidays to you as well! Cher xo
LikeLiked by 1 person
This must taste amazing. What exactly is strong bread flour though? (How does it differ from all purpose?)
LikeLiked by 2 people
Bread Flour has more gluten in it than say *Plain flour. Gluten is the quality that makes the bread dough stretchy (elastic).
All purpose flour (Canada and US) is the equivalent of what we in the UK call *Plain flour, but this is not as good for bread flour.
If you are back in Taiwan you might try Lam Soon Bread Flour. If you are still in Canada you might take a trip into your local bakery and ask them to suggest the best off the shelf supermarket brand of bread flour.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for replying! So can bread flour be used in most recipes that call for all purpose flour then?
I’ve actually never heard of lam soon flour, but I’ll keep that in mind because it seems interesting. I do bake a lot (well, less now during the school term), and bread flour is something I’d be interested in trying. Will definitely let you know if I try one of your recipes!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Looks absolutely delicious Kevin 😊 Merry Christmas. X
LikeLiked by 2 people
That is very kind of you to say so Jacqueline. Merry Christmas to you and the girls x
LikeLike
Been a while, chef. I hope you’re doing OK. Happy New Year! 🍸
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, 2018 was a great year for me, I got married to a wonderful lady. Hope you are welll and had a good year too!
Happy New Year 🍸
Kevin
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey there Chef Kevin… Hope the new year has started for you. Best wishes! Cheers!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Let me take a moment to wish you and your family a very Happy New Year…peace and goodwill.
LikeLike
Thanks Kevin ever so much.. Cheers!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are must welcome 🙂
LikeLike
Brioche looks so delicious!!!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much, I do hope you will give my recipe a try. Each time i make it…it disappears very fast 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
yummy 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you Giovanni, I hope you will give my recipe a try 🙂
Best Wishes
Kevin
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gorgeous. You have a lot of kitchen toys!
LikeLiked by 1 person