Thomas Keller's Brioche

I was watching the Barefoot Contessa this week and she made something she called “French Toast Bread Pudding”. And she kept going on and on about how she invented baking French toast in a stroke of brilliance. Which, of course, irritated me to no end.

Either you’re making baked French Toast or you’re making bread pudding. The only differences are: time of day served and the size of the bread. Full slices of bread in the morning? Baked French toast. Cubes of bread served after dinner? Bread pudding.

There is no such thing as “French Toast Bread Pudding”. Its redundant. Like saying souffléd chocolate soufflé. And Ina, honey, you can’t claim you invented baking French toast in 2012 when Martha’s been making it since the 90’s.

What does this have to do with brioche? Brioche makes for the best French toast (bake or otherwise) and bread pudding. And homemade brioche makes it even better. I would know, as that is the fate some of my brioche met.

It looks like a lot, but it was made with miniature loafs. Which means I had to eat triple the amount of slices.

Unfortunately, brioche really is one of those doughs that you need to have a stand mixer to make. There really is no way around it that I know of. For starters, the bread is sticky. That’s one of the reasons brioche has an identity disorder. Secondly, I have no idea how one would work 20 tablespoons of butter into dough without it.

Oh, but if you can make this brioche, it is magical. Its a bread masquerading as cake. Or is it a cake masquerading as bread? Either way, it is buttery and tender (from the cake flour and the butter) and begging to be smothered in béchamel and cheese or soaked in custard and fried.

Before the firt rise. Doesn't it just look buttery?

And it just feels cool. After the first rise, you push the bubbles out of the dough. But the bubbles feel teeny tiny and oh so plentiful. Its like someone hid Pop Rocks in the the dough. Or the first sip of a cold, freshly opened soda. Lots of little bubbles just exploding everywhere. I’ve never felt a bread like it.

 

Before I finish (and I’m almost done) there is one last thing to mention. This recipe is from The French Laundry Cookbook. Which means I’ve been congratulating myself for the past 5 days on popping my Keller cherry. And yeah, it also means it is probably the best brioche any of us will ever eat.

Brioche (printable)
Adapted from Thomas Keller

This recipe will make 2 full sized loafs or 6 mini loafs. It needs to be started the night before you want to use the bread. If you want to freeze the extra loaf, immediately wrap the hot bread in foal and freeze. When ready to use, reheat (without thawing and still in the foil) in a 250° oven for 20-25 minutes.

 

 1/3 cup warm water (110°-115°F)
One 1/4 ounce package active dry yeast (or 1/2 ounce fresh yeast)
2 1/3 cups (10 1/2 ounces) cake flour
2 cups (10 ounces) all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 large eggs, at room temperature
20 tablespoons (10 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1/2 tablespoon pieces, plus more to butter bowl and loaf pans

Combine the water and yeast in a small bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes, then stir until the yeast is completely dissolved.

In the work bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flours, sugar, and salt by hand. Put the bowl on the machine and fit with a dough hook. Add the eggs and beat for 1 minute at low speed. Slowly add the dissolved yeast and continue to beat at low speed for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, scrape any dough off the hook, then continue beating on low for 5 more minutes.  Add the butter, about 1/2 stick at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Once all of the butter has been added, beat for 10 to 15 more minutes.

Place the dough in a large buttered mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, about 3 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a generously floured board and work out the air bubbles by folding the dough over several times while lightly pressing down on it. (Feels like Pop Rocks right?). Return dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate over night.

Generously butter two loaf pans. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. With floured hands (or a bench scraper) divide the dough in 1/2 and shape into two rectangles to fit the loaf pans. Place the dough in the pans and let the dough rise uncovered in a warm place until the dough is 1/2 inch about the top of the pans, about 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the brioche until it is well browned on top and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately turn the bead out onto a wire rack.

If using immediately, allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Comments

[Sara]

Oh nice! I have tried many brioche recipes, but not this one. I can't in good faith pass up a Keller recipe though, can I?

[Anna @ the shady pine]

Brioche is such a treat but I've never made it myself...I am bookmarking this recipe so I can do just that. I love the close up of the fluffy brioche....delicious!

[Julie M.]

You just said the magic word. I'm not sure if I'm talking about brioche or Keller, but either will do. :) That is one beautiful loaf of bread!

[Em (Wine and Butter)]

Not a brioche fan. How messed up and weird is that!?

But, in this white chocolate/ cheesecake/ bacon sandwich laden world... Im going to take my blessings where I can get them.

Louis LOVES brioche though. Yet another reason for him to be your husband instead....? Plus, this post was cute enough youve made me ALMOST want to give brioche another try!

[Jackie @ Domestic Fits]

I LOVE your mini-Ina rant. It's so true. I had a friend once tell me that she invented finger-less gloves in the 90's. Umm, yeah, sure you did, except people have been doing that for decades. You just have to laugh!

[Deanna]

Sara- no you really can't. And I'm pretty sure its the easiest recipe out of the whole cookbook.

Anna- its so good. And it makes the house smell like heaven.

Julie- I would have assumed the magic word was butter.

Em- that's kind of bizarre. How can a girl whose blog name is "wine and butter" not like the butteriest of all the breads. Its okay though because I don't like white chocolate. And I think I'm just your husband in female form. Which means you and I are meant to be.

Jackie-you should have heard me yelling at the tv. I was so irritated. I think it was really the redundancy that got to me. I'm getting mad just thinking about it.

[James B]

French Toast has been around for ages, and French Toast Bread Pudding - get out of her Ina!

I have never made Brioche before, and is something I will be doing later this year!

[Deanna]

James-I'm glad I'm not the only person to be irritated by Ina.

[Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella]

I'm crazy for brioche and as you say it's all about that lovely texture. I can see how you'd just want to sink into it from the cross section picture!

[Lemon]

Oh, this looks so good. I especially like you make the brioche by yourself.

[kyleen]

I'm actually okay with Ina Garten. At least when you compare her to Paula Deen, Ina is a little more likeable in the sense that she doesn't want to give you a heart attack with her recipes (quite as much as Paula Deen).

But this brioche. Looks. So. Amazing. It looks like the kind I get from my favourite bakery. Amazing!

[Maureen]

I've got some fresh yeast just begging to go in to brioche like this. Delicious.

[Em (Wine and Butter)]

It's true - Im a total fraud!

[Deanna]

Lorraine- it was like a buttery, buttery pillow.

Lemon- I love making bread. I actually have my future bakery all built up in my head.

Kyleen- normally Ina doesn't bother me too much, although I do find her kind of uppity for the Food Network.

Maureen-its worth it.

[Deanna]

Em- you totally are but I love you anyways.

[Anna @ The Littlest Anchovy]

Brioche is on my to do list! Having seen this, it has crept to the top. Wow, I am still reeling from your croque-monsieur so to combine the two would be a very, very good thing on a Sunday morning.

[Deanna @ Teaspoon of Spice]

Oh how I love brioche and from The French Laundry, it must be divine. I'm a Keller virgin myself - this may be the recipe to start with!

[Deanna]

Anna- the only thing better would be a Croque Madame.

Deanna- first off, fabulous name. Second, its probably the easiest recipe in the book and its so good.

[beti]

I really really need it!! it looks perfectly buttery, soft and delicious

[Deanna]

Beti- you do. Its all kinds of perfect.

[Stacy]

I've been debating with myself about buying a brioche pan and now you have put the pros in the lead with this wonderful recipe. Thank you for that. Happy dance!

[Deanna]

Stacy-I used a regular loaf pan. You could buy a fancy pan, but its definitely not necessary.

[Stacy]

Too late! Just read your ice cream post and followed the link back here and saw your response for the first time. The Tefal brioche pan is mine!! Making brioche today! Thank you.

[Deanna]

Stacy-I almost bought a brioche pan the other day for no other reason than it was cute. I'm sure it can only make the brioche taste better.