Brioche

This recipe is adapted from Richard Bertinet’s recipe in Crust. The shopping list is very attractive in its simplicity: 500g flour, 1 250g block of butter and six eggs (plus a little sugar, yeast and salt).

Start around 6-7pm, to bake the next morning in time for lunch.

• 500g strong white flour
• 50g caster sugar
• 1 sachet (7g) yeast
• 10g salt
• 350g eggs (== 6 large, approx)

Mix dry ingredients, then add eggs and combine well. Continue until it starts to become less sticky.

• 250g unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes (1cm or less).

Add butter and work until smooth, silky and elastic. It takes about three minutes on the slowest setting of a stand mixer to be fully mixed, and a total of ten minutes to become reasonably silky; beyond that, going to the bench is the easiest way to develop a good feel.

Put onto lightly dusted work surface, and shape into a ball. Put back into bowl, let rest for 2 hours.

Repeat (turn out, stretch, shape into ball, put back in bowl).

Leave in cool place for 12-14 hours (larder, not fridge, depending on temperature; 10-12C would be ideal). Allow an hour to come back up to temperature.

Divide into 15 x 70g balls, shape, prove for 2.5 hours, then bake. Now, you can either put individual balls into a brioche mould, or put 7-9 balls into a 1 lb loaf tin to prove. Bake individual balls for 10 mins at 190C. If combined to make two small loaves, after ten minutes turn down to 180C for another 25-30 mins.

In any case, bake until a deep golden brown all over - caramel colour.

If you want to freeze individual buns, do it after the proof. Take out of the freezer as required, and allow to thaw/reproof overnight. Bake as above. I really need to do at least another test run for this!!!