September 19, 2010

Baby Brioche


I buy baking equipment and supplies like it's going out of style.  What can I say? It's an addiction, just like some ladies can't get enough of shoes and bags.  Don't get me wrong, I love me some stilettos and hobos just as much as the next gal, but I'll never have my fill of tart tins, decorating tips, cake pans and cookie cutters.  My pantry is already overflowing with treasures I've amassed over the years but that doesn't deter me one bit from buying more.

I've found some great things at Kamei, one of my favorite restaurant supply stores in San Francisco.  They've got everything you can think of, plus a thousand more.   Whenever I go I can't help but buy something.   

On a recent visit I found these fantastic disposable aluminum tartelette tins.  At only $2.39 for a pack of 200 you can't get a better deal than that.  They're my new favorite baking vessel and I've used them for individual brownies and fruit tarts.  

I was hankering to make some bread and I thought the tins would be perfect for baby brioche.    I love brioche, but then again who doesn't love a rich and buttery egg bread?


Brioche (from Cook's Illustrated)

1 envelope dry active yeast (about 2 1/2 teaspoons)
1/2 cup whole milk , warm (about 110 degrees)
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 6 pieces
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs

 

In small bowl, whisk yeast into milk, then stir in 1 cup of flour. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

 

Put butter, sugar, and salt in workbowl of food processor fitted with metal blade. Pulse at 1-second intervals, scraping sides of bowl several times, until mixture is soft and smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, and process after each addition until fully incorporated (even though mixture may look curdled). Add remaining 1 1/4 cups flour and yeast/flour mixture from step 1, scraping sides of workbowl with rubber spatula. Pulse at 1-second intervals to form soft, smooth dough. Then process continuously for 15 seconds.


Turn dough (sticky at this point) out onto generously floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic.

Grease an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pan; line the pan bottom with parchment or waxed paper, then grease the paper. Press dough into a 9-by-5-inch rectangle, with the short end facing you. Fold each long side about 1 inch toward the center; press firmly to seal. Fold the top half of the dough toward the center. Fold the bottom half of the dough up past the seam; pinch seam to seal. Place dough in the pan, seam side down. Flatten the dough top with your palm so it fills the pan evenly. Cover the pan with greased plastic wrap, let the dough rise about 1-inch above the pan rim. Adjust oven rack to center position and heat the oven to 350 degrees while the dough is rising.

Using a razor blade or sharp knife, slash the dough down the center, leaving about 1 inch unslashed at either end. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack; let cool 5 minutes. Turn the loaf out of pan onto rack; let it cool to room temperature on its side.

NOTE: Instead of baking the brioche in a loaf pan I portioned out the dough to fit the mini tins.  After letting the dough rise in the tins I brushed them with egg wash and then sprinkled Swedish pearl sugar on top before baking in the oven for about 20 minutes.   

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