Images Brioche

Just a quick recipe here. I can't really tolerate bread. I love it but, it makes me seriously ill. That doesn't stop me eating it though. I have owned a bread machine for around three years and in that time I have probably made...5 loves of bread. Ridiculous! I decided I wanted to start using the things I actually have but, being me, I didn't want to make your bog standard loaf. I do enjoy a plain white loaf but I always seem to need to change things!

I have wanted to make Brioche for a the longest time and since I knew I'd have lots of bread left once I'd made it I decided to come up with some recipes to use up the leftovers. In the coming weeks there will be 5-7 brioche inspired and themed recipes. But, of course, none of them would be possible without the main ingredient. I had no clue whatsoever how to make a loaf of brioche so I didn't even attempt to make a recipe up. Instead I searched online and found this. It worked perfectly and I will be making it again soon with some possible add ins. The recipe is below along with step by step instructions and pictures.

For once I didn't make any changes. So...on with the recipe!

1 3/4 teaspoons yeast
1 3/4 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons bread flour
3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons water
8 tablespoons butter

First add the yeast, sugar and water. I used warm water and let this covered for around 10 minutes until it started to foam. I would usually add this straight into the bowl of my bread machine but it's too dark for pictures.

After 10-15 minutes the mix will look like this

Add the rest of the ingredients (excluding butter)

Then tip the ingredients (excluding butter) into your bread machine and cook on the required setting.

Now the directions say you should add the butter during the last 10 minutes of the first kneading cycle. I had no idea when this was! My machine doesn't tell me how long is left on each kneading cycle so I managed to miss it. Instead I added the butter during the first 10 minutes of the second cycle. This worked out just fine and it was all kneaded in by the time the cycle was done.

Then I waited while it cooked. Once it was done, it was amazing. I managed to be patient for a change and left the bread in the machine for the sides to firm as recommended. Once cooled, the texture was perfect.

As a quick side note, the second time I made this I missed the end of the first cycle again. I started adding the butter to the second cycle but I added it too quickly and, well, it wasn't pretty! It formed a ball of dough in the centre of the machine, as it should, but the outside turned into a sticky mess. I baked it anyway as I could't be bothered wasting the mix and wanted to see what would happen. It actually baked fine in the middle but the outside was much too crumbly and dense. Be warned, when it says take your time adding the butter, take your time.

I managed to use it anyway and I'll post that recipe soon, along with all the others.