RECIPE: The fluffiest loaf of sandwich bread is within your reach
Said to have hailed from the Normandy region of France, brioche is a decadent bread with a dynamic roster of uses. Cinnamon rolls, pain suisse, pain aux raisin, bostock, galette des rois, and a traditional hamburger bun all use this classic brioche dough as their base, making this recipe a strong ally in your baking repertoire.
We are going to focus on using the recipe for a classic Pullman loaf. It’s the perfect, slightly sweet sandwich bread toasted and smothered in mayo for the classic Southern tomato sandwich or a BLT. My favorite use is as the base of toad in a hole, eggs in a frame, or whatever you choose to call that bread-y breakfast with a fried egg in the middle. However you decide to use the bread, be sure to enjoy a slice right out of the oven and taste that buttery, yeasty freshness.
When making brioche, we get out what we put in, especially in terms of fats. Brioche will truly shine when you use quality butter, as well as healthy, happy farm eggs and good milk.
Poolish is the leavening agent in this recipe. You might also see it called biga or preferment. It is an active dry yeast fermentation agent that adds a nice little whammy of leavening, allowing the brioche to come out soft and fluffy. The addition of active dry yeast dissolved into the wet ingredients acts as another leavening booster that you really don’t want to go without.
Finally, when mixing the dough, it really is crucial to mix in your room-temperature butter (it should have the consistency of stiff mayonnaise) after all the other ingredients have been mixed. That final, incremental incorporating of butter allows the fat to evenly coat the gluten molecules, giving us a strong, yet soft and supple, loaf of bread.
Ingredient quantities for this recipe are listed in grams because breads are most efficiently and consistently produced using weight measurements instead of volume. If you don’t own a scale, you can purchase this essential baking equipment for about $12.
Brioche Dough
To make the brioche dough, you will need to first make a poolish. The process will take at least 1 hour or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
- 275 grams plus 210 grams all-purpose flour, divided
- 275 grams warm water
- 10 grams plus 4 grams active dry yeast, divided
- 900 grams bread flour
- 120 grams sugar
- 25 grams salt
- 240 grams whole milk, at room temperature
- 10 eggs, at room temperature, divided
- 1 pound butter, at room temperature
- Make the poolish: In a large bowl, combine 275 grams all-purpose flour, 275 grams warm water and 4 grams active dry yeast. Stir to combine, making sure there are no flour clumps. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let ferment 1 hour in a warm place or overnight in the refrigerator. Poolish is ready when it has doubled in size, is very bubbly and active, and floats when a bit of dough is placed in a cup of water.
- When ready to make the dough, in a medium-sized bowl, whisk together 900 grams bread flour, 210 grams all-purpose flour, sugar and salt. Set aside.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add poolish, milk, 9 eggs and 10 grams yeast. Stir to incorporate then, with mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix about 1 minute, until there are no lumps. Let rest 2 minutes.
- With the mixer on medium speed, add butter in three batches, ensuring the butter is well combined before adding the next batch. Increase mixer to high speed and mix 5 to 6 minutes. Dough should form into a ball around paddle and feel nice and strong.
- Transfer dough to a well-oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let ferment 1 1/2 to 2 hours at room temperature or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.
- Spray 2 loaf pans with baking spray or oil. Divide the dough in half and roll each into a rectangular shape to fit into the pans. Cover in plastic wrap and let rest another 1 1/2 to 2 hours at room temperature or up to 6 to 8 hours in the refrigerator.
- When ready to bake, heat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk the remaining egg and brush the tops with the egg.
- Bake loaves 15 minutes, then rotate 180 degrees, lower temperature to 350 degrees and bake another 20 to 25 minutes, until loaves are golden brown and light to the touch. Makes 2 loaves.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per slice: 402 calories (percent of calories from fat, 42), 10 grams protein, 48 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 19 grams total fat (11 grams saturated), 119 milligrams cholesterol, 561 milligrams sodium.Sarah Dodge is an Atlanta-based bread baker, pastry chef and baking instructor. She is the owner of Bread is Good, which offers bread subscriptions to the general public and wholesale baked goods to local markets and restaurants.
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