It would be inappropriate to post indulgent Easter recipes, in a time of long lines and empty shelves in supermarkets (the last time I’ve experienced these was in the 1980s, in Poland, during the Martial Law). People are worried about their jobs and the future. Nevertheless, we will celebrate Easter; dye eggs, bake an Easter babka, and hide chocolate eggs in the garden for the kids to find. I will also prepare my favorite brioche for the Easter brunch.
It’s made with all the ingredients you already have in your pantry or fridge and unlike other recipes, it only uses 1 egg, 60 grams of butter, and 60 g of sugar. All you really need is time, something we currently have plenty of.
Brioche Overnight
Course: Breakfast/BrunchCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Medium1
loaf40
minutes40
minutes8
hours20-40
minutesSoft and fluffy like a pillow. Prepare the dough in the evening and enjoy this amazing brioche for breakfast, brunch or as an afternoon snack.
Ingredients
500 g / 17.6 oz plain wheat flour
60 g / 2.1 oz sugar
60 g / 2.1 oz butter, cold, cut into small cubes
1 egg
250 ml / 8.5 fl oz milk, lukewarm
1/2 teaspoon salt
25 g / 1 oz fresh yeast
Alternatively, 1 envelope (=1 tablespoon) dry yeast1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons milk
extra coarse sugar for sprinkles
Method
- In a large mixing bowl combine flour and sugar. If you are using dry yeast, add it to the flour mixture. If you are using fresh yeast, crumble the yeast into the lukewarm milk and stir it until the yeast is dissolved. Pour the mixture into the flour mixture, add the egg and start mixing at low speed, with an electric stand or hand mixer, fitted with hooks, until the ingredients start forming a dough.
- Gradually add butter cubes and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and continue kneading for 20 minutes until the dough is smooth and shiny.
- Cover the bowl with plastic food wrap or aluminum foil and let it rest overnight in the refrigerator.
- The next morning, remove the dough from the refrigerator and transfer it onto a flour-dusted workspace. Knead the dough only briefly and form 3 – 4 equal balls.
- Place the balls in a greased loaf baking pan and let rise again for 20 – 40 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 355F / 180C.
- Whisk egg yolk and milk together. Brush the surface of the brioche with the egg wash and sprinkle with extra coarse sugar. Bake 40 – 45 minutes on the middle rack until golden brown and crispy on top.
Notes
- Knead the dough at slow to medium speed. The secret to a perfectly fluffy brioche is time, not force.
