Brioche Au Fromage

Submitted by silversparkles111

"This brioche recipe is from Bernard Clayton’s “The Breads of France,” my first real bread book. This makes a very soft dough, one that is sticky but won’t stick to your hands very much because of all the fat in the dough."

 

• Ready In: 3hrs 15mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Yields: 2 loaves
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 1⁄4 ounce dry yeast
• 1 cup water
• 3 1⁄2 cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 6 ounces butter
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 2⁄3 lb diced swiss cheese or 2/3 lb gruyere cheese

• Egg wash

• 1 tablespoon milk (for the egg wash, to make use milk and one egg)
• 1 egg

directions

1. Place the water and yeast in the bowl of a large mixer, mix it around a bit, then add the sugar and salt and about half the flour.
2. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.
3. Break the butter into small pieces and add it to the mixture. Beat one minute.
4. Add the eggs one at a time and the rest of the flour. Beat thoroughly after each addition.
5. Beat at medium speed for 10 minutes. You may have to scrape the dough down off the sides of the bowl from time to time.
6. Stir the cheese into the dough and blend thoroughly.
7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature until it has doubled, 2 to 3 hours.
8. Do not stir down the dough. Place it in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours or overnight. This dough must be chilled before it can be worked.
9. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and divide it into two pieces, each about 24 ounces / 680 grams. Place one on the counter and the other back in the bowl in the refrigerator.
10. Divide the dough on the counter into three pieces, about 8 ounces / 225 grams each.
11. Carefully roll the three pieces out to form long strands, 14-16 inches long. Be patient, as the dough will spring back a bit after each roll.
12. When you have the three pieces rolled out, braid them into a loaf, being sure to seal the end pieces tightly.
13. Place the finished braided dough on parchment paper or a greased baking sheet and repeat the process with the second dough.
14. Brush both loaves with the egg-milk glaze.
15. Let the two doughs rise uncovered until doubled, 1-2 hours.
16. Heat oven to 400F / 205°C This is a little high for an enriched bread, so watch it carefully during the last 10 minutes.
17. When ready to bake, give the loaves another brushing with the glaze.
18. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn the loaves around so both sides will bake evenly.
19. Bake until the loaves are done, then carefully remove them from the oven. These loaves will be fragile until they cool.