Brioche | King Arthur Baking (2024)

FAQs

Do you need to score brioche? ›

The buns have a crust that protects the crumb from drying out as long as you don't slice the bun and expose the cut surface to the air. We don't score our brioche loaves; unlike lean doughs, they don't require this step. Scoring is an option, however, for decorative purposes.

Brioche should be a deep brown when done, should sound hollow when tapped, and will read 190°F at the center using an instant-read thermometer.

If mixed too long the dough can become loose and sticky. The water that was absorbed by the flour gets released back into the dough and the gluten structure breaks down. After this there is no way to fix it. It will be a loose, soggy, and sticky mass unable to hold in fermentation gasses.

Give the dough plenty of time to rise

The yeast need to digest the flour in your dough before the can start to produce gas and rise your dough. But adding butter, sugar or eggs to your dough slows down the yeast as they try to break down the flour. So give your dough, and the yeast, more time to rise.

It should not effect the taste. If you get some oven rise, the loaf will bust open at a weak spot. This could look great or not depending where it opens. Some people shape specifically so the loaf busts open on the top which can give a very rustic look.

The most accurate way to test bread doneness is to use a digital thermometer like this. Gently insert the thermometer into the center of your loaf. For most bread recipes, you're looking for a temperature of at least 190° F.

As the gluten breaks down the loaf will not be able to keep its shape. It may be flat or if it is proofed and baked in a tin, then the sides of it will start spilling over. It will not rise as it is baking either.

Baking temperature

Some ovens run hotter than its settings, some cooler. If the oven is too hot the loaf will be brown and crispy on the outside but doughy in the middle and may collapse as it cools. When bread is baked at too low a temperature it will not rise enough in the oven resulting in a dense and sunken loaf.

Too much butter will result in a very soft, sticky dough that's difficult to shape, and bakes up greasy and dense.

This step has benefits beyond flavor development — it also makes the rich dough easier to work with and shape. “You can't work with brioche dough when it's warm, or you will cry,” says Laurie. When you chill the dough, the butter resolidifies, making it easier to handle.

How sticky should brioche dough be? ›

We want the dough as soft as possible but just firm enough and un-sticky enough to handle. Soft dough = soft brioche! The following photos show what the dough looks like before and after mixing.

You should be able to can extend the dough with the tip of your finger to the point it becomes see-through (it's called the windowpane test – see picture). That means your gluten network is done.

Cold brioche dough is also much easier to work with! I recommend making the dough the night before, proofing overnight, and baking the loaf within 24 hours. Pillowy Texture & Buttery Flavor: As an enriched bread, this brioche loaf has a pillowy soft texture with a beautiful even, tender crumb.

Regardless of the type of yeast you use, if your water reaches temperatures of 120°F or more, the yeast will begin to die off. Once water temps reach 140°F or higher, that is the point where the yeast will be completely killed off.

If your gluten strands are formed properly, they will create a thick net, preventing your bread from expanding to its full potential. By scoring your loaf, you create weak points that allow your bread to expand more easily. If you don't score your loaf, it will still expand, but in a jagged pattern.

“You can't work with brioche dough when it's warm, or you will cry,” says Laurie. When you chill the dough, the butter resolidifies, making it easier to handle.

Using a rolling pin or your hands, stretch the dough into a 8- by 14-inch rectangle. Starting at the narrow end, roll dough to form a log, then transfer to the prepared loaf pan seam side down. Alternatively, for brioche Nanterre, divide dough into 8 equal portions (70g each), forming each into a smooth ball.