How to make fluffy French brioche. Unlike bread, it's made with eggs, butter, milk and a little sugar making it so much lighter and airy. Discover how to make your brioche rise - and fall for its added fillings or toppings using our family's best recipe.
Mix the flour, salt, sugar and dried yeast in an electric mixing bowl and make a well. Attach the dough hook and start mixing on the lowest setting.
Add the warmed milk, orange flower water and gradually the eggs, one by one. Mix well until you have an even dough. Gradually add the melted butter (leave a bit to butter the brioche tin). Mix for at least 20 minutes until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and loses its stick.
Cover with a clean dish-towel and leave to rise in a warm place (24-35°C) for an hour until at least doubled in size.
Knock down the dough (if you're adding chocolate chips, nuts, or candied fruits, mix these in). If making a brioche à tête, rip off a small amount of dough (size of a pingpong ball). Roll and stretch the dough into one large ball and place in a fluted brioche tin. Create a tiny well at the top middle and roll on the little head on top.If making a brioche loaf (brioche Nanterre), divide the dough into 3 and roll into 3 tennis-sized balls and place in a cake tin.Sprinkle with the pearl sugar or toppings of your choice.
Leave again in a warm place for another hour until the dough rises to the top.Separate the eggs for the yolk glaze. Place the whites in a clean jar, cover and keep aside in the fridge (or freeze) for up to 5 days. SEE NOTES
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4. Brush the brioche with egg yolks mixed with a bit of water to glaze. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. If the brioche browns too much, cover with greaseproof paper halfway through baking (although we prefer it browned, just how they serve it in our local boulangerie.)
Leave the brioche to cool on a wire rack.
Notes
Measures: Please note that all my recipes are best made using digital kitchen scales in precise metric grams. Both ounces (and cups) are given as a guide. 453 calories per person based on one large brioche for 8 people.For the leftover egg whites, see my egg white recipes.