Brioche Rolls

For the last blog post, I wanted to bake something that I don't make very often: bread. However, considering that the end of the semester is creeping up, I wasn't willing to devote over a day's worth of time on baking demi-baguettes. Instead, I decided to scale back and make simple brioche rolls, which are much more "finals-friendly".

In bread-making, yeast is one of the most important ingredients because it's what makes the bread rise. I started to proof the yeast by combining one packet of instant yeast with some granulated sugar in a bowl, then microwaved 230 grams of tap water for 20 seconds. According to Bouchon Bakery, "[The water's] temperature is more important than its source" (Keller and Rouxel 262). This part of the recipe is extremely crucial because the success of the brioche rolls depend on whether the yeast was activated correctly or not. I microwaved the water for a little too long, as it was around 90F when I measured it. In order to not kill the yeast, the water should be at 75F for this recipe (Keller and Rouxel 335). I stirred the water and left it in the fridge for a few minutes to cool down, then mixed it in with the yeast and sugar. The bowl needed to be, "...set in a warm spot to proof for 10 minutes or until the yeast mixture is foaming and bubbly" (Keller and Rouxel 335). I decided to preheat my oven to a low temperature and let it cool down slightly to create an area to proof the yeast. It took around 15 minutes to fully activate because of the cold weather.

This recipe is actually gluten-free because it uses Cup4Cup, a mixture that can be substituted for wheat flour (Keller and Rouxel 335). However, I decided to use all-purpose flour instead because I didn't have Cup4Cup in my pantry, since I usually don't bake gluten-free. I figured that if Cup4Cup could be a substitute for wheat flour, the recipe could work the other way around too! After I mixed the flour with salt in a stand mixer bowl, I whisked together eggs, honey, butter, and the yeast in another bowl. I gradually added the egg mixture to the flour while the mixer was on low speed, then increased the speed to medium. Scraping the paddle and the sides of the bowl was a little tricky because the dough was really wet. I was worried at first, but then I read that the dough would be, "...very silky and not as stiff as regular bread dough" (Keller and Rouxel 335). With this in mind, I felt like I was on the right track; I covered the bowl with plastic wrap before placing it in the oven to double in size. I drew a circle with a Sharpie to indicate the size of the dough, so I could tell if it was doubled or not in the next hour.

It is difficult to see in the pictures above, but the dough did double in the next hour and a half. Air bubbles were visible, and it significantly expanded in the bowl. I deflated the dough with a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl before placing it in the refrigerator for 2 hours. As you might have imagined, this recipe required me to play the waiting game very frequently. Once the dough was ready to be divided, I sprayed a muffin pan with nonstick spray. Bouchon Bakery recommended to, "Spoon 75 grams/1/3 cup of the dough into each cup" (Keller and Rouxel 335). I wanted to be as accurate as possible, so I used a scale as I was completing this step. Perhaps my muffin pan was smaller than the one used in the book, but I still had quite a bit of dough leftover. I didn't want it to go to waste, so I used an oval ramekin dish to bake it in. The rolls had to be brushed with egg wash and topped off with some salt for color and flavor, then proofed again for 40 minutes.

The brioche rolls were baked at 350F, and it took approximately 15 minutes to turn golden-brown. After letting them cool down, I split one with my cousin and we tried it with some brie; it was delicious! I do wish that I was more careful when I was applying the egg wash because the color of the rolls weren't even, so they're not exactly picture-perfect. It's the inside that counts though, supposedly. Watching them rise in the oven was really satisfactory because it meant that the time spent waiting for the proofing and dough-resting paid off. Throughout this quarter, I've found that patience was the recurring theme I faced. Baking is one of those things that can't be rushed, and the outcome is truly a reflection of the quality of the time and ingredients that you invest in it. I'm usually the type of person that likes fast results, but with baking, I learned that those are often not the best results. In the future, I'll definitely learn to appreciate the time put into each recipe. 

What is the biggest lesson that you have taken away from your hobby this quarter?

Citation:
Keller, Thomas, and Sebastien Rouxel. Bouchon Bakery. New York: Artisan, 2012. Print.